The old engine whirred along through the Outback heat, its slight mechanical clatter mixing with the sweet exhaust-note staccato that only a 1940s Harley-Davidson V-twin can make. A faint aroma of heavyweight mineral oil wafted up to the rider, who was settled in a comfortable slouch on his tractor-like seat. The rider looked over his shoulder to confirm the exact position of his fellow riders. Their presence was already apparent by the rising and falling of the exhaust resonance that occurs when motorcycles run in close formation. The sound was like a group of World War I biplanes, out on a mission. This was a mission, too. It was an attempt to ride a group of hand-shift, foot-clutch Harleys on a six-week circuit of the continent of Australia.

There’s one really good thing about Mexico: its grittiness weeds out the weak. With all the news about corruption, drug wars, and mayhem, most people are scared shitless to venture south of the border these days. Much of the news is true—Mexico can be a dangerous place; but so can Detroit, Los Angeles, and Baltimore. It’s all about self-awareness, self-reliance, and strength in numbers. Greasy guys on old motorcycles are hard targets for banditos. A big pack of greasy dudes hauling ass in broad daylight is even tougher to pin down. Even though a little danger is part of the deal, so far, no one on the El Diablo Run has been kidnapped or died in a firefight. Mainstream media always makes a big stink about the dangers of Mexico, and that’s just the way we like it.

After a rash of motorcycle deaths happened (due to inattentive motorists) in central Illinois, I decided to start an event on Facebook at 8 am calling it "Rainman's Can You See Me Now" parade. The last death had been Willie Wiker who was hit by a lady running a red light. By noon of the day I made the Facebook, I had more than 700 people confirming to attend the event.

Art is an expression of inner beauty and emotion in so many forms. Whether it’s oil on canvas, music, performance art, two-wheeled sculpture, or lifestyle photography, all represent and evoke emotion, and more importantly showcase that inner self in the creator’s work. Michael Lichter’s Motorcycles as Art: Eternal Combustion exhibit at the 70th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally illustrates what humanity is capable of producing.

HOT BIKE is heading east this coming September to be on hand for the 10th anniversary memorial event of the September 11th tragedies. We will be flying out to Pennsylvania to pay our respects to those that lost their lives on Flight 93. There are several events taking place leading up to and around this event. Two major rides are the Ride With the 40 and the Let's Roll Ride. The Ride with the 40 event starts in California and is a 10-day ride across the country ending at the crash site in Shanksville, PA. The goal of the Ride With the 40 event is to raise $250,000 for the Flight 93 National Memorial with 100-percent of all donations going directly to building the Memorial and to help bring remembrance of the heroic deeds of the 40 passengers that lost their lives on Flight 93. For more information on Ride With the 40 visit ridewiththe40.org.

KANSAS CITY, Mo., August 15, 2011 - The Station Rally, a family event that will include music by area bands, food and beverages and the opportunity to experience Art of the Chopper, will be held at Union Station Saturday, August 27, from noon to 10 p.m. Free parking for thousands of motorcycles will be provided.

When you go to an AMA event and the Superbikes are on the track, or the Super Sports, or the Daytona Sportbikes are on the track, nobody knows which is which because they all sound the same! When the Harleys are on the track, everybody in the place, everybody, says, ‘The Harleys are out there!’ explains Terry Vance, president of Vance & Hines regarding the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Racing Series. ‘We can’t go to an event without people knowing we are out there.’”

Ever dreamed of taking a hot lap on a prestigious racecourse aboard a Harley-Davidson XR1200? Check out this video of Kyle Wyman (#33) as he takes a practice lap on the Road America course in preparation for last week's AMA Pro Vance and Hines XR1200 race at the Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin track.

The Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) from Southern California to Northern California is one of the most scenic stretches in the US. When taking it on a proper rig like a ’10 Victory Cross Roads, it’s substantially better than driving in a stuffy car.

Don’t worry riders, there are plenty of bike-centric goings on, such as loud pipe, Baker Drivetrain Smoke-down Showdown, and S&S Smokeout burnout contests.

It's funny how things work sometimes. For example, in the latest issue I wrote about, Harley-Davidson's private media launch of its new model, the Black Line, held at Don Hills in Manhattan, New York. In that article I mentioned another mid-year launch I was invited to by H-D in West Hollywood, California, at the Viper Room, for the Cross Bones. Being that both models were sort of stripped down and blacked out, the venues for the very informal parties made perfect sense; seedy and gritty bars where uncle Jack and his sidekick Mr. Pabst reigned supreme. Both events were nearly perfect evenings, except for one thing, no live music!

BUFFALO CHIP CAMPGROUND, SD (April 11, 2011) - The epic grounds of the Legendary Buffalo Chip have witnessed a raucous and remarkable array of world-class rockers and musical acts. From Ozzy Osbourne to Kid Rock, Bob Dylan to Motley Crue, the Chip has quickly become the home of the summer's largest and most authentic biker music festival.

For those in the know, there is no denying that the Japanese love their bikes and they love their Harleys. While winter might be a little slow, when spring hits, the Cool Breaker Custom Harley Show gives everyone a place to show off what they've been up to during the colder months.

The tagline, "America's Fastest Growing Bike Event," couldn't be a better fit than it is for Muskegon Bike Time. For the fourth straight year, an explosion of motorcycles and riders rolled into the Lake Michigan shoreline community of Muskegon, Michigan, this past July for three days of two-wheeled fun and entertainment.

When Lonnie Isam Jr., honcho at Jurassic Racing in Sturgis, South Dakota, talked to some of his fellow vintage bike buddies about climbing on their old scooters and going for a ride, he let the cat out of the bag. Almost overnight he had nearly 100 people clamoring to take part in a 3,000-mile jaunt from the sand dunes of North Carolina to the beaches of Southern California. But a reality check clicked in when the concept of climbing mountains, traversing deserts, and having to deal with Sunday traffic in L.A. culled the number of entrants to an even 44.

The Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge announced today that Harley-Davidson Motor Company will provide marketing and promotional support for the 2011 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge.

Like the song lyrics go "only the good die young," and while our industry lost one of its most beloved artists way too soon, David Mann's memory still lives on every December with the David Mann Chopper Fest. Located across the street and a few hundred sandy paces from the shores of Ventura's pristine coastline, at Seaside Park/Ventura County Fairgrounds, since its inception mere months after the famed artist's passing in 2004, the David Mann Chopper Fest has been drawing art and custom cycle lovers from up and down Cali all they to the East Coast and beyond.

(Daytona, FL --- February 3, 2011) - The Broken Spoke Saloon in Daytona is the place to be March 4th - 12th for DAYTONA BIKE WEEK 2011! This year's event is filled with a great line-up of acts paying tribute to rock and roll's elite and motorcycle events that will blow your mind. The Broken Spoke Saloon in Daytona is located at 1151 North U.S. Highway 1 in Ormond Beach.

Little did Clarence "Pappy" Hoel or the rest of the Jackpine Gypsies motorcycle club know back in 1938 that they started the Mecca of motorcycle rallies. Never in a gazillion years did those fine gents ever think that some seven decades later the 2010 Black Hills Motorcycle Rally was going to be one for the record books.

Bike Week in Daytona Beach, Florida is sort of a biker pilgrimage that needs to be made at one point in every biker's life. The annual shindig kicked off this year on February 26 through March 7, and thousands of gearheads of the two-wheeled persuasion showed up to help blow out the candles on the rally's 69th birthday cake.

From selling hard-to-find motorcycle parts out of a nondescript retail building to becoming a global giant of aftermarket parts sales, Custom Chrome (CCI) has helped shape the V-twin market into what we know today. With offices worldwide in California, Germany, Japan, Spain, England, Italy, Slovakia, and France; Custom Chrome has become one of the worldwide leaders of V-twin motorcycle parts and accessories distribution.

After arriving to the 70th Annual Sturgis rally one of my top priorities of this trip was to check out the custom bikes at the AMD Championships of Custom Bike Building.

Well it's that time of year again; time for debauchery, time for mayhem, time for freedom, damnit! And there's no other time like the present then to be at this year's 70th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Horsepower and Hot Dogs Dyno Shootout

Saturday, July 17 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Registration begins at 9 a.m.)