The Northwest’s Coast Road: US-101 by 8 Ball Brian
Virtually everyone has heard of Route 66, or Highway 101 in California. They are both great and legendary roads, don’t get me wrong. But let me tell you about the other end of the “101”.
Virtually everyone has heard of Route 66, or Highway 101 in California. They are both great and legendary roads, don’t get me wrong. But let me tell you about the other end of the “101”.
What do two immortal baseball players have to do with writing? In the case of Satchel Paige, a perennial star of the Negro Leagues, the oldest rookie to play in the major leagues and an all-star well into his forties, it’s his famous saying:
“Don’t look back, something might be gaining on you.” Continue Reading →
Installed back in 1994, the 22amp Cycle Electric charging system on my 1986 FXR had finally given up the ghost by the end of the 2010 riding season. The packing in the regulator had started to melt and drip from the housing (but the unit continued to work!). I couldn’t complain, I’d gotten my moneys worth. For a part that lives in such a severe environment the 18 years of service is a testament to the quality and durability of Cycle Electric products.
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Wearing your pads to this point indicates you are not paying attention and should probably NOT be riding a bike.
Now here’s a contributor for you folks – Paul Holdsworth. Holdsworth is a longtime fixture in the VTwin industry and older bike scene. He grew up in a manger that had been Cosmoline’d. The guy leaks oil if he stands in a place for too long (well, not wholly true). I’ve road tripped with Holdsworth by bike and by car and I can say without a doubt, the man has stories, tons of stories…. 45dgree has been lucky enough to tap this great font of tall tales and here forth, he shall appear every now and then. – stephen berner
With all the biker build off promotion crossing our desks, not to mention new model news from the Motor Company, and the it seems like almost weekly a new ‘custom motorcycle manufacturer’ and also the amateur builder we here from who has built a bike ‘just like that BIG NAME BIKE BUILDER!! 
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Shanghai, China, April 13 2012 – Mercedes driver Michael Schumacher used the Pirelli P Zero Yellow soft tire, which has been nominated together with the P Zero White medium tire, to set the fastest time of the day during the second free practice session on Friday in China. Continue Reading →
Another writing rock star: Frank Lloyd Wright
To accomplish his architectural feats, Frank Lloyd Wright needed something we all need: a blueprint. Or the writing equivalent, an outline.A brilliant architect with an endless imagination, Frank Lloyd Wright designed by his own rules, in harmony with the environment around him. He had the vision to see what was possible, and the perseverance to see it through. Continue Reading →
I asked Pete to take some images as he worked in his shop… and it’s evident just how much work goes into one of this stunning instruments. To learn more about Pete, you can visit his website: Hilton Guitars… Continue Reading →
Even wonder what was involved in lighting an exotic car? well here ya go – Blair Bunting, photo hotshot extraordinaire goes into great detail cluing us in to how he does it and just what it does (and doesnt) take!
Do you have a trip that you’ve always wanted to take and are always looking for info about? Is there that one road you want to ride from one end to the other? Some people are fortunate enough to be able to arrange things to make these rides happen, and some of us keep on dreaming. If things go right, it happens, but we have to handle the things that we’ve accepted responsibility for first. Until then we keep on dreaming and planning, and the dream I keep having is to ride Route 66 from Chicago to California. Continue Reading →
Join Baker Drivetrain at the Power Sports Institute main campus in Cleveland Ohio in Saturday April 21, 2012 for a full day Drivetrain Seminar with Bert and the BAKER Crew. This will be a very comprehensive hands-on seminar covering every aspect of V-Twin Drivetrain technology. Continue Reading →
This is the final round in this set
I asked Pete to take some images as he worked in his shop… and it’s evident just how much work goes into one of this stunning instruments. To learn more about Pete, you can visit his website: Hilton Guitars…
Continue Reading →
To keep us well fed, happy, healthy and wise we’ve asked Chef Tiana to clue us in when it comes to what we should and shouldn’t put in our mouths. Seems to the 45dgree brain trust that we’ve left it to Packaged Goods Corporations and advertisers to tell us what we should and shouldt be eating…. and well…. does that really make sense? – steveb
Tri-Tip aka….bottom sirloin butt or triangle roast, is a nicely marbled tender and very flavorful cut of beef. For many years Tri-Tip was ground into hamburger or cubed for soup meat at the butcher shop. This was because there’s only one Tri-Tip per side of cow, so butchers didn’t want to use up the space in the display case. Yet today this overlooked cut of beef has made a come back , especially here in California, where the majority of Tri-Tips are shipped. Continue Reading →
The ability to express yourself with the written word is critical, especially in the digital universe. 45dgree is always on the hunt for new contributors and talent and we regularly (here) hear “I can’t write”, p’shaw we say and so we connected with an old friend and award winning writer, Mark Bellusci to hep us put the matter in perspective and give us some tips about how to make writing an enjoyable experience! – stephen berner/45dgree
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This is the final round in this set
I asked Pete to take some images as he worked in his shop… and it’s evident just how much work goes into one of this stunning instruments. To learn more about Pete, you can visit his website: Hilton Guitars… Continue Reading →
Manufacturer’s are learning that when a product is submitted to 45dgree for use & review – it gets used & reviewed. We are not going to simply tell our viewers that the part/product was installed with “no problem ” and worked “great” (and what does that really mean?) unless it did.
Nope, 45dgree ain’t playing that lame game…… Manufacturer’s deserve more thoughtfulness applied to these editorial communications and we feel our viewers absolutely deserve more truthfulness and information than what is served up by those on a never ending swag hunt.
Yea, we are changing it up, and it’s about time, ya think?
So, with all that said and out of the way, I’d like to report on how the BAKER Drivetrain DD7 has worked for me over the year since it was installed at Rosa’s Cycles by the man himself, Bert Baker (with some help from Professor Kenny). Continue Reading →
Sepang, Malaysia, March 25, 2012 – This year, the GP2 Series benefits from new tire rules designed to mirror those in Formula One, with drivers having a choice of a softer and a harder compound for the first time. Continue Reading →
So I’ve been getting a few orders for the mid controls lately at TPJ so I figured why not a little tech article on installation. When I made these mids up I wanted something that can take a beating and make your ride way more comfortable. Continue Reading →
What you see here is a carved bronze shifter knob. When I say carved, I mean that literally. I start out with a block of solid bronze billet. The next stage takes about 3 hours using a heavy rotary file. This stage is all about getting the basic shape
10 hours in, the inside has been hollowed out and I have switched to a smaller file setup. After 15 hours the final details are complete the most tedious, such as the skull cracks, teeth detail, and fragile face area. I am now using a file with a cutting head so small it is barely visible. The final piece is polished and acid etched. -L
This is the fourth round in this set
I asked Pete to take some images as he worked in his shop… and it’s evident just how much work goes into one of this stunning instruments. To learn more about Pete, you can visit his website: Hilton Guitars… Continue Reading →
Not keeping current will make you stand out like this righteous ride!
We advocate for getting smarter are 45dgree. We do not side with the dumb. In the world of 45dgree we do not hide and we don’t blame others when things go off the rails. We own our lives, because at our core, we are bikeriders, so it is “on us” to get smart and stay smart and most of all to stay current in a world where change is a hydraulic, relentless force in our lives. Continue Reading →
This is the third round in this set
I asked Pete to take some images as he worked in his shop… and it’s evident just how much work goes into one of this stunning instruments. To learn more about Pete, you can visit his website: Hilton Guitars… Continue Reading →
Soot particles: The microscopic structure of a layer of soot, shown here in an image from an electron microscope, provides a template for a new oil-repelling coating.
This is the second round in this set
I asked Pete to take some images as he worked in his shop… and it’s evident just how much work goes into one of this stunning instruments. To learn more about Pete, you can visit his website: Hilton Guitars… Continue Reading →
Paul Holdsworth/Daytona 2010 – doing great work while on the road…..
We love 99%, it’s a well done, insight packed blog, with insights from people who get stuff done….and i mean, get stuff done. Continue Reading →
We are happy to have Pete Hilton contributing some “how it’s made” type content. Pete is one of the top Luthiers in the US and we are really quite lucky to have him sharing some of time and knowledge – he is a generous guy. Continue Reading →
It is pretty safe bet to say that everyone has their own opinion of what camshaft dynamics should be used for a particular engines style and function … kind of like cooks in a kitchen … take 15 cooks and ask them to all cook the same thing and you will get 15 different tastes, some really good and some that flat out suck! Continue Reading →
We got this image from one of our top secret operatives in Nor Cal. Details to follow.
If you’ve got a bike with a 39mm Narrow Glide front end (Dyna or Sportster) and want to have a proportionate fairing that has the capability of providing musical entertainment and protection from the elements, Hoppe Industries has just what you’re looking for. John Hoppe has come up with an awesome fairing that is a simple “plug ‘n play” item once installed. You can simply plug in any device with a 3.5mm mini jack (like an iPod ‘Shuffle’) and you’re set for miles of polka music, self-improvement recordings (that’s what I need!) maybe even a little rock ‘n roll! Continue Reading →
A check of the paperwork revealed that a few weeks ago, literally 13 years to the day that I first got the front end for my FXR back from Race Tech, I ‘d sent it in again – for the same thing – a soup to nuts rebuild. The truth is, if you keep a machine long enough, you will wind up going back over your original work, refreshing some of your modifications… because most everything on an older machine is a ‘wear” item and in time will require replacement. Continue Reading →
Tips and techniques to mount your tank
Now that you have your fully welded tank, we can move on the all the little details like filler neck, petcock bung, tunnel, and tank mounts. I like to do the tunnel first because you have to see where your tank will sit to determine where the highest and lowest points will be. Continue Reading →
Photos and words by Doug Wozney of DOUGZ Custom
If you own one of the Motor Company’s batwing fairing’d touring models you’ve most likely ‘tuned up’ the sound at the rear of the bike already. Now how’d you like to do some ‘tuning up’ in the front as well? Enter Hogtunes 902.2 AA speakers and their HF-1 Dash trim/Tweeter pod. Here is an unbeatable combination of great looks, great fit, and sound quality like you’ve never experienced on two wheels. Continue Reading →
By Steve “Posie” Pfaff
It is pretty safe bet to say that everyone has their own opinion of what camshaft dynamics should be used for a particular engines style and function … kind of like cooks in a kitchen … Continue Reading →
In this installment we’re going to discuss the polishing process. Sometimes you get dust or dirt nibs in your final clear coats. If you want a show quality finish, you should consider taking it that last step.
Sometimes you just want to get rid of that “orange peel”. That’s the term used to describe the paint surface that has mild surface texture to it. Most ” orange peel” is caused by low gun pressure, lack of adequate reducers to thin it down, or both. Continue Reading →
Gasket Installation Techniques and Considerations
In these tough economic times, many riders are choosing to service their bikes at home rather than take them to their local shop or dealership. This can be a way to save a few bucks on labor. Keep in mind though, a qualified mechanic at a reputable shop will back his or her work which will give you piece of mind down the road, if your skills are sketchy. Continue Reading →
I’m Kirk Taylor and my shop, Custom Design Studios, has been in business since 1988. We started by satisfying the needs of the motorcycle community because there weren’t many good, reliable painters in this area. Now, by way of background, I grew up in a machine shop where Pops was making Springer and Girder front ends back in the 70′s – so to dispel a common myth… I’m not just a bike painter. I do complete custom fabrication work, ground up customs and just about everything in between, including service – to pay the landlord. Continue Reading →
I was looking for substance and innovation in regards to Dresser products at the VTwin Expo in Cincinnati. I had seen a press release from Custom Cycle Engineering, Rick Whitehead’s company touting a new product, a beefed up, redesigned FL triple tree and so, was drawn to Rick ’s booth at the VTwin Expo, the place where the trade is introduced to new product and gets to learn about some of the how and why’s behind the what. Continue Reading →
All of the important steps in prepping your machine for this install are outlined in the service manual and in the excellent documentation that BAKER suppliers with the trans – and you’d be well served to follow them if you are feeling ambitious and are inclined to tackle this project yourself. Continue Reading →
