Vintage
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 without any other hands on the bike.” The RME Diveris a shining sea of parts, pieces, and paraphernalia from different decades. “Everything from ‘48 heads to ‘07 Ultra Classic pieces and parts throughout the years are on it,” he said. He added disc brakes and built a reduction manifold which enables him to run both the front and rear brakes off the brake pedal. He toned the rear brake down to about 30-percent of the pressure, so he still gets most of the braking at the front wheel. An internal throttle keeps the handlebars clean and clutter-free.
The trident design and the RME Diverlogo flow together with the brass accents like an ocean dream. The brass toe holds on the foot pegs were taken from an MK V diving suit. Jeff added other unique touches that reflect his underwater experience like a jockey-style hand shifter made from an MK V Navy-issue diving knife for the OEM 4-speed transmission. The brass plate on the battery box is a diver first-class badge from Jeff’s Army days, when he taught a course on underwater demolition. The badge was blasted into the metal using a shape charge. Jeff was given both the plate and the knife when he left the service in 2001.
On the front fender of the RME Diveris a Military Challenge coin, a gift from Jeff’s army buddy, CPT Shawn English. In 2006, Shawn was killed by an IED (improvised explosive device) in Iraq. In his honor, Jeff made two stainless steel POW MIA bracelets, engraved them with Shawn’s name and attached them to the saddlebags.
The Mustang seat was covered in vinyl alligator-style skin, but that soon will change. Jeff’s encountered many an angry alligator over the years, a risk factor in his line of work. Right now, there’s a genuine gator hide being tanned somewhere in Florida, and soon he’ll be upholstery. “It was an alligator that charged in recently while we were diving,” Jeff said, “I think it’ll be a neat piece of history.”
Jeff stuck to his original plan, and did all the work himself, including the assembly, graphics, paint and gold leafing, learning a lot as he went along. “I had to paint it twice, due to errors on my part. I still see flaws,” he laughed. The RME Diver is a treasure trove of a bike. Part history, part swap-meet smorgasbord, part rolling business card, it combines good ol’ ingenuity with mechanical aptitude into a trouble-free ride.
This fun little bike is fairly light weight and easy to jockey around whether it’s in traffic or on-site as Jeff rides it to job sites, stowing it in the work trailer with his other equipment. It gives him a chance to relax and check out the terrain around his work sites when he’s far from home. It’s kick-start only, and it rides a little rough, but not overly so. It’s just enough to feel the vibration of a hard mount engine. The four-speed tops out at about 70 MPH, which is perfect for its owner, who once wrapped a sport bike around a telephone pole. “You mellow with age,” he said, “now I cruise instead of really getting on it.”
Up Close: J&P Cycles
Everybody knows J&P Cycles. Even if it’s not from personal experience (yet), just ask motorcyclist if they know who J&P Cycles is and you’ll get some sort of correct answer. The Anamosa, Iowa-based self proclaimed “World’s Largest Aftermarket Motorcycle Parts and Accessories Superstore!” is the proud result of founders John and Jill Parham working out of the back of a truck until they have not only the Iowa store, but another in Ormond Beach, Florida, and their temporary Sturgis store during that little August rally thing they have up there.
From mortar and brick stores to some of the biggest aftermarket parts Harley catalogues to the Internet, it’s no wonder that people like Jeff Lane end up getting parts like fenders, handlebars, and internal throttles from J&P to finish their rides. Not only do you have a choice of 12” apes like Jeff used, but you can get complete throttle and brake line kits specifically made for your application. Top it off with and internal throttle and grips gone wild and it’s easy to see how J&P has become a one-stop-shopping experience for many Harley owners.
J&P Cycles says that, “J&P prides itself on its first-rate customer service and offers 100-persent satisfaction. We still believe that who you buy from is just as important as what you buy. That’s why we strive to be the BEST mail-order company of aftermarket parts and accessories for your motorcycle. Our complete catalogs are available on the Worldwide Web with secure online ordering. Our technical experts are available to answer your questions and get you the parts you need the first time. And, if you can’t find a part, our experienced sales staff will find it for you.”
See www.jpcycles.com or call 800-318-4283 for more info.
Builder: Jeff Lane
Jeff Lane, owner of RME-Diver Commercial Diving LLC in Panama City, Florida, wanted to incorporate his passion for diving into his latest bike. The 1951 Panhead-powered Harley FL custom reflects its owner perfectly, combining his love of the ocean, his tussles with alligators, and the memory of a good friend.
Jeff’s professional diving career began in the US Army back in 1993, and he hasn’t stopped since. CPT Shawn English, a close military friend, encouraged him to start his own diving business once he left the service, and in 2005, Jeff did just that. “Several conversations with Shawn are what led me to take the risk of starting my own company,” Jeff said. “He had three years left until retirement from the Army, and it was my hope that he would come to work with me, and help to build the company when he retired.”
Those hopes were destroyed after Sean was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in December of 2006. Jeff preserved the memory of his fallen friend when he built the RME Diver. He constructed two POW/MIA bands with Shawn’s name on them, and now carries them on his saddlebags. A Military Challenge coin, a gift from Sean when he was the Commander of the US Army Dive Training Program in Panama City, is embedded into the front fender of the bike.
The most meaningful remembrance of Jeff’s friend though, has nothing to do with the RME Diver. When their youngest daughter was born in 2009, Jeff and his wife Christine named the baby “Shawn.”
If you’ve got a hankering for diving or are just a fan of Sea Hunt and want to see more of the underwater action Jeff’s been up to, you can visit Jeff’s website at www.rmediver.com.
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