Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2015 i Baggers Magazine

HELLO, How’s it going? I’ve been a long-time reader of your mag and just wanted to say thanks for all the great articles and bikes you feature. Last July we lost my dad to diabetes. He was never a biker but loved my bikes and was a huge John Deere fan. So to combine my passion with his I made my bike into a tribute to him and just wanted to share some pics. It’s a 1995 FXDWG with FLH extended bags, ’93 Tour Glide fairing, and a 107ci S&S motor with factory John Deere paint and decals to match dad’s favorite tractor. I did all the work in a small, dirt-floor garage. Keep up the good work on the magazine and look forward to many more issues to come.…

Allen Burchell is a patriotic American. He’s also a big fan of American veterans who serve this great country. Most recently, he and the crew from The Bike Exchange—a.k.a. BX Custom Designs—had the idea to build a camouflaged-theme 2015 Harley-Davidson Road Glide to pay tribute to our brave men and women serving in the military with a little bit more inspiration coming from the best-selling autobiography American Sniper, written by Chris Kyle, the Navy SEAL who has been dubbed the most lethal sniper in American history. You’ve probably also noticed that Chris Kyle’s story was adapted into a movie, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Bradley Cooper, also called American Sniper. Allen was so impressed with Chris Kyle’s patriotism and acts of heroism and service to our country that he…

“I really want to steal your idea, but I don’t want to be that guy.” That statement led to this golden god here, and this build might be the most honest plagiarism I’ve ever seen. It’s also not really plagiarism because the idea wasn’t actually stolen. Here’s what I mean. After we ran Joe Mielke’s Tugboat bagger awhile back, Daniel Dolan messaged the above quote to Joe. Daniel didn’t want to be the sequel guy, parroting someone else’s cool custom ride. Who does? The idea had a firm grip on his imagination, though, and inspired the work on Jefe de Jefes here. Daniel’s no noob when it comes to hogs of the two-wheeled persuasion. “I own two tattoo shops in Fort Collins and have a Harley hoarding problem,” Daniel says.…

“No battle plan ever survived contact with the enemy.” —Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke the Elder Believe it or not, this story starts with a gigantic dump. Not the normal one you might be taking while you’re reading this magazine. I’m talking about the dump our economy took in 2008. People pumped the brakes on buying new toys, and the motorcycle industry was not immune. Aftermarket powerhouses like Ride Wright Wheels took a serious look at the future and went into defensive mode. For Ride Wright’s Sam Wakim, that meant looking at more economical scoots than the MoCo’s big iron. Yamaha’s Star Motorcycle line started looking pretty good to him. Road Stars were more economical and might sell well in the face of tighter budgets. Things did not go according…

Transmission maintenance is somewhat of an unknown for a lot of riders, mainly because it isn’t something that needs to be done very regularly. It is generally recommended that you change your fluids every 5,000 miles, so we headed out to Montgomery Motorcycle Co. in San Clemente, California, to talk to head mechanic Terrance Martin about one of his favorite subjects: trannies. And we rode away happy and sure that the tranny was all lubed up proper! This job took about 45 minutes and cost as much as a quart of Screamin’ Eagle Syn3 and an O-ring for that drain plug. MONTGOMERY MOTORCYCLE CO. MONTGOMERYMOTORCYCLE.COM…

// Mark Finnegan, an avid Baggers reader, started with a completely stock Sedona Orange 2011 Street Glide and didn’t want the bike to stay that way for long. For performance, Mark went with Vance & Hines True Dual slash-cut exhaust pipes, a Power Commander, and Screamin’ Eagle air breather. For a little more cushion and style, he used a Sundowner two-up seat and had the foam shaved to a narrower profile and had a gel insert installed in the driver’s seat before covering it in tan leather with rust stitching to match paint by 125 Canvas and Upholstery in Brentwood, New Hampshire. Mark then had the front legs and controls and switches chromed. He added 14-inch bars with Avon grips and teardrop mirrors, Hogtunes speakers, and 200-watt amp. In the…

wes.drelleshak@bonniercorp.com Life as an editor is rich with destinations, new and old friends, deep-fried fair food, constant flying, hotel stays, photo shoots, and writing, more writing, followed up by even more writing. I’ve never considered this a career choice as one that will financially take me to new heights or buy me a mansion or Lambo, but it’s one that makes for a better lifestyle. In the past I’ve been the one who stays up late at night working, burning the candles at both ends. Trust me when I say I’ve made better money. But I also was very stressed from always being on the grind, as in working 20-hour days. Mike Tyson was known for running really early in the morning because he felt his competition was not awake…

Radiused pipes aren’t too common in the bagger world—probably because of those two appendages attached at the rear of the bike that make up a bagger after all (saddlebags!). Freedom Performance designed its sleek, new Sharp Curve Radius DRF pipes for bagger owners who love that turned-down-for-what exhaust pipe look. Freedom Performance has been in the quality-exhaust manufacturing game for many years and has consistently delivered tried-and-true exhaust systems because it vigorously tests its products. “We’re not going to sell pipes that don’t function or fall apart after thousands of miles,” says Freedom Performance President Martin Arteaga. “We test our pipes on bikes in real-world conditions over a number of miles in many different riding conditions.” Knowing that, we’ve always been fans of Freedom Performance’s…er…performance, but the exhaust pipes it…

Sturgis is pretty hot for a 75-yearold. I’d totally hit it. By some estimates so would more than 1 million other riders. The city and its various venues are all gearing up for the 75th anniversary of Pappy Hoel’s race in the Black Hills. While the party promises to be huge, a lot of manufacturers and other companies are keeping their plans a secret as this goes to print. Here’s a rundown of some great things to look out for if you’re planning to make the trek to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally for 2015. STURGIS RETURNS TO STURGIS (STURGIS CITY PARK) Yes, I know the rally never left. Right around 1983, though, the town closed the city park to bikers because some folks like to light stuff on fire and…

The Magnum X-1 is a much bolder version of its predecessor the Magnum. It’s not because it’s a better-made motorcycle (they’re both similar in their construction) but it’s because the X-1 has been outfitted with some serious upgrades. For those looking for a bit more flash in a factory-custom motorcycle, you can now get with this new rendition of Victory’s ultra-flashy bagger. When the 2014 Victory Magnum was released it was Victory’s first-ever bagger equipped with a 21-inch front wheel. The new Magnum X-1 also has the 21-inch front wheel, but it was upgraded to a billet wheel front and—wait for it—billet 16-inch rear wheel. However, you really can’t see the rear wheel on any bagger; this is just one example of Victory stepping it up with its baggers. The…

Is there any better mass-market technological device than the iPhone? The revolutionary gadget pretty much does everything but your laundry (is there an app for that?). Most importantly it’s great for motorcycle trips for navigation purposes or for listening to music, but the one issue we’ve always run into is: Where is the best place to mount the thing when hitting the road? Iron Aces Speed Shop has developed a slick iPhone mount for baggers, and we had to get one ASAP for the thousands of miles we’ll be riding this summer. Iron Aces Speed Shop’s Rushmore Road Glide Mount ($145) is a handy device that tucks right in between the speedo/tach gauges and just under the Boom! Infotainment system on 2015 Rushmore Road Glides, and it doesn’t inhibit view…

There’s this ongoing debate in my household about “things.” I like things: gadgets, video games, sports, and motorcycles, of course. My wife doesn’t always see the appeal of these things and isn’t thrilled that my lavish moto-journalist paycheck may get funneled toward such luxuries. Most recently, it was the Apple Watch. Why do you need one? Do you really think it’s going to solve all of your problems and help you lose an extra 30 pounds? “No!” I retort. It’s not about “need.” It’s about good old-fashioned irresponsible fun. We all have our weaknesses. My three-year-old wants all the Spider-Man paraphernalia he can get his sweaty hands on. An old girlfriend had to have all the latest designer handbags in her closet (and thus half my paychecks). So-called “Bronies” are…

Are you like us and carry a pair of sunglasses to go under your helmet? Do you get chafing on the side of your head from wearing the sunglasses under said helmet? We do. Shoei Helmets has just released a helmet shield for its RF1200 helmet that gets rid of the need to wear sunglasses. The Transitions lens ($169.99) does what the name implies and transitions from clear to smoke depending on the outdoor UV light. This means if you leave the house early in the morning the shield will be clear, and as the UV light bounces off the lens it will transition from clear, to mid-tint on an overcast of low-light day, to dark gray on a bright day. One bonus I found out from Shoei is that…

Last month, we took our brandspankin’-new 2015 Harley-Davidson Road Glide down to San Diego Harley-Davidson for a drastic change of pace in the form of upgraded performance and cosmetic goods. We got so far as swapping out the standard-issued forks for premium touring cartridge fork kit, slapping on a new 18-inch H-D Blade front wheel and upgraded the front calipers. But all that radness right there was just a drop in the bucket. We took the liberty of booking our new Road Glide into the SD H-D tech center for a longer, more productive visit. (Luckily these fellas are the hospitable types.) In this episode, we will be taking our new bike into the realm of an upgraded sound signal with the Boom! Audio Stage I Amp & Speaker Kit…

Looks are one thing. But if you ride your bike— like, really ride it—looks are secondary, at best, to performance. For newer Harley-Davidson Touring models, the factory has already done a pretty good job dialing in the overall performance. Maybe throw a tune on it, let it breathe a little more, and you’re good to go, right? Well, if you want to further optimize your bike’s actual “ride,” the tuning can be taken one step further. Progressive Suspension recently introduced a Monotube Cartridge kit for 2014 and new Touring models (with the exception of Road Kings) featuring its proprietary Frequency Sensing Technology damping. Available in stock and lowered applications, the cartridge and spring kit applies true performance suspension characteristics by not only better stabilizing the front end but upping the…

There’s so much nostalgia that surrounds Radio Flyer wagons. Many of us had them as kids or remember being pulled around in one at one point in our childhood. Even now, the wagon’s trademark look and appeal is an iconic symbol of youthful Americana. Even though there’s no way in hell we’d ever come close to squeezing into one these days (without the wheels falling off, at least), there are still ways of appreciating everything that was/is cool about these old things. Yeah, you can take ’em with you to the swap meet and load your haul in them, but your boyhood dream of actually zooming downhill in a Radio Flyer (or maybe just breaking the 3-mph mark) might still be nagging at you. If that truly is the case,…

DYNOJET Power Vision The Dynojet Power Vision is the first and only touchscreen flash-tuning system for Harley-Davidson motorcycles. It’s designed to flash your bike’s ECM with a proper tune for your modifications, monitor critical engine data, and even refine your tune while you ride with an innovative auto-tuning feature. Available with a flat black or black chrome finish for any Harley-Davidson equipped with the Delphi ECM. $549 // dynojet.com KERSHAW KNIVES Link Until now, something’s been missing in the knife marketplace: a link between a quality, made-in-the-USA knife and a price most people can afford. Now Kershaw supplies the missing “Link”—four models, two blade styles, SpeedSafe-assisted opening, and all USA-made. $69.99 // kershaw.kaiusaltd.com HAWG HALTERS Billet Fork Legs Packages The extensive HHI lineup of fork legs includes applications in 41mm…