It took about three months to complete this project. The motor was rebuilt using Harley and JIMs products. The transmission received a fresh set of Andrews gears.  A lot of time was spent decorating the bike once the basics were finished.  A Candy Pearl paint job was applied by Tommy, in house painter at Black Magic Customs.  PM handlebar controls, Choppers Inc grips, risers and...

Ouch that’s gotta hurt.  To avoid any doubt this time around, Rich documented his three-month build of a 1942 Harley Flathead named Cheaters Proof, in an ultra-hip indie documentary called Free To Wander that in itself is a work of art. It’s proven him to be a talented young filmmaker, but most importantly it’s put to rest any doubt that Rich Phillips is indeed a talented bike...

Part of Steve’s cool, no-ego attitude could be that he, like a lot of us, holds both the work of and the man himself in high regard. Like that famous Harley saying, “If I had to explain, you wouldn’t understand,” if you were ever lucky enough to have spent even a few seconds chatting with Indian Larry, watched him on TV, or got a close-up look at one of his bikes you no doubt can...

Those 750cc side-valve engine bikes were smaller, lighter, and sportier than Harley’s big-block EL and FL models to appeal to returning servicemen’s tastes after their wartime experiences with smaller, lighter, and sportier European bikes. Harley combined what they thought were the best aspects of British vertical twins with traditional Harley 45-degree V-twin architecture creating...

Jeff broke the bike down to the frame, but before he did, he found that he was actually able to get the motor running. In as-bought condition, it had Pan cases with a Shovelhead top end. “I decided to keep it in that configuration until it was time for a rebuild,” he said. “Since it was the slow season, I had time to just completely disassemble it and I wanted to try to build it...

  But, there were some other roads taken by Harley-Davidson through their acquisition of European companies like war reparations designs from German company DKW that later became the basis of the Harley-Davidson Hummers I lusted after as a kid and were in production from 1948 to 1966. In 1960, Harley purchased 50%-ownership of Italian aircraft manufacturer Aeronautica Macchi’s...

I’m familiar with the history of the engine. Back before the Evo, the company that owned Supercycle Magazine also owned a parts outfit called Nostalia Cycles out of Huntington Beach, California. I don’t remember the guy’s name, but in the pages of the magazine he was hustling plans, parts, and frames for the home builder to construct a V-twin bike built with parts...

So it’s no surprise that Caleb Owens’ new breed build, ‘Siksika’, took first place in the builder voting at Born Free 3. It’s the sort of bike that doesn’t rely on embedded jewels, CNCed wheels, or thousands of skulls ghosted into the paint to get attention. As Owens puts it, “I’m not a huge fan of the trailer queen scene. I’m not so much of a show bike builder. I build bikes to...

Eloise D’ambrosio Wright of North Carolina owns this smokin’ hot Triumph with so many of the styling elements of a ‘60s and ‘70s Triumph chop, like the dagger sissy bar and dual rectangular headlights.

  It’s impossible to sing the praises of Wheels Through Time enough. It’s a first-class operation. Dale’s reverence for each and every item in his building shines through. He’s spent decades of his life curating, rebuilding and restoring bikes. He travels the country promoting Wheels Through Time, displaying and racing and enthusiastically educating the public. His son Matt plays...