Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2017 i Baggers Magazine

What are the best rides in the Hills? As a resident of the Northern Black Hills of South Dakota, I get this question all the time, throughout the year. That’s because when bikers come here they are seeking the ultimate riding experience. The truth is that once you’re here, all roads lead to spectacular and unforgettable views and vistas. You need only to fire up your bike and take off to discover new and exciting scenery around every twisting curve and bend. Every ride is good, as long as you’re in the Hills! But there are a few specific tips for rides that will allow you to reap the benefits of the Black Hills in your soul and remind you that Mother Nature is so much larger than the open…

We recently purchased a used 2012 Harley-Davidson Road King at an auction. It was in pretty good shape, and we got it at a fair price, but there was an issue: The damn thing was lowered! To each their own of course, but I cannot stand lowered bikes; it ruins handling and ride quality all for the aesthetic (which I don’t find pleasing in the slightest). So, we looked to our good friends at Race Tech for guidance, and they hooked us up with a set of their Performance Fork Springs along with their shiny Gold Valve Emulators to raise the front end back to stock height as well as improve the performance. Race Tech is located in Corona, California, and you can order kits from them, or if you…

“It’s the little differences. I mean, they got the same shit over there that they got here, but it’s just, there it’s a little different.” —Vincent Vega, Pulp Fiction (1994) Vincent Vega was talking about beer and Quarter Pounders in Europe when that line came up at the beginning of Pulp Fiction, but his point also applies to custom versus stock: It’s amazing how the little differences can redefine something, even a bike like this 2015 Road Glide customized by Lex Rivera. After working at another shop for many years, Lex took the leap into the wondrous world of entrepreneurship and started working for himself. Xel Customs is the name of his shop, and clean, smooth designs are what he does. Bikes that ride well but still demand some attention…

If you’ve seen the videos online, you know the hydrographic process is pretty cool to watch. The shop sets the graphic into water, slowly rolls parts (or helmets, what have you) into the vat, and then pulls out the parts, which are magically covered in their new skin. From a carbon-fiber pattern to super-detailed skulls and flames, hydrographic artwork has a pretty wide repertoire for making your bagger look amazing. Liquid Addiction Hydrographics & Paint has been in the business of creating killer art for about seven years now. Recently, it expanded into doing whole-hog bike builds, and this 2001 Star Motorcycles Royal Star Venture is owner Thomas Dufour’s latest work. Dufour’s been with Liquid Addiction for six of those seven glorious years, and when the original owner went back…

Saddlebag Liner/ Messenger Bag When I started my quest for the perfect saddlebag liner, I had no idea the depths to which it would take me. Emerging from the foggy jungles of Southern California, now bearded and covered in road grime clutching at my Lander Timp bag, I had finally found it—a bag simple enough, just the right size, weatherproof, designed for the things I carry and the abuse I will undoubtedly deliver, and it only costs $100. I had been jamming some of the best motorcycle backpacks money can buy into saddlebags for too long. On the Kriega 25L and the Velomacchi Roll-Top—while they’re amazing bags on your back—the straps are much too bulky and take up a ton of room when you go to store them in your…

Since the Harley-Davidson Touring model platform underwent some major changes in 2017 with its newest engine to date, the Milwaukee-Eight, we’ve eagerly been awaiting what the custom world would do with the new motorcycle. And slowly but surely, after the new Harley baggers hit the scene, B/X Customs was definitely making headway into building a bagger that would not only shock the custom world but would do so with a completely unique concept. Normally, a leather seat, or possibly leather saddlebags, are a pretty common occurrence on a bagger. But to cover the entire bike in leather is definitely unique. To say attention to detail was at the forefront of this build would be a gross understatement. The concept of this motorcycle happened one night at a year-end celebration meeting…

In the quest for the perfect seat for our Adventure-Dual-Sport- Scrambler-Frankenstein Road King build, we opted for something a little flat, something a little stylish, and something that we knew would survive the elements—hence the decision to go with the Le Pera Cobra seat ($377; part #LK-079PT), a throwback to the chopper seats from yesteryear. We were stoked to see how it would look for our project. This seat will follow the flow of your bike and includes a little thicker passenger area than the King Cobra but is still cushy enough to keep the missus happy. Somewhat. The Cobra measures 11 inches wide in the rider area, 6.5 inches wide in the passenger area, and fits ’08–’17 Harley- Davidson Touring model motorcycles. We installed the new seat in a…

HAWG HALTERS Billet Fork Leg Covers These stunning taper-cut covers manufactured in Hawg Halters’ Georgia facility of 6061-T6 aluminum come in chrome, black, and Shadow Cut with classic smooth or cutout styles. The new HHI covers fit both early-model and late-model Touring bike applications and come in +1 to + 4-inch lengths to fit applications from stock to 32 inches. These new fork leg covers have been designed to give the custom builder an outof- the-box solution to longer front ends and big-wheel conversions. Contact for Price // hawghalters.com ROLAND SANDS DESIGN Traction Rider Floorboards RSD Floorboards feature a lightweight style that breaks up the large visual foot area. Knurled rubber pads offer a comfortable but grippy surface that also dampen vibration. Aggressive Traction style with setscrews offers further traction…

HELLO BAGGERS, I am very proud to have done this painting of the “Tequila Sunset” bike, which was built by Indian Motorcycle of Hollister, California. The bike won the Indian Motorcycle Chieftain Challenge, which was announced at Daytona Bike Week. Here’s the painting I did that was bought by Rey, the winner of the bike. I’ve also attached a photo of Rey with the bike after it arrived back in Hollister. Thanks, ZORG LOVE WHAT YOU SEE? HATE WHAT YOU SEE? The only way the magazine is going to give you more of what you want to see is if you let us know what you like or don’t like. You can shoot us an email at baggersmag@bonniercorp.com. Or if you want to send us a letter via the US…

Bassani Xhaust has been in the performance exhaust industry making quality systems for cars and motorcycles for decades. Recently, the Bassani team released its beautiful stainless-steel Road Rage 3 2-into-1 exhaust systems with several different muffler options to choose from. We had to get a set for testing on our Baggers Sound-Off video series, and the performance gains were pretty damn impressive too (check baggersmag.com for the results). THE FACTS The Bassani Road Rage 3 features a hand-TIG-welded two-stepped header design that merges into a true reversecone 4-inch straight-can muffler. The 1-3/4-inch headpipe steps up to 1-7/8 inches into the collector to increase flow and improve performance until merging with a 4-inch muffler body with matching billet end cap. The Road Rage 3 also features 18mm and 12mm oxygen sensor…

Before every ride, you are supposed to walk around your bike and look for issues—test your turn signals and brake light and check the horn and tire pressure. How many of us actually do that every time we go on a ride though? It is a good habit to get into, however, especially checking your taillight. The dash indicator will alert you if a turn signal is out by flashing rapidly, but if your taillight is out you may not know. We had a bulb out on our 2012 Road King and decided while we were back there we would change all the bulbs out with new ones. We went with aftermarket bulbs from J&P Cycles for brake and turn signals ($2.99 each). Follow along as we replace all our…

Many guys out there can relate to the fact that building a bike isn’t exactly the most inexpensive hobby one can have. From the buying of an actual motorcycle, finding aftermarket parts for it (or having them made), and then springing for labor to cover installation or paint or whatever else goes into making a bike truly custom and tailored to its owner, the pile of receipts tend to stack up quickly. Even though having a motorcycle can be thought of as being one of life’s luxuries, it really is a way of life for many. No matter what your income bracket may be, there are always less expensive solutions to high-dollar tokens of form and function out there. Now, a good deal of budget-minded builders may rely on cycle…

SPORTBIKE CONVERT Nathan Bayton of Fredericksburg, Virginia, purchased this 2012 bagger brand new after being a sportbike guy. This was his seventh motorcycle and has been his favorite so far. Nathan’s local Harley dealer and custom shop owner, Melvin Carter, helped Nathan put it all together. His bike has a Vance & Hines full exhaust with Screamin’ Eagle heavy breather to boost performance. It also has air suspension front and rear. He added 14-inch apehangers and a hornback alligator solo seat to keep the ride aggressive. The 26-inch wheel up front and a 17-inch wheel in the rear round out his custom package. ROADY Jim Nadal’s been a twowheeled fan for many years, mostly sportbikes, but finally gave up the racer crouch for a more comfortable riding position. He’s a…