We like things simple. Plain actually. And if its hidden, it’s even better. So when we saw the newest swag coming from Custom Cycle Control Systems we figured our readers would like them too. CCCS recently released their new improved riser mount kit which allows you to pass all of your internal lines (wires, cables & hoses) thru the bolts and exit the under side of the top triple tree. You can use  this with any triple tree set up for HD standard bushings/vibration dampeners. Use only with 1.25″ bars stock with .095 wall thickness. MSRP: $180.00. Each kit includes:

• 4 Chrome Washers
• 4 Poly Bushings
• 2 Stainless Riser Bolts
• 2 Chrome Hex Nuts
• 2 Threaded Handlebar Inserts / Bungs

Hey, thanks for coming back! Great to see there are a few of you out there that have taste and style! Seriously, thanks for visiting. If you know of stories you think people would be interested in, shoot us a line C'ya!

It’s hard to explain some times (even to ourselves much less others) what exactly is going on in the motorcycle scene these days.  We have so many different aspects of the motorcycling world that are changing.  We ask the question “What is this new scene that is comprised of a somewhat younger breed of rider on modified cruisers rippin’ up our streets?” Whether it’s due to economics, restlessness, or simply the ebb-and-flow of a generation that takes on and reflects the state-of-affairs with us as a culture, one thing is for sure….there is “a change a happen’n”.

One guy that we are familiar with and respect for his insights into the industry is Scout Underwood, (who when we met him was working for Baker Transmissions) and then went onto H-D and other companies afterwards.  His hands on experience in the industry teamed up with insightful writings have caught our attention and we’d like to repost one article (in it’s entirety) that clearly attempts to answer the question posed above. It’s here for you to read and comment on.  You can check out his site The Bikereader.org here. So here is the article: (more…)

We’ve gathers some information for those not familiar with the rally at Sturgis.  As well as those that are frequent visitors and wanted to educate themselves on where they are staying and what people are doing while in Sturgis.  This is random stuff so enjoy:

Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, is a week-long happening every year in early August, hosted in Sturgis, SD, population 6,500. The rally has been held every year in Sturgis since 1938 with the exception of two years during WWII when gas rationing rules prevented recreational travel. Nine racers participated in the first rally, competing for $750 in prize money in front of a small crowd of racing enthusiasts who had paid 50 cents each for the experience. By 1960 attendance was 800, by 1970 that number had grown to 2,000, and in 2010, for the rally’s 70th anniversary, projections are for over 600,000 attendees. (more…)

CRASHING SUCKS!!!…as most riders can attest!  And to reduce that “suckage” you need to make sure your tire pressure and wear on your tires is correct and at a minimum. Although it may seem obvious that the tire’s purpose is to hold the motorcycle up, tires actually perform several different functions. They help maintain balance of the bike while in motion, they change the steering and handling geometry, they absorb some of the shocks and vibrations from the road surface (without involving the rest of the suspension), and the more obvious transference of energy between the bike and the road (braking, turning forces, acceleration) — as well as handling the disappation of heat from that frictional transaction of energy transference. (Sounds “teckie” huh?  We threw that part in to show ya we’ve got some learn’n involved here). (more…)

Pope, Sears, Flying Merkel, Excelsior, Henderson, Indian, Triumph, and the Harley-Davidson’s Silent Grey Fellows. These are but a few of the vintage, pre-1916 motorcycles that will be thumping their way across these great United States for the Motorcycle Cannonball endurance run in September 10-26, 2010. Riders (a few we know personally) will virtually dip their tread in the salty waters of the East Coast’s Atlantic Ocean as the officials wave the green flag, then come to rest some 3,320 miles later, at the shoreline of the Pacific Ocean’s West Coast. (more…)

Throughout the 2010 season the Limpnickie Lot has adopted a new practice under the  direction of Lisa Ballard called the “Limpnickie Lot Footprint” in order to give something back to each community they visit. These included pizza and skateboarding with Boys and Girls club Kids, food drives for local communities and several other interactions and we are pleased to announce the next step in this action. This year in Sturgis, there will be many footprints left behind from the Limpnickie Lot. Athena” Chickie” Vagabond will be working side by side with three high school bike builders, which happen to be all girls.  They competed through essay to win this once in a life time opportunity. The bike will be raffled off at the Broken Spoke Saloon downtown location. Be sure to stop by and support this great cause. (more…)

There’s something archaic, yet satisfying, about the presence of a barber pole.  Maybe a welcome glimpse of a past perceived as simpler and even slower, one could say? Barbers and their poles (did you know that barbers in the middle ages were actually surgeons?  Practicing “bloodletting” to cure ills. And the modern barbers pole had it’s start during that time) are anachronisms in an age of pretentious, gleaming, massive, high-tech salons where the stylists look better than their clients, (before and/or after services). Even the word, barber, which stems from the Latin “barba” – for beard – is less sexy than the term, “stylist”. So, who goes to barbers nowadays? (more…)

So, your minding your own business doing what you do…. hanging out with friends or at a rally or racetrack or feeding your face at a local watering hole or even at work.  Then when your ready to find your bike to leave, you can’t find it! No where! Did you park it in another place? Nope, you’ve just been robbed! Violated.  Not the best way to either start or finish a day.  Bob Feinen, motorcycle theft and fraud specialist, has a few common sense tips for preventing motorcycle theft for new and veteran riders. Feinen, an expert in motorcycle theft investigation and fraud, has worked in the motorcycle insurance field for more than 20 years. (more…)

In our continuing effort to instill some “ed-u-catchen” with our readers and others browsing the internet, we’ve hit on another “just-gotta-have” bit of information for our readers.  Which is, the tightening of that annoying and somewhat dangerous thing called the “chain”. Granted most of us figure if ya got it greased up and it’s not taking off body parts as it spins we’re ok.  But seriously, there is far more to this situation than just that aspect dude.  So listen (read) up. And just for clarification this is something pretty much every motorcyclist can (and should know) how to do! And it won’t take you away from your favorite episode of House or The Simpson or the PC for more than 10 minutes every 400-500 miles, and is an excellent investment in keeping your sprockets and chain healthy. Plus, for you performance hounds, an improperly adjusted motorcycle drive chain can dramatically reduce rear wheel horsepower. And we can’t have that can we!?  The procedure does differs from bike to bike, but the general principles described here apply to all bikes.  But do consult your bike’s owner’s manual for specifics.

Here are a few tips to make the job a little easier.

1. Place the motorcycle on a stand or centerstand, allowing the rear wheel to spin freely.
2. With the proper tool(s), loosen the nut securing the rear axle.
3. Gently “snug” the chain by wedging a wrench or other tool between the chain and rear sprocket and rolling the wheel rearwards. This will ensure that the axle is fully clamped against the adjustment blocks, will aid in adjustment, and will also keep the axle from moving when you re-tighten the axle nut.
4. Adjust the chain tension so that there is proper slack as recommended in your owner’s manual (remove the tool wedged in your chain to check the tension.) Off-road machines usually require more slack than street bikes. Be sure that the rear sprocket is in line with the drive chain.
5. With the snugging tool re-inserted in the rear sprocket, firmly tighten the axle nut according to the manufacturer’s torque specifications.
6. Tighten the lock nuts on your chain adjusters, and you’re finished!
7. Now go ride!  Enjoy your freedom and fresh air for a few hours.

While we don’t spend a lot of time thinking about our suspension while riding, it happens to be the one element that can and does have the most profound affect on our comfort and satisfaction as a rider.  (Granted if your a Horsepower fan you’ll say “power” but hey this is our forum and we’ll write what we believe!) Anyway, standard front forks are rather simple objects to work with and/or even understand. They are just like emulsion shock absorbers with straight wound springs, except the springs are on the inside instead of the outside. Since the forks get shorter when you hit a bump, all forks are effectively air-assisted. (Because of this, it is important to get the oil level set correctly when you change your fork oil, or the spring rate will be wrong).
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While most people are familiar with this form of fork, (not to be confused with the one you eat with) many have no idea what is actually going on internally with this component.  Here’s the scoop. A tube fork incorporates an internal shock and spring in one sealed cylinder unit. The smaller tube slides in and out of the slightly larger tube that is sealed around it. Sound pretty simple, right?  The more detailed mechanics of it are that the internal springs and hydraulic fluid serve to dampen the movements of the tube forks to smooth out the ride, (providing the active suspension for the front wheel). (more…)

This is the 2nd part of our series “Girders, Springers and Leaf Springs”.

If you have followed us on various builds you’ll recognize this front end as it was on the famous “Errant” which is in the 2010 Easy Riders Calendar and was featured in a number of magazines over the past 3 years. Have to admit, Errant was one of the best riding, fun and easiest handling bikes we’ve built and/or owned and we think that was due to the Durfee Girder front end we used.  So, if you’ve not riden on a bike with a girder, you need to.  It’s an experience you won’t forget and you’ll possibly become a champion for them.   (more…)

If you’ve followed any of the builds we have done at Guilty, you realize one thing.  We don’t like complicated!  Zip. Nada.  We just don’t like things that will strain the brain too much…plus there is only so much you can squeeze into a peanut shell besides rock-a-billy music, brands of beer to buy, our wives grocery list and how to work the remote for the tv.  Thus,  you’ll ONLY find “constant velocity carbs (or CV’s) on our bikes.  Here is our simple explanation of how the “The Carburetor” works. (Que the cool theme music please!) (more…)

A frequent question posed by motorcyclist is whether or not they should carry a firearm with them for personal protection. This is a question that has a lot of answers and yet not one fits every situation.  Just too many variables to consider on this issue as “one shoes doesn’t fit everyone“.  So remember that as we proceed thought this issue.  First, let me state that I am trained and carry a 9mm with me almost everywhere i go and am proficient in it’s use as well as a number of one-on-one confrontation scenarios (i.e. martial arts). Granted i’m not a competitive fighter, but i can hold-my-own when it was needed. And have had to “hold my own” over the years (although i was a lot younger and foolish too) when the need arose. (more…)

In the book “The Devil Can Ride,” which is edited by Lee Klancher, the reader finds an anthology of “the world’s best motorcycle writing,” (ok i stole that from its sub-title) and inferred by other references we’ve found. Seems the author has selected other authors, such as Mark Singer, Hunter Thompson, T.E. Lawrence, Robert Pirsig, Peter Egan, Kevin Cameron, Joe Scalzo, and approximately 20 more to highlight in his unique and witty book.  There’s even a previously unpublished story by Darwin Holmstrom which covers the sexuality of motorcycles in which he explains how the Victory Vegas got him laid (by his wife).  The story is funny as is the book informative in it’s eclectic collection of writers and styles   In addition to the writings, there are black and white photos, often taken by the authors.  The book comes in hard cover and is available from Motorbooks for $26.00 in the US, $32.50 in Canada. To access the publisher on line, click here, as well as Amazon.