The Biker Web - Biker Blog

Harley Davidson Leaving Wisconsin

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 09:06:21 -0600

Maybe you have heard by now that Harley Davidson is considering leaving Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Harley has been having some very difficult times these past few years. I’ve posted before about Harley’s problems -- an aging customer base in the US, compounded by the fact that they’re selling $10k+ bikes during “Great Depression 2.0” (B.S. that this is just a recession...with the real unemployment rate around 20% and with no end in sight). About 2 years ago, I was already wondering how long Harley will even be an “American” motorcycle.

Moving out of Milwaukee will be the first step to moving abroad. Once they cut those historical ties, there’s nothing holding them back from shipping jobs to Mexico or China or wherever the cost of labor is cheapest.

Now, even the CEO of Intel is telling America’s business leaders that outsourcing every job possible is actually destroying this country’s future. And it doesn’t take a genius to put 2+2 together on that -- really, if all we have left are minimum wage service jobs...then at the very least, you’ve managed to destroy your tax base. Not a good idea when we’re looking at trillions of dollars in national debt...

Check it out: How to Make an American Job

Anyway... here’s the heart-breaking news from Harley Davidson about the likelihood of their leaving Wisconsin in an effort to save their business (it is true that they’ve been losing some serious cash as the people who typically buy their bikes have been losing their jobs & homes the past few years).

Biker Chick Video

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 21:15:55 -0600

Here’s a biker chick video for you!

Hope you’re enjoying your summer and riding safe. Some more motorcycle pics have been added to the Bikers & Bikes section.

Hells Angels on Wheels -- Movie Trailer from 1967

Sat, 5 Jun 2010 14:21:13 -0600

Nothing like a good old fashioned biker B-movie from the late ‘60s! Check out this original movie trailer for Hells Angels on Wheels, from 1967.

Interesting how, more than 40 years later, this still shapes the world’s view of the biker lifestyle. Though the times, they are a changin’ -- with the rise of the Biker Build-Off shows, and American Chopper, and a whole host of other mass-market cable TV programs... For good or ill the general public’s attitude toward & understanding of “bikers” is changing.

Bio-Diesel Harley Davidson Fatboy

Fri, 7 May 2010 12:53:27 -0600

Well, this is interesting... Some mechanically-inclined guy decided to do something really new with his Harley Fatboy -- he converted it to run on bio-diesel!

Now, if only he could figure out a way to do it that preserved the fine looks of the v-twin motor that the Fatboy normally has, he’d have a real money-maker on his hands.

As is, I think it’s a really cool experiment... I wonder what the differences are in performance? Typically, it’s harder to get high-performance from a diesel than with a gas engine. Don’t believe me? Watch this recent track test by Top Gear (awesome British auto TV show) of the BMW 535 diesel vs the gas-powered version of the same car:

How to Ride Your Motorcycle Like an A-Hole

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:00:43 -0600

Not that anyone needed a tutorial on how to be a total a-hole... But this guy takes the cake.

Maybe I should title this post “How to Definitely Not Get Laid in Less Than 2 Minutes”

Ride like an ass... check
Act like an ass... check
Yell at your wife/girlfriend to get on your bike,
then take off before she even has a chance to get on... check

The Mission One Motorcycle - 150 MPH on an Electric Motor

Wed, 7 Apr 2010 07:46:32 -0600

With all the development and research going into alternative fuel vehicles, it was only a matter of time before there was a breakthrough in motorcycles too. Here’s one wicked bike, the Mission One.
 With a top speed of 150 miles per hour, it’s hardly a bike to scoff at. Doesn’t hurt that it costs $0 to run (aside from your electric bill)... Check out some of the details:

The Seat:
Béhar created a seat that cantilevers high above the rear wheel, to visually emphasize the lack of exhaust pipes. The triangular grating echoes the shape of the battery frames within.

The Face:
"I wanted to create visual continuity," says Béhar, "from the face of the bike to the back, headlight to taillights." He integrated the LED headlight into the face of the bike, which has a stealth bomber's faceted look, softened by smooth, fluid lines that run the length of the motorcycle.

The Batteries:
The bike's heaviest components are spread throughout the body to mimic a motorcycle's typical weight distribution. The hundreds of cells are monitored individually to improve battery life.

The Cooling System:
Heat buildup can sap both motor and battery efficiency. A liquid cooling system runs throughout the motor and the controller.

The Controller:
This device sends power from battery to motor using a number of individual switches controlled by complex algorithms to maximize motor performance.

More details over at FastCompany.com

More Biker Babes and Biker T-Shirts Added

Mon, 5 Apr 2010 20:25:44 -0600

The weather is warming up! Love it! I’ve been out for the first few rides of the season & in honor or the thrill that always brings, I’ve just added some new biker babe pics to the Biker Babes Galore gallery, as well as some new biker t-shirts to the Biker Shop.

Check em out!

How to Balance a Motorcycle Wheel

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 21:09:15 -0600

Here is another great How To video for those who like to work on their own motorcycles.

As you know, I’m a big fan of doing some work on your own -- I actually enjoy it, personally, but it is also a great way to save money, when you don’t have to pay someone $100 an hour for labor, on top of the cost of parts.

Check it out & learn a bit about how to balance a motorcycle wheel.

How to Install a Hard Tail Frame on an Ironhead Sportster

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:28:29 -0600

If you own an old Ironhead Sportster, you are probably the kind of guy who likes to wrench on his own Harley. Luckily, they are fairly simple bikes to work on -- pretty straightforward, compared to the labyrinth of wiring and other goodies that you will find if you ever decide to try your hand at working on a modern bike (and that’s the same reason I love classic cars too...you actually can do a lot of work on your own).

Since an Ironhead makes a perfect chopper, here is a great video on how to install a hard tail frame on an Ironhead Sportster.

And I’m not just saying that about those old Ironheads. Don’t forget that before we all bought into the idea that bigger & shinier is always better, Sportsters were the bike of choice for chopper builders from the ‘50s through the ‘80s -- just check out A Short History of the Chopper Motorcycle.

By the way, that’s a really nice original Ironhead chopper pictured above -- the photo is from 1974...you don’t get more old skool 70s than that!