The owner, designer, and builder of this red hot café called Red Baron, Francisco Manen, could chalk up another person who incorrectly assumed that all café Harleys are Sportsters. Looking at photos and not the actual LDK bike does not immediately give you the size disparity between the similar, yet totally different models. Paying a little more attention on the second peek, the...

     When I think about it, they actually did figure out how to roll back time with a Panhead bobber so traditional in style and finish that you gotta love it for exactly what it is sitting in front of you. It’s built the way I remember the rare radical builds I ran into when gasoline and Harleys were first invented I think, well, at least it seems that way. And, none of those...

     Obviously this customized Dyna Low Rider S was not built to be a big time show bike, but I’m pretty sure it more than holds its own wherever it’s parked like here at Smoke Out 18. I know it sure caught my attention immediately. Another even more obvious thing about this bike and it may be its greatest attribute is that it was ridden there, not trailered. You’re looking at a...

    Not only was Harley competing with their street bikes, but in 1952 they had a small amount of pure race bikes built from the K platform that would constitute the basis of their racing bikes for both flat track and road races. That continued even after the Sportster made headlines until 1969 when the legendary XR750 flat tracker made its debut. Every year they would knock out...

  Although a Harley-Davidson did not break into the top ten sales at the Mecum Motorcycle Auction in Las Vegas at the South Point Hotel & Casino this past January 25-28, there were some that came pretty close. One of my favorite early Harleys, a lovely 1928 Harley-Davidson JDH, known as the first year of the rare 2 cam race engine that released to the public for pedestrian use...

     Take the engine for instance, I mean who starts a build for an invitational show around a 250cc single? Not anybody I know, but Pete had his reasons and actually, they’re pretty interesting. That little engine dates to 1935 and was one of two Triumph L2-1 racing engines built to race in 1936. Whatever’s inside must have been the best they could offer so it’s a pretty special...

    On the other hand, there are builders like Ron “Chop Doc” Harris of Chop Doc’s Choppers in Waterford, Michigan, that clearly know what Old School is and how to properly bring it to the table. If you thought our feature bike built by Ron back in 2005 was actually from some long ago time period, well you’d have good reason to think that. Ron is a third-generation body man and...

  Just in case you missed the other Misfit Road King, here’s a link to that article so you can see how two bikes that started out exactly the same split off in different directions. Yes there were some similarities, but each one of these has its own design aesthetic. Both still share the DNA of a Road King albeit with a highly-modified genetic code and some artificial enhancement...

     Somehow the kinda big 26-inch front wheel doesn’t look so ginormous anymore compared to 30- and 32-inch wheels. Not only is the diameter smaller visually, but the necessary rake for a big wheel seems a lot less for a 26-incher. I dare say they almost look normal to me now in spite still being a hell of a lot larger than stock. As far as riding a show bike goes, the 26 looks so...

  Mike Stafford at MGS Custom Bikes in Lancaster, California, (www.mgscustombikes.com) fabricated the tank and fenders, mounted the Crime Scene Choppers gas cap and cut my struts to give it a bobber-type look. Check out the low-profile front fender that gives it a perfect touch. While the bike was there, he also installed the Jaybrake (www.jaybrakeoriginals.com) grips and foot...