One more cool custom bike picture

Here is a bike that combines a few tricks to create a pretty good overall look. Like the headlight under the triple clamp, this gives the top of the bars a really clean swooped back look. The speedometer in under your right leg if you were sitting on the bike. This also adds simple design queues to the tall and pulled back bars. This keeps the front of the bike lower even though it is a bike with a tall chopper style frame. The pulled back bars also match well with the springer front end. The size and design of the tank add a good look to the space between the top of the big engine and the bottom of the tank. I like the idea of flames on the fenders and gas tank but I am not a big fan of these flames, they are too much for me, I think I would like them to be less pronounced or maybe just less all together, that is not to say someone else can't love them.

The rear frame and seat pan are wild on this bike. The external frame around the rear end and the rear fender makes this look like it might have a hidden Softail shock, but I don't think so, it's clean looking yet a bit funky looking. The seat is definitely low and wide so with the bars up in the air like they are I might have a hard time see over the top. Maybe this bike is built for a guy who is 6 foot 4 inches tall.

To give the builder credit this is another bike that was displayed by a vendor at the Broken Spoke Saloon at the north end of town in Sturgis South Dakota. This is the new Saloon out on Bear Butte road. I did not take any notes, so I don't relaly know who built it, I just took pictures of the bikes. I can see a price tag of $39,900 for this bike. Wow 40 grand for a bike, that is way too much for my blood, especially with the broken economy and failing banks and everything else that is happening this year. If and when I build a bike I expect to get a bike that looks something like this one but end up with a price tag of about $20,000 - $25,000. This is if I do all the work and paint myself. We will see, and I am sorry to say it might be ten years before that happens. I guess I will keep researching and dreaming about it. You gotta have a Dream, "What's your Dream, everyone who comes to HollyWood has a dream!"

Ride Safe!

Sweet Red Springer Hard Tail

Here is another shot of a bike I saw sitting at the Broken Spoke Saloon in Sturgis. I took a bunch of shots and really wish I would have taken some notes. As I look at these pictures I would like to give the proper credit to the builders and riders. But then again, let's see I was in Sturgis after riding all day, we had just stopped for a our first beer and um, well my note book was not handy. I guess I am glad I got some pictures to post and talk about.

This bike is an extreme combination of low slung seat, big engine, super twisted and fabricated frame, highlighted by a tall front springer front end. Check out the way the tube work is done around the rear section of the seat, the rear swing arm and the fender supports. Wow someone got twisty with the tube bender, great work guys. The little extras like the powder coated rims or the bright red highlight around the front head light, make this one seriously red machine. I am not a fan of the big wide open belt primary but, if you have a motor that big I guess you need some way to control and transfer the power from the engine into the transmission. All in all a great combination of bright red, and super shinny chrome.

November 17th and it was sunny and warm in SLC

You should all know that that means. I got to ride my King again today. It was colder but very clear and nice this morning, at 38 degrees I didn't get too cold zooming the few miles I go to work. I am totally amazed at the weather I guess I really like this global warming thing. If I can ride all year in Utah, I will really be saving on gas and it's goo therapy to get on the scooter and zoom around especially in the "Winter", well keep riding and if you are in Southern California, Keep laughing at us silly cold weather wannabe rider.

Haulmark Trailers Orange Chopper.

Here is a noteworthy shot of a super custom Softail. It was built for the Haulmark trailer company, thus it has the bright orange paint and the company logo on the tank.  Haulmark makes trailers, to help with the motorcycle shipping of your precious bike, that is if I can't get on it and ride it to the show.  I am impressed with all the work welding and building and filling in the fender and body on the rear of this bike. Talk about some serious fabrication work. I wish I could work with sheet metal like this. Once I get below about 3/16 or 1/4 thickness when fabricating I am done. It just doesn't seem to work for me. I can't weld it, bend it or make it look like anything but sludge. Well anyway look at how the frame moves forward and into the gas tank. Then check out how the gas tank on the front flows right into the frame. Someone did a very nice job on this bike. If you know the fabricator please let me know and I will give them proper credit. This thing looks like it has a big old Engine as well. The big tall jugs are good looking, and yes I am talking about the engine cylinders guys.

Low and Lean Harley Davidson Custom Softail

While I was wandering around the Broken Spoke Saloon out North of town I started taking pictures of Custom Bikes. Here is a shot of a low single seat Soft tail. I am thinking this is a custom of some kind, the chain makes me think it is not a Harley Davidson. The bike does have some of the looks and features of a Fatboy, but I would guess it's not an official Halrey Davidson. The chain also make me think that motor maybe a fire breathing monster, not just a 80 cubic inch evolution HD motor.

The flames on the tank are very cool, I like them but think if I was putting them on my bike I would make them ghost flames, so they were not very visible. The other cool thing about this bike is the the way the handle bars are pulled back. They really change the look of the front, bringing it down and back. I bet it makes this motorcycle feel low and lean once you climb on.

Well my hat goes off to who ever owns this bike, I like it and think the overall look is pretty damn good, and I bet it gets up and goes.

Broken Spoke Saloon in Sturgis

I got a comment post as a follow up to the past post I made. I went and looked at a bunch of pictures of this new place. I did not realized that it had the largest swimming pool in Sturgis. I will need to remember this, When it is not storming and blowing with Hurricane force winds in Sturgis, it's Hot and muggy as muggy. At least this is my past experience. So on the Days it's hot and sunny, I think I will need to go check it out one of these next Sturgis trips

The new old Broken Spoke Saloon in Sturgis.

Here is a picture and a story about The New Broken Spoke Saloon in Sturgis South Dakota. I say it is new because is has only been around for 3 years or so. I also say it is new because I didn't know about it until this year and I found it completely by surprise. So let me tell you about the surprise, we all love surprises right.

This year we took a nice long motorcycle ride the first week in August and had a plan to tour way up north and drop into Sturgis from the North Western direction. We we driving the Highway across the middle bottom area of Montana, and approached Sturgis, through Belle Forche, and then looped east around Sturgis and down the bear Butte road into the Buffalo Chip. Well after a nice long days ride were could smell the cold beer and Sturgis Dirt and we were getting really close to the chip. Well then what to our wondering eyes did we see, a big new Broken Spoke Bar, about 3 miles north on the Bear Butte Road. What the?, When did they build that, we gotta stop flashed into our tired minds as we slowed and pulled in.

This is when the fun started, we were immediately sent down the row of vendors and towards the bar, Sweet we will get a front row parking spot, no wait, What, I was driving right through the bar, following a string of other bikers. How cool is this, Hit Sturgis and drive right into the Bar. Hell Ya, we had arrived. Once we settled into a row of bikes, I snapped this shot and headed for the Bar to see what else we could see. The trip was off to a great start and this leg of the journey was getting better all the time.

Novemeber 3rd and I got in a great ride.

It was cold and wet when I started this morning, I bet the temp was in the 40's which is cold yet nice enough to withstand for about a 45 miles of zipping around the town. I had a meeting at lunch and to and from work so I got in a good amount of seat time. The amazing thing is that it is November 3rd. In Utah this is certainly part of the extended season.

So on another completely cool and unrelated note, the Road King turned over 8000 mile a couple of days ago. Which makes the Summers total miles 8000-3400 = 4600. That's not bad for a about 6 months of drive time. I know some people put on 6000 miles a month or what ever huge number. For me being as busy as I am and a working stiff with a 12 mile commute, I say I logged some miles. Not too bad, and enough to convince me that I really like the Harley Road King and think I will keep it.