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Posts Tagged ‘Harley Davidson’

DawgHouse Motorcycle News, Rants & Racing Show #386

Posted: November 2, 2016 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle news, Motorcycle racing, Motorcycle radio
Tags: Birmingham Small Arms, BSA, Harley, Harley Davidson, Indian, Indian motorcycle, Mahindra, Moto2, Moto3, MotoGP, World Superbike

The DawgHouse Motorcycle Radio…The #1 Motorcycle Show in the US

This week Ken completes his list of the top 11 motorcycle makers (by sheer number produced). I was surprised that Royal Enfield was not one of those eleven!

Next we discuss the maybe, possible resurrection of Birmingham Small Arms, better known as BSA. BSA started in the 1860s making guns and then added bicycles, then motorcycles and at one time made cars, buses, tools among a long list of things.

The BSA brand was bought by the Indian company Mahindra and it is our hope that we might see BSA motorcycles on the road sometime in the not to distance future.

Next up is a review of the results of World Superbike, Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP racing.

You can listen to the show HERE!

Motorcycle Move Review: 21 Days Under the Sky

Posted: September 18, 2016 in Motorcycle TV, Product Reviews, Uncategorized
Tags: 21 days under the sky, chopper, Harley Davidson, Motorcycle Ride, salt flats, vintage motorcycle

21-a

“My life lives inside me… that is what riding an old Harley teaches you.” A quote from the movie that is what “Easy Rider would had been if it were a motorcycle documentary.

21-b The premise of “21 Days Under the Sky” is four friends riding old school Harley Davidson choppers across America and the fun, trouble and adventure they find. By old school I mean vintage Sportsters, Shovel and Knucklehead motorcycles. Their bikes have small tanks and more then a few break downs during their cross-country trip. This film interspaces vintage pictures and film clips from the 1960-70s with the travels and troubles of these friends as they ride US Route 40.

Broken frames, flat tires, running on empty and the age of their motorcycles plague 21-c the riders. But they also have some great times along the way. Deviating from their planed route they stop by the Bonneville Salt Flats only to find it under a few inches of water. They don’t allow the water to dampen the fun and the ensuing frolic makes for some beautiful and fun photography.

I have to say I loved the cinema photography of 21 Days Under the Sky. But that was offset by the pretentious of the narration. While much of the movie’s narration was perfectly fine there was just enough ostentatious, almost pompous, sections of the script to gag a goat.

At 70 minutes the movie highly compresses their 21 day trip from San Francisco to New York City. If you do the math they really did not ride that far each day, unless you count the time and distance they had to make up for each problem that put them to full stop. It would be very interesting to see what was left on the cutting room floor.

Currently on Netflix, 21 Days Under the Sky is worth your time. Vintage motorcycle, old school choppers, a motorcycle ride across America is a formula for success, right?! I give it 4 out of 5 stars and I will watch it again. Also, remember that this motorcycle movie claims “The next new thing is just ahead”!

4 out 5 stars

Motorcycle TV: Sacred Steel Bikes

Posted: September 6, 2016 in Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle news, Motorcycle TV
Tags: chopper, discovery channel, douche larouche, Harley Davidson, jason wilson, Motorcycle, motorcycle blog, motorcycle TV, sacred steel bikes

Discovery is starting another motorcycle “builder” series this show will premiere September the 12th. From the Discovery Channel’s website they say the following about the show…

“SACRED STEEL BIKES follows a diverse group of elite individuals who come from a multitude of careers. From an Automotive Engineer to a Metal Fabricator to a high-end Beverly Hills Retail Associate, artisans from all spectrums of life are united in their passion for bike building and riding. The club has granted them a motorcycle oasis to live out their alter egos.”

More from Discovery … The series centers around Jason Wilson, who opened Sacred Steel Customs over a decade ago, and his team of fellow enthusiasts. The group honed their mechanical skills and founded Douche Larouche, now a full-fledged institution, complete with bylaws, regular meetings and chapters across the country and around the globe. Described as “the ultimate anti-bike gang – full of self-proclaimed ‘motorcycle dorks,’” club members range from fabricators and childhood friends, to highly connected icons in the world of underground bikes.

Each year, Wilson and his team transform dozens of bikes into masterpieces. If the customer has the cash or the connections, there is no limit on what they can do. Through favors to other members, neighboring chapters, and friends of friends, Wilson has grown an immense clientele alongside his crew. Discovery’s “Sacred Steel” aims to capture the build along with the adrenaline-fueled world of bikers.

So set your DVRs and check out the latest in motorcycle TV.

Motorcycle Ride to nowhere… unless Lisbon and Damascus count as destinations.

Posted: September 2, 2016 in Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touring
Tags: Harley Davidson, Maryland, MD, motorcycle blog, Motorcycle Ride, motorcycle riding, motorcycle riding in maryland, motorcycle touring, ultra limited, VA, Virginia

Debbie and I had a, nearly, 200 mile motorcycle ride this past Sunday. We left quite early in the morning as it was supposed to be over well over 95F by early afternoon. Our plan worked as it was 94F as we made it back to the house about 1PM. Hot and muggy, but we beat the worse of it.

Pulling out that morning we really did not have a true destination in mind other than to ride through the towns of Lisbon and Damascus. We wanted to hit those locations to add to our “Great Cities” motorcycle tour! With no real plan this was just going to be one of those “it’s the journey not the destination” rides.

After rolling through Lisbon we decided to just ride north. Riding through small towns and rolling farmland made for a wonderful morning. Toss in some light fog here and there it was just one of those rides were you just love the fact that you ride a motorcycle!

After about an hour we turned the motorcycle towards the west until we ran into US Route 15 which runs right by our home. Heading south we rode the motorcycle into Frederick, MD to stop for lunch and a quick stop at the Frederick Harley-Davidson shop. The stop at the dealership was to take a quick peek at the new 2017 motorcycles and see for myself how the new engine looks.

A bit later we pulled the bike into our garage with about 192 miles on the trip meter. All in all just another good day behind bars (motorcycle handlebars)!

Motorcycle TV: Harley and the Davidsons

Posted: September 1, 2016 in Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle TV
Tags: arthur davidson, board track racing, Harley Davidson, Motorcycle, motorcycle blog, motorcycle TV, vintage motorcycle

hd3

Premiering September the 5th on the Discovery Channel this three part mini-series is a creative vision of the early years of the Harley Davidson Motor Company. From the Discovery Channels website they state

“Based on a true story, Harley and the Davidsons charts the birth of this iconic bike hd1 during a time of great social and technological change beginning at the turn of the 20th century. Walter, Arthur and Bill risked their entire fortune and livelihood to launch the budding enterprise. Each of these men faced very different challenges, but it was the motorcycle that united their dreams and ambitions.”

The mini-series stars Robert Aramayo (Game of Thrones) as Bill Harley, Michiel Huisman (also from Game of Thrones) as Walter Davidson and Bug Hall (American Pie) as Arthur Davidson. Based on the trailer the trailer (see below) it looks like there is some chemistry between the actors. I am looking forward to watching the show!

Check out this “Creating the show” video…

Our motorcycle vacation continued! With a major repair tossed in.

Posted: August 9, 2016 in Motorcycle, motorcycle touring
Tags: compensating sprocket, Harley, Harley Davidson, motorcycle riding in Alabama, motorcycle riding in louisiana, motorcycle riding the american byways, motorcycle road trip, motorcycle touring, new orleans, NOLA, tobasco sauce, ultra limited

After the HOG Rolling Rally: History in the Hills was complete the second half of our motorcycle vacation started. Debbie and I were going to go south of New Orleans to visit her sister for a few days and then head home via the Natchez Trace Parkway.

The intent was to “blast” our way south in order to maximize the amount of time we could visit with her sister. “Blasting south” meant interstate highways, hot concreate on hot days, drinking lots of water (which means lots of bio-breaks LOL).

The compensating sprocket under the front sprocket.

The first leg of the ride we stopped for the evening to visit in-laws in Alabama. The next morning back on the highway, but something was not quite right with the bike. We made it to Tuscaloosa and pulled into T-Town Harley Davison. The service tech took only seconds to state that the compensating sprocket was loose and the bike went straight into the shop.

I am not sure what it does but if your compensating sprocket does not compensate then your transmission is having issues.

I have to give the team at T-Town a lot of praise. Knowing we were on a long trip they took us to the head of the service line. Worked with us on the cost (gaskets & transmission fluid) and had us on the road in about three hours (a chunk of which was the bike cooling down so they could work on it). Debbie and I felt that they really cared about making sure we could get back on the road as soon as possible!

Can’t go to New Orleans without one of these pictures.

By the time we did get back on the road it was nearly 100F degrees and high 90s in humidity! Once on the interstate it was quickly apparent that that the concrete was hotter than the ambient temperature, it had to be well over 100F. This was where we figured out when it was time to call it a day. At a certain point in this heat we would begin to verbally snipe at each other. When we started to argue about where do you what to eat, where do you want to stop, where do you want to sleep it was time for a cool room and long shower!

The rest of the ride to New Orleans was really uneventful. We had a good time with Mark and Vicky, got to see a bunch of the local area including Alligators in the wild and a fishing trip/boat ride into the Gulf of Mexico. Mark is a fishing guide and runs Hunting Red Fishing Charters, if you are into fishing check out what he has to offer

Too soon it was time to begin the trip back to Virginia. My next post will be about our ride on the Natchez Trace Parkway.

: We stopped at an Indian dealership to look around and cool off.

: The superdome in New Orleans

: Jackson Square.

: Had to stop by and visit…right?

: We visited the Tabasco facility, very neat tour.

: Out looking for ‘gators.

Motorcycle Product Review: Bone Dry Seat Covers

Posted: July 30, 2016 in Motorcycle, Product Reviews
Tags: adventure motorcycle, bone dry motorcycle seat cover, bone dry seat cover, Harley, Harley Davidson, HOG, motorcycle product review, Motorcycle Ride, motorcycle touring

I bought a Bone Dry Motorcycle Seat Cover for our 2014 Harley Davidson Ultra Limited just prior to our nearly 3700 mile vacation. The impetuous for this purchase is the fact that it always rains on us when we ride and we do not really enjoy putting our butts on wet seats, especially after a good night’s sleep. We also knew that a hot seat, after stopping for lunch, can be a real pain in the butt.

I looked at several different manufactures and no one product jumped out more than another except for Bone Dry. Their product comes in different colors other then all black and that is why I purchased their product. We have a blue bike and the blue striped cover matched, simple as that.

In operation the cover worked as expected. The Bone Dry Motorcycle Seat Cover kept our seats dry through several storms and keep the seat cool in the hot sun.

CONS

Now there are a some drawbacks that would apply to any cover of this type. The first drawback is that in the deep south of the United States there is a LOT of humidity. There was always some condensation under the cover, especially after a thunderstorm. This was expected so no big deal.

The second drawback was what to do with a wet seat cover after a storm or early morning condensation. Our solution was to “spin” dry the cover a much as possible before stowing.

Lastly, just like most covers of this nature, Bone Dry makes the seat covers in generic sizes. I am sure that their covers for a pre-2014 Harley would be perfect fit, but Harley Davidson slightly changed the seats on the “Rushmore” bikes. This change forces the cover to be tightly stretched to fit the seat.

PROS

The cover looks great on the bike!

The cover folds into itself for storage, no need for a separate case to loose.

Made in the USA.

It worked.

The ONLY reason I am giving it 4 and not 5 stars is that we had to stretch the cover to fit our seat more than I would like. Over time, I really think that the stitching will become strained because of the difference in the pre/post 2014 seat sizes. But, I am willing to bet that this is an issue with many, if not all other covers so this should not restrict you from buying the Bone Dry Motorcycle Seat Cover. If you are in the market for a motorcycle seat cover, I suggest you consider Bone Dry.

: This might be due to the difference between a 2014+ Harley v. older model seats.

: It all just rolls up into itself, quite neat!

5 Motorcycle Things that interested me this week.

Posted: July 20, 2016 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle news
Tags: Harley, Harley Davidson, Mercedes, mercedes motorcycle, Motorcycle, motorcycle blog, motorcycle stunt, nichols cage, sport bike

five

Bikers viewed more attractive than drivers!

A Motocross expert, a tight rope walker and a stunt pilot meet in the desert what happens next?

This Mercedes-Benz 240D Motorcycle And Sidecar Is Bewilderingly Wonderful

Nova Scotia motorcyclist, 96, doesn’t plan to slow down anytime soon

Actor Nichols Cage is not dead!

Harley Owners Group Rolling Rally: History in the Hills Day 6

Posted: June 29, 2016 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touring, Rally
Tags: Harley Davidson, Harley Owners Group, HOG, mast general store, motorcycle riding, motorcycle riding in north Carolina, motorcycle riding in tennessee, motorcycle touring, North Carolina, Pin ball museum, wheels through time

Waking early for our 630AM kickstands up we rolled out of bed and got dressed for the day. Our first stop was the Mast General Store in Valle Crucis, NC. The store is a great example of the old time general store and has been in operation since 1882. It is still the local store, post office and community gathering place. This was a very cool stop, make sure to ask about the “chicken chute” when you visit to see how people bartered for goods “back in the day”.

Mike got a lot of mileage from these simple wax lips!

We also swung by the Mast Candy Store. The store focused on old school candy like wax bottles and lips, Bit’O Honey, caramel chews and pretty much any type of candy from your childhood. Of course we had to buy back some of our childhood, one of our new friends (Mike) bought some glossy red wax lips and proceeded to scare and delight riders the rest of the day.

Rolling out of Valle Crucis we hit the Diamond Back! Our route took us about 2/3^rd of the length of this snake. This 38 mile diamond shaped loop includes NC 226A, US 221, Toms Creek Road, NC 80 and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Riding through Little Switzerland on our way to the Mountain Gateway Museum (and lunch) was one of the highlights of the day. One of the low lights of the day was zipper of my Kevlar pants blowing out (as well as a pocket). The rest of the day the crew we were riding with (Mike, Dale, Stacey, Tori and Don) would occasionally call me McFly….sad day indeed!

1 of 30+ machines

The next stop was the Mountain Gateway Museum where I found out there was a Spanish Fort in this area well before any English or French outposts, very interesting. After lunch at the museum we rode to Asheville to check out the Pinball Museum. If you are into classic to modern pinball games or 1980s video games that are fully playable this is your place. I had a lot of fun playing a vintage 1978 KISS pinball machine then jumping over to an 2015s KISS machine was completely awesome! I could have spent hours in there…sad that I don’t but glad I don’t live in Asheville I would spend a lot of money at the pinball museum.

Back on the bike we rode a little more than an hour to the Wheels Through Time motorcycle museum. Debbie and I visited Wheels Through Time last year when on vacation. It is an awesome facility that every motorcycle enthusiast must have on their list of sites to visit. This time, because we were part of the HOG rally, we got to spend more time with the owner Dale as he told us stories about how he acquired several of the very rare bikes in the collection.

This time we also got to hear the story of the Traub motorcycle, a one of kind bike found sealed behind the wall of an apartment building. I will write a separate post on this story.

After Wheels Through Time we rode on to our hotel in Hendersonville, NC. We met our new friends for drinks and laughs and then off to bed. Day 7 brings the Dragon.

To see what happened on day one check out that post!

Harley Owners Group Rolling Rally: History in the Hills Day 5

Posted: June 26, 2016 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle news, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touring
Tags: Harley Davidson, Harley Owners Group, history in the hills, HOG, Motorcycle, Motorcycle Ride, motorcycle riding in north Carolina, motorcycle riding in virginia

Tuesday morning we had to be at Roanoke Harley Davidson bright and early, the local Harley Owners Group chapter were providing breakfast! So we were kickstands up and riding the motorcycle at about 7AM. Once again, the dang Dealership location feature of the GPS was screwed up! (you can read more on my thoughts about this thing from a post more than a year old here…not much has changed).

After thanking the HOG and dealership employees we got back on the road. Hopping on the Blue Ridge Parkway (we were on and off the parkway about a dozen times it seems) we arrived at out second destination Mabry Mill. Now I have been to dozens of mills over the years and this one was no different except for the story behind. If you have time check the link for the story. Also they have a working blacksmith forge, the gentleman working the forge makes several different items. He was just starting the heat the forge when were there so he was not working iron.

Now start whistling the theme for the Andy Griffith show while thinking about the song Rain Drops Kept Falling on my Head. Because both of those fit our stop in Mount Airy, NC. A short(ish) ride from the Mill, Mt. Airy was the home of Andy Griffith and the town has become Mayberry as a result. The main street is a neat little “kitsch” with county/Mayberry themed stores. But the real “Floyd’s” Barber Shop and Snappy Lunch stand are there. We had a nice lunch at Snappy and if I had needed a haircut I would have stopped in Floyd’s.

A large part of stay in Mt. Airy was in the rain. Riding the motorcycles in it was a hit and miss sprinkle, walking around it was a light rain but most of the stores had awnings that kept us covered but for about 5 minutes there was a downpour. One of our new friends (Don of Don and Torri 🙂 ) made the rain stop by running down to their bikes and putting covers on their luggage.

After visiting the Andy Griffith Museum and Siamese Twins exhibit we were back on the road headed to Winston-Salem, NC. This next stop was at the Winston Cup Museum. If you are into NASCAR this small museum will be right up your pit-lane (see what I did there LOL). Holding 20+ race cars the museum tells the story NASCAR when RJ Reynolds was the primary sponsor.

After this it was a sprint to our hotel, a shower, beer/sprits, dinner and fun with new friends and sleep… or and air conditioning!! Not sure what is the most important invention of the modern era… Motorcycles or air conditioning!

To see what happened on day one check out that post!