If your 71st Annual Sturgis rally plans include checking out the Limpnickie Lot, you'll want to listen because the crew of banditos has switched venues and will now be located at the Legendary Buffalo Chip Campground. The Limpnickie Lot is comprised of talented, younger-than-average misfits who wanted to host a rally inside the "typical" rally focusing on what next-gen, up-and-coming bike builders are capable of producing. All while the aural delights of punk rock play in the background and the keg taps and spirits flow freely.

The Limpnickie Lot is comprised of talented, younger-than-average misfits who wanted to host a rally inside the "typical" rally focusing on what next-gen, up-and-coming bike builders are capable of producing. All while the aural delights of punk rock play in the background and the keg taps and spirits flow freely. The Limpnickie Lot will be located at the West Gate in the free section (yep, that's right!) throughout the week of the rally so patrons of all shapes and sizes can peruse the Lot and check out some killer scoots and some serious shenanigans. For all of the details of the upcoming Sturgis Limpnickie Lot happenings check out limpnickielot.com.

It was another fantastic weekend of racing as the Vance & Hines XR1200 racing series was jam-packed with thrills, spills and a .157-second gap between First and Second Place at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama. Steve Rapp took the pole on Saturday, giving himself a nice position for the race on Sunday. Rapp took First Place and Chris Fillmore placed Second by fractions of a second. Tyler O'hara rounded out the podium by finishing Third Place. Look for Round 6 of the Vance & Hines XR1200 Series at Mid-Ohio Car Course July 8-10. Check back here for the results after race.

Steve Rapp took the pole on Saturday, giving himself a nice position for the race on Sunday. Rapp took First Place and Chris Fillmore placed Second by fractions of a second. Tyler O'hara rounded out the podium by finishing Third Place. Look for Round 6 of the Vance & Hines XR1200 Series at Mid-Ohio Car Course July 8-10. Check back here for the results after race.

Here are the overall results from Barber:

The Vance & Hines XR1200 racing series is in full swing and so far it's been an action packed grid with checkered flag finishers so close you could throw a blanket over the pack, which makes for some pretty exhilarating racing! This weekend marks the 5th round of the 2011 Vance & Hines XR1200 Series at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama, which should be a great race.  The XR1200s will be on the track on Saturday for practice and qualifying, with their race starting at 12:30pm Central time on Sunday. This weekend’s XR1200 race will be broadcast live on SPEED2.

The Vance & Hines XR1200 racing series is in full swing and so far it's been an action packed grid with checkered flag finishers so close you could throw a blanket over the pack, which makes for some pretty exhilarating racing! This weekend marks the 5th round of the 2011 Vance & Hines XR1200 Series at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama, which should be a great race. 

The XR1200s will be on the track on Saturday for practice and qualifying, with their race starting at 12:30pm Central time on Sunday. This weekend’s XR1200 race will be broadcast live on SPEED2.

In case you missed the last two races, here are the results from Miller and Road America: 

Hey rockers and rockettes! Led Sled Customs is having a pre-sale on its new Evolution Sportster Kicker Pedal for five-speed Evo Sportys from 1991-2003. Pre-orders have just begun so save some dough while you still can.

Hey rockers and rockettes! Led Sled Customs is having a pre-sale on its new Evolution Sportster Kicker Pedal for five-speed Evo Sportys from 1991-2003 for $1,150. Pre-orders have just begun so save some dough while you still can.

Kit includes Andrews Mainshaft, kicker kit, cover, and arm. Actual kicker pedal sold separately based on individual preference.

For the entire scoop, check out Led Sled Customs, (937) 879-4645, ledsledcustoms.com.

If you're in Orange County this Saturday, May 28, stop by the Troy Lee Designs retail store at The Lab in Costa Mesa from 5-8 p.m. as Troy Lee Designs releases its limited edition helmet honoring legendary filmmaker, Bruce Brown, creator of "On Any Sunday," and "Endless Summer."

If you're in Orange County this Saturday, May 28, stop by the Troy Lee Designs retail store from 5-8 p.m. as Troy Lee Designs releases its limited edition helmet honoring legendary filmmaker, Bruce Brown, creator of "On Any Sunday," and "Endless Summer."

Brown will be signing autographs and hanging with folks at the Troy Lee Designs retail store along with other surprise legends so you don't want to miss it.

Check out Troy Lee Designs website for more information about the company.
The Troy Lee Designs retail store is located at The Lab, 2930 Bristol Street B105, Costa Mesa, California, 92626.

May 14 marked the second race of the Vance & Hines XR1200 series at the West Coast Moto Jam at Willow Springs in Sonoma, California.

May 14 marked the second race of the Vance & Hines XR1200 series at the West Coast Moto Jam at Willow Springs in Sonoma, California. It was jam-packed with excitement, and Chris Fillmore, 55, riding the Richie Morris Racing/Bruce Rossmeyer Daytona Racing bike took the checkered flag. Fillmore also took Second Place at Daytona, and has been dubbed by early on as a favorite for the overall winner of the 2011 Vance & Hines XR1200 series. Time will tell, but I'd say he's got a strong chance.

Here are the overall results from the weekend; check back often for all the Vance & Hines XR1200 Series race results here. For more information about hte series, check out Vance & Hines site or the AMA Pro Racing site for details. Here are the overall results from Willow Springs. Click on any of the racers for their full bios.

1 Chris Fillmore     55           RMR Bruce Rossmeyer Daytona Racing

2 Michael Barnes   34           DRAG Specialties

3Steve Rapp            5           PARTS Unlimited

4Tyler OHara         29          tylerohara.net

5Michael Beck       60          J&P Cycles

6Michael Corbino  15          RMR Bruce Rossmeyer Daytona Racing

7Chase McFarland 19          Latus Motors Racing

8Bradley Adams    118         Sport Rider Magazine

9Joe Kopp                 3          Latus Motors Racing

10Josh Chisum        10          Troy Lee Designs

11Michael Morgan  11          Python

12Paul James           70          James Gang/Hoban Brothers/H-D Appleton/Spectrol Oils

13Sammy Halbert     7           HOG Racing

14Kyle Wyman       33           RMR Bruce Rossmeyer Daytona Racing

15 Gerry Signorelli 88           Kuryakyn

 Hey headbangers!

Come on down to Wargasser's Speed Shop on July 10 from 11am til the cows go home. Haircuts, proper shaves, hotrods, bikes, food, and the always popular, BEER! Wargasser's is just a quick skip from LA in Simi Valley, so get out there and show some love.

 Haircuts, proper shaves, hotrods, bikes, food, and the always popular, FREE BEER, will be on hand for your enjoyment. Plus, Wargasser's is just a quick jaunt from LA in Simi Valley, so get out there and show some love.You won't be disappointed. Check the Wargasser site here for more info.

Hey gang,

About a month ago, you met Jonathan, a 30-something investment banker that up and bought a Harley to ride from Southern California to New York City and back.. Oh, did I mention he'd never even been on a motorcycle prior to 2011?

Now meet Zach. He's a virgo, likes long walks on the beach, and hates it when people talk over him. Actually, I don't even know Zach so I made all of that up, but I do know that he's like Jonathan in that he's never ridden a motorcycle either. Check out Zach's Blog.

Hey gang,

About a month ago, you met Jonathan, a 30-something investment banker that up and bought a Harley to ride from Southern California to New York City and back.. Oh, did I mention he'd never even been on a motorcycle prior to 2011?

Now meet Zach. He's a virgo, likes long walks on the beach, and hates it when people talk over him. Actually, I don't even know Zach so I made all of that up, but I do know that he's like Jonathan in that he's never ridden a motorcycle either.

These two pals represent the epitome of Americana ideology. Who wouldn't want to cover such a cool story? Hence I'm going with them. For part of the way at least. I have business in Austin, Texas to check out the annual ROT Rally, so I thought I'd join them for the first leg of the trip to see through their eyes how they take to the freedom of the road that can only be experienced from riding a motorcycle. I'll be posting more blogs about how they prepare for the trip and what routes they plan on taking so check back often.

Also, Zach has been keeping a blog of his adventures to date which you can check out right here. I'll let him give you a better understanding of, well, him. 

Stay tuned for more as this saga unfolds...

Jordan

Hate Your Helmet? Learn how and why to register your complaint with NHTSA. You can file on line or by phone.

For years, people have been complaining about motorcycle helmets and about mandatory helmet laws, and for years, the government has not listened. They continue to force helmets onto riders heads whether they like it or not.
It is time to COMPLAIN LOUDLY and OFTEN.

Here’s how:

The government has a computer system where you should all be filing our complaints. It is relatively unused. After several years, there are only about 20 complaints on file.
Let the government know every complaint you have about helmets. Let them know how you do not like to be forced to wear helmets. If you feel strongly about this you must complain loudly and often, or else they will think you are complacent.

If you are fed up with helmets and mandatory helmet laws, and are ready to file a complaint right now, visit the NHTSA ODI Complaint Site at
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov



Visit Bikers of Lesser Tolerance (B.O.L.T.) for more information.

This action is inspired by freedom fighters everywhere, such as Richard “Quig” Quigley, who used to call and complain to the NHTSA almost every day, even after his living wake, and right up until the day he died of lymphoma in 2007. Other freedom fighters, not just from B.O.L.T. but everywhere, frequently call the NHTSA and their state legislators to complain also. Let’s spread the word to start filing official complaints.
Please help fight for our rights. Civil liberties are important!
Thank you!
Please be sure to pass this message along to everyone you know who rides motorcycles!

 Members of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) voted on their favorite roads in America, and the top 15 selections represent scenic highways and byways throughout the country.

 The editors of American Motorcyclist magazine used the 230,000-member, non-profit association's website, AmericanMotorcyclist.com, to accept nominations and tally votes for members' favorite roads. Nearly 100 roads made the ballot, and the magazine published the top 15 roads in the April issue as well as a list of "honorable mentions."


A countdown of the top 15 routes:



15. Washington Route 129 and Oregon Route 3, Clarkston, Wash., to Enterprise, Ore. 



14. Ohio Route 170, Calcutta to Poland. 



13. California Route 58, McKittrick to Santa Margarita.



12. U.S. Route 33, Harrisonburg, Va., to Seneca Rocks, W.Va. 



11. Natchez Trace, from Natchez, Miss., to Nashville, Tenn. 



10. Angeles Crest Highway, California Route 2. 



9. U.S. Route 12, Lolo Pass, Idaho and Montana. 



8. California Route 36.



7. Cherohala Skyway, North Carolina and Tennessee.



6. Going to the Sun Road, Glacier National Park, Montana. 



5. California Route 1, Pacific Coast Highway. 



4. U.S. Route 550, from Ouray to Durango, Colo. 



3. U.S. Route 129 -- The Tail of the Dragon -- on the North Carolina-Tennessee border.



2. Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina.



1. Beartooth Highway, Montana and Wyoming. 


How many of these have your ridden? Print this list out and start checking them off.

Readers, meet Jonathon. He's never ridden a motorcycle until less than a month ago when he took the Rider's Edge course sponsored by his local dealership in Riverside, California, Skip-Fordyce Harley-Davidson.

Readers, meet Jonathon. He's never ridden a motorcycle until less than a month ago when he took the Rider's Edge course at his local dealership in Riverside, California, Skip-Fordyce Harley-Davidson. The reason for taking the course? He'd better have some kind of idea how to ride a motorsickle since he'd be embarking on a two-week excursion with a close friend (also a Harley newjack) from SoCal to New York City along the good 'ol Route 66. Yep, that New York City. Get a rope! One more thing. His better half is completely against the trip. Good luck with that one, Johnny. You're going to need it.

How do I know Jonathon? I really don't. He's my father-in-law's old business partner. Long story short, he was was told to contact me for any kind of advice I could provide. I love adventure stories, so when I was told that Johnny would be calling, I was excited for him. This would give me a chance to relive my first time buying a bike vicariously through him. I remember what it was like to buy my first bike. It changed my life. It's like becoming a member of an elite social club sans the arrogance and pompous snobby attitude, quilted wool sweaters adorned around the neck, chicks named Buffy and, you get the idea. At any rate, it's a special moment in a man's life. After passing the course, Jonathon was ready to buy.

He'd checked a few dealerships' online inventory and didn't have much luck. After a couple of trips to Harley dealers within a 30-mile radius and some of my suggestions, he mentioned going shopping at Laidlaw's Harley-Davidson, located in Baldwin Park, California. I told Johnathon that I'd join him at the showroom and I could give him brief bios on Laidlaw's fleet. After making the rounds, talking with the sales team, and making the rounds some more, Jonathon had a pretty good idea on what kind of a bike he wanted. He was 99% positive that a Fat Boy Lo would be the loyal steed for his trip. All this talk about the trip was making me jealous! I've been on some long motorcycle adventures, but never cross country. 

Being the visual guy that I am, I envisioned an editor from a certain Harley style magazine documenting a trip like this, because after all, it's a pretty great story right? And I know just the guy for the task. Me! I just need to convince the boss and it's off to New York for me! Stay tuned as I document the process of Jonathon's adventure, from finding the right bike to for the trek, to the planning stages, and so on. Hopefully I'll be bringing you daily coverage from the road, but we'll have to wait and see.

Is this a trip that you'd make in your lifetime? Time to get busy livin' or get busy dyin!

 I came across this bag last night while pursuing through the Flipboard app on my iPad.

I was really digging this bag because unlike most tool bags that are made completely out of leather, this Roll Bag ($55) from Acorn  is handmade out of breathable, water resistant cotton canvas duck with leather straps. Designed for bicycles, I'm sure it could be easily integrated onto a Harley. The bag has three zippered security pockets and a pouch pocket. It measures 8"w x 16"h and is available in a couple different color options.

 While this probably wouldn't be of much use to me--especially since I don't have an iPhone, my managing editor (Nick Schultz) pointed this out and I thought it was kind of neat.

Some of the functions might be a little redundant of your Harley's existing gauge functions, but the GaugeFace app/dock ($250) is pretty cool. Simply plug it into your ECU, run the cord up to the dock (mounted on your bars) pop your iPhone or iPod Touch in and you've got a speedo, tach, engine temp, gear indicator, and turn signal indicator all while charging your phone/iPod. Just don't forget to remove it when you get to  the bar, or someone will definitely remove it for you. 

Now if you really want to trick out your bike with an iPhone or iPod Touch and don't want to clutter it up with a handlebar mounted dock, then check out the DashLink from Hell's Foundry. I talked with Derick at the Cinci V-Twin dealer show last year and he told me he was working on this. Very cool and really clean integration. The DashLink replaces your stock dash and is available in chrome, gloss black or carbon fiber for $399.95. Simply remove your existing dash, plug the new DashLink into your bike, mount the dash to your bike and your done in about 15 minutes. The DashLink charges your phone/iPod, and you can run your navigation app, music app (volume can be controlled through your handlebar mounted switches on FLH/FLT models), and it comes with a cover to protect it from rain. With dashes available for most Harley models, the possibilities are endless.   

Mooneyes is mostly famous for its vast amount of automobile hop-up parts, but they do have a healthy line of both early and late model parts and components for V-Twin bikes as well.

Some of the more stellar parts are these here Mooneyes's cast-aluminum Moon derby and points covers.

 Each of Mooneye's covers mimic the look of Moon's famed Aluminum V-8 valve covers that have been on every key Hot Rod and Kustom car since their inception. We love the way they look and surely add a custom touch to even the most box-stock of bikes. They have both derby and timing covers for Sportsters, Evos and Twin Cam engines.

For more info on these and other fine Mooneyes motocycle products, log onto: Mooneyes USA

 Chris from Death Squad stopped by to show us a few of his new hard parts. already know for making some of the coolest softgoods in all of the motorcycle biz.

As of late Death Squad has been kicking out some killer hard parts such as T-bars, and now they have beefy 12" solid risers and foot-grabbing BMX-style pegs to outfit your bike with.

 The 12-inch risers are machined from solid aluminum and are heavy F-ing duty.

The Pegs are also machined from solid stock and have a gracious area to plant your foot no matter what size shoes ya got.

For more info on these and other Death Squad goods, check out: deathsquadmc.net

 Our Sister Magazine STREET CHOPPER and FMA are

having a toy run in Fullerton Ca. this Saturday. We know it may be raining, but throw on some extra clothes and come on out. ITS FOR THE KIDS!

 Bring an unwrapped toy and it's worth a raffle ticket good for a ton of stuff from Performance Machine, RSD, Death Machine, Loser Machine, Badlands, Lowbrow Customs, Biltwell Inc, Eternal Combustion,  and MANY more kind companies!

 Looking for a gift for that special gear head in your life?

The Nash boys are offering a great discount on all their products, plus they'll throw in a free hat--if you spend enough. That's like getting two gifts for one.

 We just got back from Yokohama Japan attending the Mooneyes Hot Rod and Custom Show. We deem this show as one, if not thee best custom bike shows on earth.

The large hall of the Yokohama Pacifico was home for over 200 bikes. Knuckles and K-models ruled the roost with a myriad of Pans and Shovels  filling the gaps.

 The hall was jam-packed with onlookers and motorcycle enthusiasts from all over the world.

outside the parking lot was filled with over 500 bikes. Most of them were nice enough to be inside the show!

Our pick of the show was a killer late-model build from Cherry's Company. This bike had some slick design and great execution.

Speaking of great, they even had some "dancers" doing their thing.

Look for more pics both online and in the pages of HOT BIKE

~JGH

 Our Associate Editor Jeff G. Holt loves to rifle through our bins of new products and come up with his weekly favorite. This week he sunk his claws into one of Eternal Combustion's Troop helmets and the love between the two of them blossomed.

If you are into vintage BMX, Star Wars or the combination of both, then the Troop 1 is for you. It features a vented chin guard and that furute-retro style.

This non-DOT-approved helmet is available in gloss white, gloss black, flat black, and flat gray. it also features a removable padding and liner that is machine-washable.

for more info on these skid lids, check out: eternalcombustion.com

 My favorite part that rolled across my cubicle desk this week is the Paughco KICK pedal. for those of us who have to get manly on our bikes rather than push a button, the KICK pedal not only tells you what to do, it gives you a platform in which to do so.

 This cast brass design, which has been around for decades was finally reproduced by the fine folks at Paughco, who have been doing parts right for over 40 years.

for more info, check out Paughco at: paughco.com

 It's great to be recognized for your accomplishments. However, in our close-knit custom motorcycle community it seems the only time media outlets outside our  industry will run with a story is when one of our brethren Efs-up.

I was pleasantly pleased when I received a call the other day from the guy's behind Male Standard and they asked if I would check out their site and the feature piece they did on Chuck Frederick of Renegade Wheels. Finally an article written by a non-motorcycling media source that highlights the positives of our industry; an American company that makes products for American-made motorcycles, fueled by passion, the desire to be different, and supports an American brand that is more than 110 years old.  To read the article click here.    

Check out this trike Bryan from TPJ Customs just sent us.

His son is about to turn two, so Bryan figured it's time to get him in the saddle. Bryan whipped up this trike for his boy to cruise the hood. Three wheels never looked so good. To see more of Byran's work check out TPJ Customs.

  Our boys Rusty and T-Rod at Illusion Motorcycles are having themselves an open house on Nov. 21st from 10am to 4pm. come on down and enjoy the fun!

  they'll be a ride in show, vendors and a ton of custom bikes to check out. for more info give them a call at (714) 894-1942 or peep their website at illusionmotorcycles.com

 Today we were lucky enough to be invited to the Power Sport Institute in Cleveland, Ohio to take a tour and see just what the technical school had to offer.

When we walked through the doors of the 210,000 square foot, two-story building we were greeted by a friendly staff and were amazed at how the institute was deigned and laid out.

PSI specializes in hands-on training of engines, suspension, fuel systems, service intervals, chassis service, electrical, and computer programming. The V-Twin tech is what we were after, but PSI also teaches careers in repairing Metric Cruisers, Street and Dirt bikes, ATV's, and Personal Watercraft.

If you are thinking about a career in the two-wheeled technical field, check out the Power Sport Institute at: www.psi-now.com

 We have been playing dress up with a few jackets that have shown up in the offices as of late and thought we would show you the Chopt-Up Industries 3/4-Sleeve Cotton Twill Jacket.

 It's a cool-looking and functional jacket, which has chopped sleeves that reduce sleeve turbulence and the ever nagging "baloon coat" that every rider dreads. the one we are currently riding with is a Cotton Twill version, but Chopt-Up specializes in custom-made leather versions as well.

For a full write up on it, check out the blog we just put up on our sister site streetchopperweb.com

Or check them out at: www.chopt-up.com