Many evenings were spent de-lugging the frame, and removing the centre-post to clear the newer (Evolution) Sportster engine – I had to bend a new S-shaped centre-post, and make a huge tombstone-shaped mounting plate for the rear of the engine. Graham at Coba Valley Cycles made me a head-steady (and also did a few other choice bits, too), but the real challenge was getting the frame so low – I placed a jack between the rails, and lowered it as close as possible to the frame, then cut away the frame.
The aim was to get a sunken look on the bottom rail and, once done, I made new front engine mountings and brackets to hold it in place, and to get the engine in line I had to move it 25mm to accommodate the new larger (180-section) back tyre on the V-Rod solid wheel I’d scored (and adapted for chain final drive). All of the design was done by me, with the exception of the chain final drive conversion. Graham (Coba Valley) designed and fabricated it so that I could get a solid wheel to work with a chain-driven engine.
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IN-YER-FACE 'ONDA
BACK IN ISSUE 420, IN THE H-D SUPPLEMENT WE DID FOR THAT ISSUE, WE INTRODUCED YOU TO KNOCKER, AND HIS NO-NONSENSE IRONHEAD – A BIKE THAT GAVE THE FINGER TO BOTH TRADITIONAL BSH CHOPS, AND THE NEW SKOOL RETRO-CHOPPER CROWD TOO.
THE SHINY SURVIVALIST
THERE’S LITTLE DOUBT THAT 2020 DIDN’T REALLY TURN OUT THE WAY THAT ANY OF US EXPECTED, OR HOPED, IT WOULD. MIND YOU, I DID WONDER IF THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC MIGHT’VE INFLUENCED BIKE BUILDERS IN A MORE VISIBLE WAY THAN IT SEEMS TO HAVE, AND EXPECTED A RESURGENCE IN THE BUILDING OF ‘SURVIVAL BIKES’.
MONTANA REO
MANY YEARS AGO I BUILT TWO FXR SOFTAILS – MINNESOTA FATS (A SORT OF SUPER FAT BOY), AND DAKOTA BLACK (A PROPER CHOP), ONE FOR ME AND ONE FOR MY MATE JIM. WE’D DREAMT UP THE NAMES IN THE PUB ONE NIGHT AS PART OF AN IMAGINED SERIES OF BIKES – THE NORTHERN STATES SERIES. THEY CAME OUT WELL, AND WERE FEATURED IN BSH 170 IN 1998.
MORTICIA
I BUILT THIS CHOP 38 YEARS AGO (THE DRY BUILD WAS IN MY BEDROOM), AND I TRY TO KEEP IT LIKE IT WAS WHEN IT WAS FIRST FINISHED. I USED TO PRIDE MYSELF ON IT STARTING FIRST KICK, AND NOT LEAKING OIL – IT STILL STARTS FIRST KICK (OCCASIONALLY SECOND), BUT THERE IS NOW, NEARLY 40 YEARS LATER, ONE SLIGHT OIL LEAK…
UJB UNIVERSAL JAPANESE BOBBER
ONE OF THE WORST THINGS TO HEAR WHEN OUT AND ABOUT AMONGST ANY GATHERING OF MOTORCYCLE TYPES IS A SLIGHTLY NASAL VOICE SAYING, IN THE PAUSE BETWEEN PEOPLE SPEAKING, ‘DID YOU KNOW THAT…’ BECAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU JUST KNOW, THAT YOU’RE GOING TO TURN ROUND AND BE CONFRONTED WITH AN ANORAK.
LONG SHOP MUSEUM BIKE SHOW
THE THIRD BIKE SHOW AT THE LONG SHOP MUSEUM IN LEISTON, SUFFOLK, WAS HELD ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 13TH. IT’D BEEN HANGING IN THE BALANCE, LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE THIS YEAR, BUT UNLIKE MOST IT, WAS DEEMED OKAY TO GO AHEAD, DESPITE CONCERNS OVER LIMITING NUMBERS AND KEEPING EVERYONE SOCIALLY DISTANCED.
THE REWARD...
AS I’M SURE YOU’RE AWARE (IF YOU’RE NOT, REALLY? WHERE’VE YOU BEEN? DOWN A WELL?) OUR CHOSEN LIFESTYLE IS, AS ELIZABETH BATHORY MIGHT SAY, IN DIRE NEED OF AN INJECTION OF FRESH BLOOD BECAUSE… WELL, WE’RE ALL GETTING A BIT OLD, A BIT PAST IT THESE DAYS, AREN’T WE?
FACTORY CUSTOM
DURING MY VISIT TO MUDDY BEACH CUSTOMS BACK IN AUGUST, WHERE I TOOK THE PICS OF CHRIS LINDSAY’S CUSTOM CHAMPS-WINNING S&S (AS FEATURED LAST ISSUE), GUS, THE MAIN MAN, ARRANGED FOR A WHOLE LOAD MORE SCOTTISH BIKES TO ARRIVE TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED TOO. AS WE DON’T GET UP ACROSS THE BORDER THAT OFTEN THESE DAYS, I GOT ‘EM ALL IN THE CAN, AND YOU’LL SEE ‘EM IN A FORTHCOMING ISSUE.
HOT ROD SHOUEL
IF YOU’RE A LONG-TERM READER OF THIS AUGUST PERIODICAL (AND THE ONES PUBLISHED OTHER MONTHS TOO), THEN YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE BIKES, OR AT LEAST THE KIND OF BIKES, BUILT BY A GENTLEMAN BY THE NAME OF VINCENT SUMMERS
AMOC CUSTOM SHOW
AH, THE JOYS OF A SEPTEMBER MORNING – STILL SOME OF THE SUNSHINE FROM SUMMER, BUT THOSE SOFT TONES OF EARLY AUTUMN COMING IN, WHICH MAKES FOR A PERFECT COUNTRY RIDE... MIND YOU, I’M NOT SO KEEN ON THE BARRAGE OF CONKERS AND ACORNS WHICH SEEM TO MAKE A BEELINE FOR THE HELMET.
Game Review: Ravens
Daniel Jones was pressured all game by the Ravens’ defense.
RAPID GROWTH FORMULA
CHIEF EXECUTIVEOPTIMIZER
Getting Started
Do you remember that first day?
MIRANDA YOUNG
PARANORMAL EXPLORER AND BIKER
LILY'S DISAPPEARING ACT
KISSING NOT TELLING!
Veteran Presence
Safety Logan Ryan has taken over as the leader of the secondary
OFFSHORE BOSS
AFTER AN ENVIABLE PROFESSIONAL SAILING CAREER, EDDIE WARDEN OWEN HAS A RARE PERSPECTIVE ON THE WORLD OF RACING, AS ELAINE BUNTING HEARS
VERY GODLEY
DAVE THOMPSON INTERVIEWS SINGER-SONGWRITER KEVIN GODLEY (OF 10CC FAME) ABOUT HIS FIRST SOLO ALBUM, MUSCLE MEMORY.
Martinez ready to lead
LB is key addition to 2020 NYG D
MASTER YOUR MAINSAIL
KNOWING HOW TO SET UP A MULTIHULL’S MAINSAIL IS CRUCIAL. BRIAN THOMPSON, ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST EXPERIENCED MULTIHULL SAILORS, SHARES HIS TIPS