December 2009, v19n9

American Idle

Place where you can cast your vote for your favorite ride.

Buyer’s Guide

Annual Holiday Gift Guide

Departments

American Idle Winner

Maybe it was the allure of the story about a bike loved, lost, and finally brought back home. Or perhaps IW readers simply gave the thumbs up to a cool XL. In any case, Jason “Shoe” Shoemaker is the lastest IronWorks American Idle winner.

Letters & Bloggers

Motor Mart

Speed’s Secrets

For many of us the ’09 season is winding down, maybe with some thoughts and dreams about a brand-new bike for 2010. But we’ll bet that for more than a few of us that’s just not in the cards.

The Works

Feature Bikes

Agent of Chaos by Wade Ramsey

Occasionally we stumble on something really special in our own backyard. In this case we found Rich Coon’s ‘03 Anniversary Sportster in Birmingham, Alabama. Purchased last year for five grand off Craig’s List, the 883 was “brand new,” showing only five miles on its odometer.

Anniversary Party Hangover by Paul Holdsworth

photos by Dain Gingerelli

This is the worst hangover I’ve ever had. It traces its origins back to Harley-Davidson’s 100th anniversary celebration in 2003 when I committed to rebuilding my 1984 FXRT in a bid to showcase what Harley-Davidson’s heritage means to me.

California or Bust

photos by Harry Ogilvie Photography

To say that California has some testy, even strange, motor vehicle laws is an understatement. Despite having resided in California for many years, Don Potter forgot that fact, so he was a bit perplexed when he went to register a 2005 XL1200R that he bought in Arizona for his daughter Sarah who lived in the Golden State.

Show Room Custom | Caribbean Custom Cycle by M. Stemp

Jose de Miguel is no pampered custom builder, not by a long shot. Based in Puerto Rico, his shop, Caribbean Custom Cycles, is reminiscent of the hard-scrabble resourcefulness of 1950s American bobber builders.

Special Effects FX by Dain Gingerelli

photos by Horst Roseler

Last issue we gave you highlights of J&P Cycles’ 30th anniversary open house celebration that included a teaser photo of Nancy and Fred Davis’s ’71 FX. Their bike (entered under Nancy’s name) won the IronWorks Choice Award at J&P’s Vintage and Bobber Ride-in Show during the open house, and now we’ll show you why the bike was our choice.

Feature Stories

Big Mountain Run by M. Stemp

Big profits weren’t on the agenda for the inaugural 2009 Big Mountain Run. Instead, big riding was as plans called for four days of gypsy touring in the mountains and backroads of North Carolina and Tennessee. And that’s just what the gang did last June 17-21.

Dyna Dude Magnet by Margie Siegal

photos by Dana Shirey

Nancy and Fred Davis’s 1971 FX is a classic, but a few years ago I had the opportunity to ride what I consider to be another classic—the 2006 35th Anniversary Dyna Super Glide.

Garage Girls at Carlisle by Sara Liberte

photos by Jill Hunt

All of us involved with Garage-Girls have had our hands in plenty of events to help out charities and other larger organizations. Those events are always great to be a part of, but it’s like you never really get to see the effects they have on a single person—we never get to experience how it impacts someone’s life up close. That was the motivation behind the Garage-Girls Ultimate Biker Makeover.

Harley-Davidson Bagger Field Guide: Panheads 1948-1965 by Matt Olsen

photos by Brad York

Last issue, our installment in the history of Big Twin touring models included the Knucklehead years, 1936-’47. This issue covers the Panhead era that spans an 18-year period from 1948 through 1965.

IronWorks Overnighter by Dana Shirey

Here’s a trivia question that might win you a bar bet: What’s our nation’s smallest national park?

The Limpnickie Lot: Far Out or Laid Back by M. Stemp

It’s happened to all of us; you’re walking through a bike show and you’re awe-struck by a paint job that’s beyond words. And that’s understandable because if you weren’t in the paint booth—or in the mind of the person who was—you simply can’t know how that magic occurs. That’s what sets artists apart from the rest of us. Not only do they possess the facts of how, they have the interior vision to know why.

Product Reviews

Harley-Davidson XR1200 Tail Bag by Dain Gingerelli

As good as the XR1200 Sportster is, Harley’s best-handling model lacks adequate cargo space. But $169.95 and a few minutes of your time can elevate the race-inspired Sporty into sport tourer status thanks to the XR1200 Tail Bag (PN: 90409-08) from Harley-Davidson Parts & Accessories.

Indian Motorcycle Café Racer Jacket

Let’s be frank: if you’re a diehard Harley rider—or someone who’s buying a gift for one—you might be less than enamored of this jacket, proudly emblazoned with Indian logos. But I’ll make a confession: after getting a close-up look at this and several other of the latest Indian Motorcycle Company jackets, I’m in favor of starting the Harley vs. Indian wars all over again.

Regulars

Bert Baker by Bert Baker, Baker Drivetrain

Brian Klock by Brian Klock, Klock Werks

Daingerous Dain by Dain Gingerelli

Margie Siegal by Margie Siegal

Technical Articles

Part 6: IronWorks/Brass Balls Bobbers Giveaway Bike

Okay, it’s time to get wired, which means we’ve installed the wiring harness to our IronWorks Magazine/Brass Balls Bobbers Giveaway Bobber. And for that we called on Wire-Plus of Winfield, Kansas, for a complete wiring harness.

Riding Impression: Deep South by Dain Gingerelli

Forget flashy chrome and paint and swanky swirl-spoke wheels; this bike, called the Shocker Low Voltage, is for hot rodders. In fact, the Shocker is built by hot rodders because Deep South Choppers’ main movers and shakers—Dennis Mannino and his nephew Brad Mannino—have a storied background in the hot rod automotive field. For years they built hot rod cars, but in 2004 the bike bug bit them big time, and from that episode emerged Deep South Choppers.

Tech Lite: Windscreen Selection

The romance of experiencing the wind in your hair and the bugs in your teeth can wear thin at times. Which helps explain why baggers have become so popular the past few years. But seeking solitude behind the cone of silence can still be elusive if you don’t select the right windscreen. For instance, Harley-Davidson offers several variations of windscreens for its FLHT and FLTR models, and each style can produce its own benefit—or drawback.

The Old Iron is AAOK

So you want a classic-looking bike but don’t have the resources or patience to find an authentic Knucklehead to restore? Well, here’s news. You can build an original-looking Knuck from all new replica parts that might fool people into thinking it’s original.