It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Subscribe to our Patreon, and get image uploads with no ads on the site!
Base theme by DesignModo & ported to Powered by Vanilla by Chris Ireland, modified by the "theFB" team.
Comments
Studio: https://www.voltperoctave.com
Music: https://www.euclideancircuits.com
Me: https://www.jamesrichmond.com
Football is rubbish.
Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
I'm tough on bikes, winters in the Welsh mountains are pretty harsh, and I use bikes for work and for holidays. Hondas have the best rep for finish quality, but I wear them out in an average of two years - I mean literally scrap them.
Harleys are only toys if you want the chrome to stay shiney, but if tinsel doesn't interest you they're much tougher than most others, including BMWs.
Hi
my Harley is a rather special. it's an exact replica of one of the bikes in Easy rider (the Billy Bike, as ridden by Dennis Hopper). This is the film that got me into bikes when I was still at school, so I was really pleased to find it. It's absolutely beautiful and I love it to death. Steppenwolf's 'Born to be wild' plays in your head as you ride along. As it was built from scratch by a custom shop all the chrome is high quality English chrome, so it is far more durable than a new factory built HD. (the finish really is crap on those motorcycles).
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m199/jeffsilvaire/100_1582.jpg
The photo of my Harley appears to have become distorted when I tried to attach it. I'll try again
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m199/jeffsilvaire/100_1582.jpg
Studio: https://www.voltperoctave.com
Music: https://www.euclideancircuits.com
Me: https://www.jamesrichmond.com
Football is rubbish.
My ride ! its actually road legal but seeing as it dont have an ignition key or steering lock etc, I only use it to go from green lane to green lane etc..
The young do not know enough to be prudent, therefore they attempt the impossible - and achieve it, generation after generation.
Thanks for the positive comments regarding my Easy Rider Harley. it really is a fantastic bike, and it's the only motorcycle I've ever owned that attracts non-biker women, who seem to desperately want a ride on it. However it is kickstart only (with an engine close to 1400cc!) and this does cause some problems. Here's a post I posted on facebook describing my problems:
Christine the Harley?As some of you know, I have been having hours of fun trying to start my Easy Rider replica Harley Davidson. Like the bike in the film, it is kick-start only and is not fitted with one of those new fangled electric sta...rters. This is all well and good, but unfortunately Harley's are made for your typical, 16 stone, Big Mac loving American. I weigh 12.5 stone and to frank, the harley laughs at me when I try to start it!
I was watching the classic Stephen King film, Christine ,the other night. You know the one - the 1950's car that is possessed by evil spirits and does all sorts of dasterdly deeds while its speedometer runs backwards and the car gets newer the more it is driven. In one part of the film Christine won't start and is sulking because the hero has a new girlfriend. In the end Arnie talks sweetly to Christine and strokes the dashboard and Christine promptly starts!
Hmmm interesting... Christine is a 1958 Plymouth Fury. My Harley was made in 1958. Christine is bright red. My Harley is bright red. I bet you know where this is going! So this afternoon I started the bike and rode it down to Eccleshall. I should point out it will always start at home in the garage, but always refuses to start when it is warm - particulary if there is an audience. I parked outside the Bell in Eccleshall and sat at the bar and had a few pints of Peroni (my favourite drink at the moment!).
After a couple of hours in the pub I finally plucked up courage to go out to the bike and try and start it. Sure enough everyone in the pub came out to watch me (it's just that sort of bike). I did all the normal things, primed the carb by kicking it through with the ignition off, set the choke just right, set the throttle just open by one eigth, and finally brought the engine over to top dead cente with the kickstart. These are the things I always do, and the Harley normally refuses to start until I have sweated blood, swear & tears for half an hour and the audience is falling about laughing at me. This time I did something different.. As I was going through the usuall pre-starting ritual I was whispering to the Harley under my breath, telling it how much I loved it and how I was going to polish it when we got home. While I was saying these things I was lovingly stroking it's petrol tank. Well the big moment came and what do you think happened? It started!!! Oh joy - I can't tell you how pleased I was!
If the film is to be believed I guess that means my soul is lost forever. A small price to pay for looking cool when I come out of the pub methinks. In the film Christine also goes out on it's own to kill and maime the people that have wronged Arnie. Perhaps the Harley will go on a little ride tonight? I hope it goes looking for Simon Cowell?
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m199/jeffsilvaire/100_1231_zps38d57a06.jpg
There's certainly not much from 1958 on it, maybe the rear hub? H-D stopped making wishbone frames in late '54, a '58 would have a swingarm with straight legs. That's not to say yours is an earlier frame, it's far more likely to be a recent replica by Paughco or someone similar, check the top motormount stamps.
The transmission maybe be a much later ratchet top, though the mousetrap is a good sign.
The engine is an '84-'99 Evolution engine, or possibly even a later crate motor from the factory. There's nothing 50s about it, it has Xzotic Cycle fake Panhead generator and rocker covers.
This is probably the crux of your starting issue. Evo motors are soft starters, but the stock electronic ignition needs a fast spin before it even triggers, and a kicker will barely do it. If it's not a stock module find out what it is, it may have a kicker setting on a micro switch.
If not, the cheapest way to sort it is with a '70-up points conversion, you'd need a new coil too.
I can't see what carb is on it, if it's a Keihin CV you might get away with kick-only, but they still need a tweak or two.
Unless you've built some kind of monster, most H-Ds (except magneto XLCHs) are pretty easy starters, if yours isn't, get it fixed, or you'll forever be cursed by the "same number of kicks as spectators" rule!
Hi
I realise it's not really a '58 (this was just a little poetic licence to make the Facebook post more amusing!), although the frame is definitely a genuine HD wishbone frame. The bike was built to duplicate the Billy Bike used in Easy Rider - which was itself a collection of parts from many different bikes and also some custom made parts. The builders had to study stills from the film to obtain all the details.
The engine was a brand new Evo unit with a Panhead dress up kit. The ignition system is electronic, but is designed to function with a kickstart.
In truth, I though all these details would be a little too deep (possibly even boring!) for a guitar forum.
The bike is hard to start. I have owned many kickstart bikes in the past, including Triumph's, Norton's & BSA's, but the Billy Bike is definitely the hardest. The biggest issue is that I have had to learn to start it with my left leg as my right leg was injured twice in motorcycle accidents and is not strong enough.
Left leg starting is an art in itself isn't it?I've had to start practising that myself as my right knee is pretty well knackered from 30 winters on bikes. If yours is ok when cold though I'd imagine a few carb tweaks should make it easier when hot.
Whatchya got on it? It is a cool bike btw, always preferred the Billy bike, that was the one which grabbed me when I first saw the movie too
Studio: https://www.voltperoctave.com
Music: https://www.euclideancircuits.com
Me: https://www.jamesrichmond.com
Football is rubbish.
http://www.sportsdirect.com/images/products/75203701_l.jpg