News Briefs

 

Since the introduction of the Dream D-Type in 1949, Honda's 70th anniversary of motorcycle mass-production has also marked the company's 400 million-unit milestone for global motorcycle production. Honda was founded in 1948 and began mass-production of motorcycles at its first overseas production facility in Belgium in 1963. Since then, Honda has expanded its production globally in accordance with its fundamental principle of producing locally where there is demand, currently producing motorcycles from 50 cc commuters to 1,800 cc models at 35 facilities in 21 countries. Honda began motorcycle production in North America in 1979.

An analysis by Bloomberg suggests that even after the U.S. administration's latest China trade deal, in 2019 dollar terms losses from China tariffs translated to $134 billion in lost GDP. Bloomberg is projecting that China tariffs will cost the American economy $316 billion by the end of 2020.

Indian Motorcycle has issued a recall for certain 2019 Chieftain, Vintage, Roadmaster, Dark Horse, Springfield and FTR1200 motorcycles. Up to 5,474 units may be affected - a 10A circuit breaker can trip, causing the engine to stall.

 

KTM (Pierer Mobility AG) has announced record KTM Group sales in 2019 - increasing to 280,099 motorcycles (+7%) (KTM and Husqvarna). 2019 also saw integration of production of the Girona, Spain based Trials bike specialist GasGas into the Group as a third motorcycle brand, alongside WP Suspension and German E-Bike manufacturer Pexco GmbH. This was a 9th consecutive year of growth for the part Bajaj Auto owned Austrian manufacturer. Bajaj is India's second largest PTW manufacturer and engaged in a non-equity collaborative partnership with British manufacturer Triumph to bring Triumph badged middleweights to the Asian market.

 

H-D is recalling some 12,624 2019-2020 FLHTCUTG and FLRT Trike motorcycles related to a potential traction control system fault.

"Approximately 100 percent" of tariff costs have fallen onto Americans, new research shows. The U.S. administration has claimed that China and other nations have paid the tariffs levied on thousands of products over the past two years, but according to a new National Bureau of Economic Research paper "approximately 100 percent" of those costs have fallen onto American buyers. The paper, which uses customs data through October 2019, reflects a series of similar independent findings that have been published over the past year.

 

The MIC Government Relations Office continues its work "to protect all kinds of motorcycles, including electric motorcycles. Last year we were successful in striking or reducing proposed fees for electric motorcycles in Iowa and North Dakota," said Scott Schloegel, MIC Senior VP of Gov't Relations. "We will continue to work with other states to reduce fees, benefiting customers and dealers as interest in electric motorcycles continues to rise." The MIC has long advocated for the inclusion of electric motorcycles in state EV incentive legislation, and for the reduction or elimination of additional fees imposed on electric motorcycles.

The global sales of driving protection gear roughly equates to revenues worth US$ 7 billion, and will remain concentrated in helmets (a third of revenues), according to a new study of Future Market Insights (FMI). The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that the correct helmet usage can lead to -42% reduction in fatal injuries and -69% reduction in head injuries. Gloves and armor are expected to be significant growth areas in the next decade.

AFT and Dunlop

Dunlop and AFT Expand Partnership, Reveal New Spec Tire

AFT and Dunlop have announced another multi-year renewal to the long-term partnership between "America's original extreme sport and the premier manufacturer of motorcycle tires in North America."

Continuing on as the Official AFT Tire, Dunlop also announced the development of the first new flat track tire in 40 years - the DT4 - as the new spec tire for the series; all riders in all three AFT classes will be competing on the DT4 in 2020.
"We are delighted to continue our association with Dunlop," said Michael Lock, CEO of American Flat Track. "Their R&D and manufacturing here in the USA is an important advantage for us and has resulted in a brand new tire for our sport. Better durability, more rider confidence and a superior performance envelope give the promise of even better racing in AFT in 2020."
The DT3 has long been the benchmark for professional and amateur flat track racing alike, but the DT4 will feature all-new tread patterns for front and rear tires and is engineered to be used without tubes. The DT4 will be made available in all current DT3 tire compounds, allowing racers to match tire setup to specific track conditions on race day.
"I did some testing early on with the new compounds," said multi-time champion and member of the Indian Motorcycle Wrecking Crew Jared Mees. "I liked what I felt - they felt good, really consistent."
The 2020 AFT series will get under way at Daytona, March 14, at the legendary Daytona International Speedway with its first-ever doubleheader - the Daytona 200 and Daytona TT.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle

Zen and the Art of Apple Pie

For a generation of 'Boomers', Robert M. Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was 'right up there' with Kerouac's On the Road and Dennis Hopper's Easy Rider as one of the quintessential road trip references for cultural insights into the evolution of post war American society.

The novel was more about trying to make sense of the changing world around him and prescient analysis of the effect of machines and technology it was than simply the joys of the open road and wind in your hair. More Stockhausen than Steppenwolf!
The 1966 Honda Superhawk that featured in his book is to find a final resting place in the Smithsonian Collections certainly made me feel nostalgic - specifically in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

Published in 1974 and subtitled as "An Inquiry into Values," the book featured a round trip Pirsig made from Minneapolis/St Paul to San Francisco and back with his then 11 year old son Chris in 1968.
The restored bike is being gifted to the Smithsonian by Pirsig's widow Wendy, along with Pirsig’s leather jacket, maps, shop manual and other gear from the 1968 ride, a manuscript copy and signed first edition of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and Pirsig’s favorite toolboxes with tools for maintaining his bike and other vehicles as well as tools he made himself.
As someone who has done his own fair share of the 'hard miles' criss-crossing the United States, my abiding take-away from the book is Pirsig's account of how the portions of apple pie got bigger, nicer and less expensive the further west he travelled!

Drag Specialties

Drag Specialties Additions

EZ-On Solo Seats for '18-'20 FLFB/FLFBS

 
The EZ-On solo seat from Drag Specialties features an internal rubber mount/stud system that allows for easy installation and removal with no tools required.  Made from high-quality automotive-grade vinyl, with select seats featuring solar-reflective leather in the seating area and automotive-grade vinyl on the sides.  All seats have molded, flexible urethane foam interiors for maximum comfort and styling.  Seat is made narrower up front, has a 3/16" ABS thermoformed seat base for a perfect fit and a fully carpeted bottom with rubber bumpers to protect paint.  Available in Smooth vinyl, Smooth solar-reflective leather, Scorpion stitch, black thread and Scorpion stitch, silver thread; compatible with fender skins (sold separately).

Frame-Mounted Heat Deflectors

 
These heat deflectors mount to the frame just under the front of the seat and direct heat away from the rider. They have a tough black plastic construction and are easy to install with all hardware included.  Sold in pairs and available for '09-'16 FLHT/FLHR/FLHX/FLTRX and H-D FL Trike models (not for use with CoolFlow fan).

18" Touring Ape Hangers

 
These ape hangers have seamless 1" steel tubing that is notched for electronic throttle control, slotted for internal wiring and knurled.  They feature an 18" end rise, 32" width, 8" center width and 6" pullback, and are available in chrome or gloss black for '08-'13 FLHT/FLHX and FLHTCUTG models. 

Brake/Mechanical Clutch Control Kit

 
Featuring OEM-style clamps and a matte black finish, the master cylinders accept OEM-style rebuild kits and have clearance for all 1 1/4" handlebars.  It fits '08-'13 FLHX/FLHT/FLTR/FLHR models with a 15 mm master cylinder. 

3 3/8" Programmable Electronic Speedometers

 
Programmable for easy calibration, these 3 3/8" electronic speedometers can replace a wide variety of OEM units. Features include a digital odometer with trip reset, OEM-style gauge indicator lights, a black face with black bezel and they are available in mph or kmh.  Installation requires splicing of wires, and the mileage cannot be reset on speedometers.  It gits '95-'98 FXD/XL models and universal/custom applications. 

DRAG SPECIALTIES
www.dragspecialties.com

Custom Chrome Europe

CCE Additions

Ness Teardrop Style Turn Signal

 
This teardrop style turn signal features 24 hi-intensity LED bulbs in a CNC-machined billet aluminum housing with a smoked lens. The teardrop design measures 1" in diameter by 1 1/2" long; the fluted design, also seen here, is 1" in diameter by 1 3/8". Each light includes a 5/16 in-24 threaded stud. Available in chrome or black anodized.

Ness Billet Bullet Fluted LED Turn Signals

 
Featuring 24 hi-intensity LED bulbs, housings are CNC-machined from billet aluminum with a smoked lens, the fluted design measures 1" in diameter x 1 3/8". Each dual filament light includes a 5/16"-24 threaded stud; available in black anodized or chrome finish.

OEM Style Spoke Wheels

 
These stock replacement 40-spoke tube type wheel assemblies are available in chrome or black powder-coat finish for most OEM replacement applications - fronts from 16" x 3.00" to 19" x 2.15" with 19" x 2.5" and 17" x 4.50" also available; rears from 16" x 3.00" to 17" x 4.50" with 19" x 2.5" and 21" x 2.15" also available. Features include pre-installed bearings; options include with or without ABS.

CUSTOM CHROME EUROPE
www.custom-chrome-europe.com

Wiseco

Wiseco Tracker Series H-D Big Bore Pistons

Wiseco says that its new Tracker Series pistons have been created "to provide a featured, high-performance forged piston option at a more affordable price that is available in various overbore and compression ratio options."
Development on the new Tracker Series began at the end of 2017, with manufacturing having kicked off around April this year. "The hurdle was to find a balance between performance and price - our engineers have succeeded by blending classic piston manufacturing processes with state-of-the-art techniques."

Wiseco offers fully featured high-performance pistons, such as the Black Edition line, but found it was missing a featured performance piston at a mid-level price point. The new Tracker Series piston line is engineered to fill that gap - "a featured, high-performance piston offering for Evo, Twin Cam and Sportsters at a more affordable price point."

 

Near-Net Shape Forging
"The major challenge in this project was to decrease the end cost to the consumer. That's where near-net shape forging came into play," says Wiseco engineer Dave Sulecki.
"Near-net shape forging is where we form most of the geometry on the top of the piston - it is built-in at the forging process. The crown and the valve pockets are forged into the part. Those areas are machined in most other piston manufacturing processes. 
"You forge out the aluminum and get the slug, then you have to machine all of that metal away to get the valve pockets and the crown to achieve whatever specific design you're trying to hit, or the specific compression ratio you are looking for. At Wiseco we are forging those features directly into the piston. When our near-net forged pistons come off the presses they need less finishing and machining as they go through the factory. The whole crown area comes right off the press and looks like a finished product. It's a really unique way to form a piston."
Sulecki says that upon inspection, "it doesn't take a metallurgist to realize that different processes were utilized during construction of a Tracker Series piston. The mirror-like sheen of the machined area is offset by the textured surface of the forged aluminum left during near-net shape forging. Those visual differences are also noticeable on the underside of the piston.   

The forgings for Tracker Series pistons have crown features designed into them - so when the piston is forged, valve pockets and any other crown designs are already complete, requiring no additional machining.

 

The valve pockets show a forged aluminum finish because they required no machining. Other features, such as the oil drain backs, are also forged into the part instead of machined, to keep the cost down.

Aligned Grain Flow
"One of the upsides to near-net shape forging is that it gives the piston added strength, since the features are being forged in. This process allows the aluminum to flow through the features of the piston with an aligned grain flow. That grain flow condenses the aluminum for better fatigue strength and overall durability.

Wiseco says that "as with all our pistons, the forging process aligns the grain structure of the aluminum to provide improved tensile strength.

"The other upside, of course, is the cost compared to the combined forging and machining needed for piston ranges like our Black Edition series and ArmorPlating featured pistons. Those cost savings trickle directly down to the consumer - a Tracker Series piston is roughly $80-$100 (at retail value) less than the higher price point offerings."

Feature-Rich
Aside from outstanding durability and a very attractive price point, Wiseco says that the Tracker Series piston "has a secret weapon in the performance department. ArmorGlide is our solution to reducing friction and is applied to the skirt, and we take it a step further by emblazoning our logo into the dry-film lubricant. 

ArmorGlide skirt coating is a proprietary dry-film lubricant designed to reduce friction and operation noise for the life of the piston.

"Wiseco spared no expense in the Tracker Series piston kit," Sulecki states. "V-twin riders are getting nearly the same level of features, but with less cost on our side, so we can pass the savings on to the end user."
Premium rings are supplied with each piston, with Wiseco using a new high-tension 3 mm oil ring set in Twin Cam applications. "That is really important in that market because we can control oil consumption in the engine. The premium rings, wrist pin and circlips are also found in our Sportster and EVO (Evolution) applications. It pays that we know our audience. We found that the majority of V-twin owners wanted to not only increase the displacement of their engine, but also raise compression. The Tracker Series pistons accomplish both.
"One of our most popular kits for the Twin Cam engine takes it from the stock 96-cubic inch to the 103-cubic inch size," explains Sulecki. "You can increase the stock bore without having to bore the crankcases. Simply bore the cylinder, install the piston, get a bump in compression, and you're at 103 cubic inches.
"Not only that, but we also offer a 106-cubic inch piston option for the Harley-Davidson Twin Cam engine."

 A new high-tension 3 mm oil ring set is supplied with Tracker pistons for Twin Cam, Sportster and EVO models. "Oil consumption control is an important performance consideration in the V-twin market."

One of the most popular Twin Cam kits is the overbore to 103 ci - available through the Tracker Series in multiple compression ratios; 10.5:1 pictured here.

"Bumping up an 883 Sportster to 1200 cc is a popular mod among Sportster riders. Tracker pistons are available for these kits in both 9.5:1 and 10:1 compression ratios."

EVO - Flat Top Vs. Domed
If you have an EVO generation engine, then Sulecki says that "thanks to the Tracker piston, you have the choice between a flat top or a domed piston. The flat top piston has an 8.5:1 compression ratio, which is for a standard application. The domed piston is the higher performance offering with a beefy 10:1 ratio."

The Tracker Series also offers a choice of options for EVO riders - a stock compression 8.5:1 (shown here) and a 10:1.

The Wiseco Tracker Series "provides a featured performance piston that improves reliability for less than a premium price point. Tracker piston kits come complete with wrist pin, rings and circlips.

Increased Displacement
Wiseco says that its number one selling piston in the V-twin market is the Sportster big bore piston kit that takes the stock 883 cc engine up to 1200 cc. "That's a lot of power for a small-scale package - upsizing offers a nice increase in performance. The customer has the choice of stepping up to a slightly higher 9.5:1 compression ratio or going 'whole hog' with the 10:1 ratio. The latter option is preferred in the burgeoning Flat Track series and with Hooligan bike builders and tuners."

WISECO PISTON INC.
www.wiseco.com

Baker Drivetrain

Baker Factory 5-Speed Kicker

Never short of a stimulating point of view, Bert Baker of Haslett, MI., based Baker Drivetrain fame says that "we all know bolt on kicker kits are nothing new, but over the years many have come and gone for one common reason: they all relied on a ratchet hub or shaft extension that screwed on to the end of the mainshaft in place of the 3/4-16 nyloc jam nut. They all eventually broke for the same reason - the end of the mainshaft snapped off.

"Our BAKER F5K kicker kits use a ratchet hub that presses onto the shank of the mainshaft, then the outer diameter of the ratchet hub presses into the over-sized trap door bearing.  The ratchet hub is effectively located and secured from moving by the over-sized door bearing. The F5K is designed to fit on bikes fitted with our Direct Drive 5-Speed or Factory 5-Speed bikes."
They are manufactured with a heavy duty 6061-T6 all billet aluminum construction bearing door and kicker cover, 8620 steel heat treated press-in-mainshaft hub and retainer, heavy duty stainless steel straight kick arm and bronze kick pedal with 5/8" spindle. Transmission case removal from the bike is not required for installation.
The hydraulic type kits come with 1.5" piston; a 11/16" bore master cylinder is required for matched compatibility. Cable type kits come with ball ramp actuator. They are compatible with the factory electric starter, for kick and electric start; the bearing trap door and kicker cover come pre-assembled for quick installation.  There are three different trap door finish options.
Backed by Baker's 2 year unlimited warranty, 1989-1999 factory 5-speeds and direct drive 5-speeds, and 1999-2006 factory 5-speeds will not clear the factory exhaust; fuel injection models will need to be converted to carburettor; Twin Cam models will need an ignition retrofit to either a cam type sensor or a magneto.

BAKER DRIVETRAIN
www.bakerdrivetrain.com

Brock’s Performance

Upside-Down fork Triple Trees for Dyna, FXR, XL

With triple trees from Brock’s Performance, "installing sport-bike fork assemblies in a Harley-Davidson becomes a straightforward bolt-on project." Cut from 6061 T6 billet aluminum, the triple trees are designed to mate a set of Hayabusa fork tubes with Harley-Davidson Dynas, FXRs and Sportsters. A reversible lower triple tree and available fork extensions make it easy to adjust the ride height.

"If you’re looking for quicker turn-in, faster stopping, improved handling in the twisties and overall improved riding performance, a set of upside-down forks with the matching rotors and calipers should be at the top of your list. By sourcing the fork assembly carefully, the whole project can be done on a budget."

They include a stainless stem and zinc-coated steel jam nut and use 1 inch standard H-D tapered bearings and seals. The lower tree is threaded for fork stops and headlight bracket and the upper tree is taped for headlight eyebrow. They accept handlebars with 3.5" spacing, have a cutout for routing wires and brake lines and are spaced for Hayabusa wheels, calipers and rotors.

BROCK’S PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS
www.brocksperformance.com