What is the Hot Bike Power Tour(tm)?

With so much occurring during the 2013 HOT BIKE Magazine Power Tour presented by GEICO, we've made sure to keep you completely informed. Here, you'll find all the latest and necessary hotel information. Be sure to click on the link below to save on hotels!

What?

Simpson

No mas. Over. Fineto. The end. Dunzo. When its over, its over. For those the big fendered Indian Chiefs fans that has become the trademark of the Indian look, this may be the final chance to own a piece of history. Indian has had a roller coaster ride for over 111 years of motorized history, changing several hands along the way. Before we look at the final rendition of the Indian line, lets take a quick rundown of the lowdown of how the 2013 Indian Chief Vintage arrived (more details available on indianmotorcycle.com)

As you know, anything goes when building custom bikes and mixing old parts with new is now the norm. But what about venturing into uncharted territories and using combinations of parts that have never been mated before? Sure, on most things you can bust out the grinder and torch and make the two parts fit, but when it comes to wheels it takes a mountain of knowledge, some caution, and a bit of luck. We looked for some guidance and gave our friends at Wheel Works a call. Having built all sorts of crazy bike wheels since 1976, these guys have seen and done everything pertaining to motorcycle wheels. They gave us some info most of us already know, such as don't use bent or rusted wheels or ever re-use spokes, but those are a given. Then they laid some real knowledge on us, like trying to find undrilled rims. This is because every bike has different width hubs and many pre-drilled vintage MX rims won't safely work with many chopper hub offsets and widths because the spokes are being forced into the rim at severe angles. This causes binding, which leads to cracked hub flanges and rims.

Blacked out. Murdered out. Monotone. It seems like chrome and black are the yin and yang of the custom world and are at a constant battle in popularity. But what happens when going against the norm becomes the norm?

Nothing screams classic rock like a set of wide-whites and ape-hangers. Victorys High-Ball is deemed the ultimate bare-bones bobber that looks like its returned back from the future. Nestled between a blacked out frame sits their infamous 106ci motor pumping out an impressive claimed 110-ft. lbs of torque mated with six-speeds of cruising choices. Blacked out Apes, 16-inch spokes on white walls, and a shorty front fender complete the look of retro meets modern day. If you like pin-up girls, hot rods and rock n roll, this might be the bike for you.

We decided that this year we would again go on the El Diablo Run (eldiablorun.blogspot.com) and that we needed to build a fun little bike that could handle the mix of paved and dirt roads strewn across the Mexican desert.

Engraving has been practiced since the Stone Age where eggshells used for water containers were decorated. The practiced grew and evolved over time and gained popularity for jewelers, typesetters, and gunsmiths. Its use on motorcycles dates back to choppers and customs and its popularity, like most artistic elements, comes and goes. While computer-aided engraving has started to make its way onto mass-produced motorcycle parts, there is still no substitution for the human hand. After following a single piece make its way from a stock dash to a piece of motorcycle art, we grew to learn that engraving is nothing short of an art form on par with painting, tattooing, or drawing. Hernan D'Aloia, from Hernan's Custom Engraving, has been honing his skills for more than a decade and has established himself as one of the top craftsman in the lowrider engraving community. We followed the dash for our project 1989 FLHS purchased at a swap meet as it was prepped by True Finish Chrome Plating for stripping and polishing, over to Hernan for hand engraving, and back to True Finish for final chrome. The end result can only be described as motorcycle jewelry and we can't wait to get this, and our other parts, mounted on our project bike.

For the most part, lowering a bike (reducing suspension travel) is contradictory to making it ride better. That was until the engineers at Progressive Suspension had a go at it. Or so they say. We, being ever the skeptics, hit them up for some backstory on the new 944 shocks.

Have a carburetor on your bike? There's nothing wrong with that. Carburetors have been an integral part of the internal combustion picture for a long time. In the last few years, though, those carbureted Harleys have been getting short shrift. All the emphasis has shifted to this or that EFI tuning module, to narrow- and wide-band sensors and re-programmed maps. Carburetors? They're history.

Skill Level // Intermediate

Board tracker-style motorcycles have been gaining popularity over the last several years, acting as inspiration for many modern customs. These speed-demon bikes were originally ridden by the gnarliest of men who often had more courage than brains. When Danny Schneider from Hard Nine Choppers in Switzerland had the opportunity to purchase one of these machines, he jumped at the opportunity to own a piece of motorcycle history. Here's his story as told by Danny.

Its pretty common for riders to walk into shops looking for one thing and end up buying more than they had planned. In extreme cases, they end up with an entire custom ride built from the ground up. Teaming up with the shop owner to launch a new line of production bikes was a new one to me, though. Yet, thats pretty much what happened when Keanu Reeves (yes, the actor) came to Gard Hollingers LA County Choprods on the prowl for a sissy bar for his 2005 Dyna. What started out as a rider looking for a simple add-on to his Harley evolved into the muscled-up, stripped-down KR GT-1 Prototype seen here and about as far a cry from an 05 Dyna as you can get.

I have known Dan Collins for years and have considered him a friend since the day we first met. Dan's looks and demeanor dictate that he is a ruffian and a hell raiser, but it couldn't be further from the truth. He's a talented guy that chooses his words wisely and he possesses one of the most intriguing laughs you will ever hear in your life.

If you want to know how much history you can pour onto two wheels, look no further than the Harley-Davidson Sportster. How many bikes can you name that outlasted Elvis, the Beatles, the Cold War, and TV's Law & Order?

In the race to “go big,” shortcuts are sometimes taken with an emphasis placed on form over function. As a result how many big wheel baggers truly ever see the open road for any decent amount of miles? Brian Schwartz might not be a name you’ve heard before. He isn’t a reality TV star, isn’t married to a Hollywood A-lister, and doesn’t have a semi waiting to tow his bikes to shows. He’s just an average Joe with above-average skills, and above all things, has a love of the open road.

1 DePalma
Chop Shop Riding Gloves
depalma.com

The multi tool has come to save us all. From hangnails to emergency roadside brake jobs, these handheld devices are handy, compact, and full of features. All riders should do themselves a favor and have one of these well-engineered first-aid kits stuffed in their saddlebag, clipped to their belt, or hung on the pegboard in their shop.

1 Pickard USA
Hi Rolla Wheel
pickardusa.com

Wargasser Speed Shop