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.

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

Tech

Tech

Tech

If you aren't into customizing your bike then you probably wouldn't be reading this magazine. We love to change our bikes up too. In fact it's our job and we do it well.

How would you like up to 80 more horsepower on that bike of yours in less than a day's time? Well, the fine folks at ProCharger have a tip-to-tail bolt-on air-to-air inter-cooled centrifugal supercharger kit that can and will get your stock motor double its ponies and that back tire squealing for mercy.

Remember the old joke, "What's the last thing to go through a bug's head as it hits a windshield?" Well, if you were a bug, this is the windscreen you'd choose to fly into. (If you don't know the punchline to the joke, you need to get out more see the answer in the caption of the last photo.)

After several years of talking about riding to Sturgis, I finally decided to actually make the journey. I just recently moved to the Minneapolis area, a total distance of 600 miles on the dot to Sturgis. I have been riding for years but I typically go on 100-mile weekend jaunts and for years while living in California I risked my life splitting lanes to get to and from work. Born without an ass and with plans in my head to make it in one day, I knew my number-one challenge would be seat comfort. I did not want to get more than 100 miles into the trip and be miserable—you know, when your ass goes numb and you start shifting from butt cheek to butt cheek in an attempt to relieve the pain while at the same time your back is tightening up. I was going to enjoy this trip that I had talked about doing for way too long!

Motocentric

As motorcycles enthusiasts, it’s safe to say we’re a curious bunch; curious to see what’s around that next bend in the road we’ve never ridden, curious to know what the best engine combinations for our bike’s are, and curious to know the inner workings of our motorcycles. Recently, Roland Sands Design (RSD) tried to provide some insight to that last one with the introduction of its new Clarity Line of covers.

As we all know, S&S has made solidly built and trusted V-twin power plants for decades and this Knucklehead is no different. Yes, this engine has all the looks of the famed mills Harley made from 1936 to 1947, but it comes with 93 cubic inches worth of power that is a hell of a lot more cubes than the original 61- and 74ci motors possessed. This S&S KN93 engine is designed with the ’58-65–style flywheel assembly, which uses a stronger splined sprocket shaft and beefier Timken sprocket shaft bearing. Another difference from stock is an improved oil line system as well as innovative rocker arm cover tins, which are another progression from the old H-D hot-air pump. Also the S&S lower rocker covers are built from die-cast aluminum and are kept in place by the valve guides, which now are held down by valve spring pressure sealed with O-rings.

I’ve seen some funny and some not so funny things while working in and around the V-twin industry. The engine featured in this story is decidedly unfunny, but once a person whose knowledgeable of things mechanical views the images of the engine “pre-rebirth,” they for some strange reason elicit grins and giggles. Indeed, it is a curious reaction folks have to the sorry state of affairs captured by the camera, giggling in the face of total destruction!

Looking for a replacement for your old Pan or Shovelhead’s tranny? RevTech makes complete transmissions for ’36-64 Big Twins with tin primaries that cost about as much as having your old OG one overhauled. They have the same features as their other dependable four-speed transmissions, but RevTech altered the casting molds to remove the aluminum primary ears. Yes, this transmission bolts onto virtually any rigid or swingarm frame that uses a tin primary, chain final drive, and kick starter. These gearboxes come standard with ’36-64 RevTech gear sets, chrome ratchet top, and a heavy-duty kicker kit.

We love the way our Iron 883 looks and rides, but to tell you the truth the 883cc power plant leaves us with that “need for speed” feeling. Also, since our bike is new and still under factory warranty, we didn’t want to go all crazy and start adding all sorts of aftermarket go-fast parts that would take us to void city.

Some of us Harley Riders like the comfort of our bikes, but want a bit more performance on our daily commutes or weekend rides. Everybody knows that most H-Ds have soggy suspension from the factory, so it takes some aftermarket ingenuity to firm it up. That’s where the Progressive Suspension 970 shocks come in. The 970 series shocks were tailor-made for performance riders or enthusiasts who want to really dial in their bikes. The 970 shocks are constructed from a forged aluminum body with a hard chrome main shaft and progressive rate springs. To get that fine-tuned ride, the 970 also comes with threaded preload adjusters and an easy-to-adjust compression knob. What catches most eyes is the piggyback reservoir that houses a high-pressure gas chamber and a deflective disc valved compression piston that makes all this sweet suspension possible.

We love the sound of the Harley-Davidson Twin Cam. It groans and potatoes right up there with the Shovel, Panhead, and Evo with that legendary sound. After the motor is free of its OEM quietness, that is.

It’s a well-known fact that the FXR is one of the best handling big twin bikes that Harley-Davidson has made to date. Thanks to Eric Buell, it had precise steering and great weight distribution, which made the 560-pound bike work well in both the straights and twisties. Don’t believe us? Just ask anyone who has thrown a leg over one of these legendary bikes and they will tell you the same thing.

Last month we took our 2012 Road Glide Custom and broke it down to its bare bones. We pulled the motor, disassembled every nut and bolt, and sent the heads out for machining. Now that our heads are back from the machine shop, we can start to reassemble the heart of the beast with the Screamin’ Eagle 110 Stage I Kit.

In 1970 Performance Machine (PM) began making a few motorcycle parts here and there out of a tiny shop in Paramount, California. In 1972 PM was busy building custom aftermarket frontends and brakes for Harley-Davidsons with no end in sight, but the year of 1975 was a game changer. This is when PM upped its game by manufacturing custom wheels for Harley-Davidson motorcycles that included the iconic Morris Mag seven-spoke, the Invader six-spoke, and Mitchell Spun Aluminum Wheels.

Tech