Do you have a comment, question, complaint, or something you need to get off your chest? Then write us at: Speak Up, HOT BIKE, 2570 E. Cerritos Ave., Anaheim, CA 92806, or drop us a line at hot.bike@sourceinterlink.com.

After messing around with a Deuce, Chad Vollmer of Chester's Choppers decided it was time for a little more comfort on long hauls. Rather than start with a brand-new bagger, Chad wanted to see what he could do with a wrecked bike. It didn't make much sense to him to pay all that cash for a perfectly good bike when he would just be taking half of the parts off to put custom parts on anyway. He found what he was looking for, a cosmetically damaged '02 Electra Glide, in Jackson, Georgia.

Last month was all hype about our big painters showcase article, where we highlighted some of the most colorful and wildest paint schemes from top painters across the country. This month, we're taking things in the complete opposite direction as we head into the abyss of the color palate.

On May 3, 1999, Kevin Brooks and his brother Warren were talking in front of Kevin's shop, Thunder Mountain Motorsports, in Mt. Shasta, California, when a drunk driver swerved off the road, striking Warren and killing him in front of his brother. Kevin was devastated. Words couldn't possibly describe what he went through. He couldn't seem to find strength to go on, to continue the life he once shared with his best friend. Their father, who has since passed away, pointed out to Kevin how short life can be, and told him he'd better make sure he lives life to the fullest, because you never know when it can be taken away.

Here at HOT BIKE, we get a lot of rides-Harleys, hogs whatever you want to call them-submitted by our readers. Pick of the Pen is an opportunity to dedicate a few pages to our favorite readers-submitted bike each month. This month's pick of the pen comes to us from Rick "Dakota" Kempf.

Look at Western art throughout the ages and you'll find all kinds of images from Greek mythology. Naked people, battles, big monsters; everything you need for a blockbuster epic. This fact wasn't exactly lost to the folks at the Treasure Island Casino (or TI, for short) when they started the Sirens of Treasure Island show four years ago. Vegas is all about big and flashy, so the fit came pretty naturally.

We would like to start by asking you, the reader, to help us with your ride submissions. There is no shortage of Readers' Rides coming across the editor's desks; however, only about 1/4 of them can be used. The reason: bad photos, little or no info about the bike, and even worse, no contact info to get better photos or the needed bike specs. So before you put a stamp on that envelope or send out that e-mail, make sure that you have filled out the basics: Your name, phone number and/or e-mail, where you're from. Then fill out a spec sheet-all you need to do is copy the info from the magazine: Motor, tran, frame, wheels, and so on. Last, a brief history about you and your bike. Now that you know exactly what we're looking for, we can't wait to see what you're going to send in. Thanks!Email to: hot.bike@sourceinterlink.com

Over the course of about 10 seconds, the usually sunny Socal sky turned from a golden glow to a dim twilight, then back to bright. Everyone in the office was bewildered. Was it an unscheduled eclipse? Was the grand meteor in the sky finally making its descent upon earth? Nope, it was actually the Big Dog Motorcycles (BDM) rig unloading our latest test bike, the re-designed '08 Ridgeback. The cause of the momentary loss of light? It appears the massive 330mm rear tire temporarily blotted out the sun as the bike rolled off the back of the truck.

At Drag Specialties, there are a few different methods of bike building. One is to build a motorcycle from the ground up from their catalog (have you seen the '08 Fatbook? It's massive!). They start by piecing together the frame, wheels, tranny, and whatever other parts are needed to make two wheels roll down the road. In this particular case, they took a stock 2000 Harley-Davidson FLHTCUI and accessorized the hell out of it.

From what we've seen of Fred Kodlin's work from Germany, we know he's creative and unique in designing and building motorcycles. Even when we think he has done it all, he comes up with something new. For Sturgis, he rode to South Dakota on a bike that changed everything-even the history of suspension systems in motorcycle building.

Eddie Trotta needs no introduction. There are few people I know who have as much of a diversified history as Mr. Trotta. His early Outlaw Bike Gang days in Connecticut weren't about scaring little old ladies, but rather striking fear into the hearts of grown men and entire communities ("You know, I never wanted to leave Connecticut," Eddie recalls). It's not so much a jump as a huge leap to where he is today, running one of the world's most influential custom motorcycle shops, Thunder Cycle Design (TCD), in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In between, there have been many adventures in this man's life. If you think you have some tough guy stories, you may want to keep them to yourself around Eddie, because when he returns the favor you might just end up sounding lame. High stakes all the way, from the unmentionable to championship offshore racing that most of us would never have lived through; the rest of us would still be behind bars as guests of either state or federal authorities. Having too much fun can be considered a criminal offense by some.

GRAND THEATRE DOUGLAS RAFFLE UNDERWAY

In an industry that drastically fluctuates with the economy and people's discretionary funds, making a living as a custom motorcycle builder can be a tough way of life. That is, unless you have built up a strong list of clients who continually show up at your shop ready to hand over a signed check for their next bike. Such is the case for Shannon Davidson, owner of The Chopp Shop in Taylorsville, NC.

We would like to start this issue by asking you, the reader, to help us with your ride submissions. There is no shortage of Readers' Rides coming across the editor's desks; however, only about 1/4 of them can be used. The reason: bad photos, little or no info about the bike, and even worse, no contact info to get better photos or the needed bike specs. So before you put a stamp on that envelope or send out that e-mail, make sure that you have filled out the basics: Your name, phone number and/or e-mail, where you're from. Then fill out a spec sheet-all you need to do is copy the info from the magazine: Motor, tran, frame, wheels, and so on. Last, a brief history about you and your bike. Now that you know exactly what we're looking for, we can't wait to see what you're going to send in. Thanks!

Here at HOT BIKE, we get a lot of rides-Harleys, hogs, whatever you want to call them-submitted by our readers. Pick of the Pen is an opportunity to dedicate a few pages to our favorite readers-submitted bike each month. This month's pick of the pen comes to us from Don Huskey.

The Victory lineup for 2008 is nothing short of spectacular. With a wide range of models to choose from, the '08 lineup covers the entire spectrum of riding styles: The Vegas 8-Ball is great for "around-town" cruising, and the Vision Tour will take you from point A to point B, and then on to point Z, where you'll arrive at your multiple-mile destination without feeling fatigued. With the standard 100ci engine displacement on board most models (except Vision Tour and Vision Street, which feature a 106ci motor), power has increased to 85hp and 106 ft-lbs of torque. Victory's power plant is transitioned from the six-speed transmission (except Vegas 8-Ball and Kingpin 8-Ball, which feature a five-speed trans) with ease to the rear wheel/tire via the Primary Gear drive with torque compensator. The entire Victory drivetrain package is bulletproof in that it will withstand severe punishment and keep on keeping on. Since 1998, Victory has produced solid-running motorcycles in the American V-Twin industry and do so to this day. They continue to innovate in design and their progressive freshness in motorcycle development is a force to be reckoned with. Victory has become one of the largest production motorcycle manufacturers on the North American continent. We recently inherited the Vegas 8-Ball for a longterm road test, so stay tuned as to our thoughts on the bike as well as some of the ideas we have for upgrading the 8-Ball in future issues to come.

Motorcycle Media is your chance to send in media-books, DVDs, books on tape, eight-tracks, whatever -related to the motorcycle industry. Your material(s) will be checked in and reviewed by our staff, then safeguarded on our shelves. This could be your space below. Drop your media in the slot addressed to: Motorcycle Media, HOT BIKE, 2570 E. Cerritos Ave., Anaheim, CA 92806.

Do you have a comment, question, complaint, or something you need to get off your chest? Then write us at: Speak Up, HOT BIKE, 2570 E. Cerritos Ave., Anaheim, CA 92806, or drop us a line at hot.bike@sourceinterlink.com.

I know I am not the only one who thinks that sportbike styling took a bit of a turn for the worse with the unveiling of the '08 redesigns, with such interesting tidbits as turn signals mounted on the mirror stalks and some of the most god-awful-looking exhaust systems ever conceived. That being said, it kind of makes me wonder if the manufacturers aren't depending a little too heavily on the aftermarket to finish the job. I understand that emissions regulations are forcing designers to sacrifice form for function and that the new bikes are more "track oriented," but is this really the best they can do?

Managing the hard-working team of talented craftsmen in Pete Chapouris' SO-CAL Speed Shop, Ryan Reed is no stranger to understanding the finer details that really make a build great. SO-CAL Speed Shop sets itself apart because they don't just throw stuff together. They build traditional hot rods finished at the highest level: Cars that not only run really well, but are aesthetically perfect works of art. In fact, they've got a show on TLC right now called Hard Shine, which attempts to portray what it's really like building a high-end custom car-that the most important part is a finished product that performs as well as it looks, and sometimes you have to put the B.S. aside and just get the car done.

If there's one thing Vince Doll of Redneck Engineering thinks is a huge aspect of good design, it's simplicity. To think like a visionary, forgetting oneself and coming at a design with fresh, renewed ideas is a trait that has put Redneck Engineering on the custom bike map. Look at anything Vince and the crew at Redneck have done over the years: Simplicity and function dictate form. That is true artistic style.

It wasn't another primer-colored mid-'70s Dodge Diplomat about to flip over on a pipe ramp jump, but owner and master fabricator John Stope of Ssinister Choppers hauling ass down the freeway on his way to Arizona Bike Week, with the bike featured here bouncing around on the trailer behind his truck.

Here at HOT BIKE, we get a lot of rides-Harleys, hogs, whatever you want to call them-submitted by our readers. Pick of the Pen is an opportunity to dedicate a few pages to our favorite readers-submitted bike each month. This month's Pick of the Pen comes to us from Joseph Vigil of Rancho de Taos, New Mexico.