 March 2008
Mystery Bike
American Iron Magazine has been one of my main reading materials since the mid-'90s. You have wonderful authors with sound reporting of information vital for riders, such as riding procedures, maintenance, upgrades, and accessories. Thanks for having such a professional staff.
One question, though. Normally, the bikes on your covers have four or five words with them telling what they are and articles in the magazines about them. On the cover of your 2007 American Iron Buyers Guide is a gorgeous custom with an S&S engine. Every time I pick up the mag (it's in the bathroom, so it's perused at least daily) I look for, but cannot find, a description of this bike anywhere! It's driving me crazy. Please, let me sit restfully and read in peace. What is the bike on the cover of your '07 Buyers Guide?
Jim W.
Via Internet
Our apologies, Jim. It was not our intent to disturb your throne time. You are right, of course. We usually tell our readers what’s on the cover, but didn’t in that issue. (Sam will be blamed for that, even though he had nothing to do with it.) To answer your question (plea?), that bike is built by Bourget’s Bike Works in Phoenix, Arizona, and it is just one of the models offered by Bourget’s.
Hopefully, you can now be at peace. -- Chris
Made In The USA?I’ve been riding Harleys and reading AIM for about 10 years. The letter from Mike Stankus in the October 2007 issue about foreign-made Harley-Davidson products got me to thinking.
It bothers me to find Genuine Harley-Davidson shirts or jackets with a label inside showing a bald (American?) eagle holding a banner that reads “AN AMERICAN LEGEND,” right under which it says “Made in Hong Kong.” Even more annoying was a Harley jacket patch with an eagle and an American flag on it that stated “Made in Taiwan.”
I, too, thought about writing a letter to the company complaining about this, but I didn’t think it would change anything. As long as foreign-made products sell and make money for the company, the dealers will stock those items in their stores.
I realize we live in a global economy, but it is my personal preference to purchase motorcycle parts, accessories, and apparel that are “Made in the USA” if possible. If anyone out there feels the same, please take the time to find out where an item is made before you buy it. Check the T-shirt label or turn over the shot glass and look at the little sticker before you hand over your money. Products that do not sell will not be stocked on dealer shelves, no matter where they are made.
P.S. to J&P Cycles: Thanks for marking the “Made in the USA” products in your catalog, it really helps with the aftermarket purchase decisions.
Jim Skimerhorn
Bloomingdale, Illinois
Starter Switch Glitches
This letter is in response to your letter from Chuck Westlake, September 2007 issue. I own a 2002 Springer Softail with just over 1,100 miles. In the past year I have gone through three starter switches, one of which worked for all of 700 miles. The starter came on when the bike was running and would not disconnect. Surely, in this day and age, someone could design a switch that could last the age of the motorcycle. Cars can do it! Does anyone have any ideas? A friend of mine has a Triumph motorcycle with more than 74,000 miles. They seem to give no bother.
Stuart R. Graham
Newtownards, County Down
Northern Ireland
Bear Naked
I subscribe to AIM and am wondering what’s going on. In Snaps, you won’t put a half-naked lady named Jayne on page 160, but you will put a half naked guy named Bear on page 166. This was in the October 2007 issue. I was just wondering if I was missing something, maybe the mag is going through some changes?
Dave
Fairfield, California
No worries, Dave. We just felt it was time to put one in for the ladies.
Questionable Compression
I have been seriously contemplating upgrading my ride and was happy to receive my November issue with your H-D 2008 specs. However, being torn between the FLHT and the FLHR, I needed to do a side-by-side comparison of the two scoots. After removing page 75 and folding page 74 in half, I now had a good side-by-side comparison. That's when I saw that the compression ratio for the FLHR was 8.9:1 and all the rest of the bikes with the Twin Cam 96 had compression ratios at 9.2:1. Is this correct?
Keep up the great work, love the rag!
Jack Rommes
Via Internet
After reading “Keep up the great work, love the rag!”, the last thing we want to tell you is that we screwed up. The compression ratio for the FLHR is not 8.9:1. It’s the same as the rest of the bikes with the Twin Cam 96 motor: 9.2:1. Sorry about that, Jack. It was all Sam’s fault, as usual.
Ride Her Own
Just wanted to say I get American Iron Magazine every month and have done so for years. This is the best magazine I have found and it has some real good information in it. Keep up the good work.
I was reading an article in the November issue, “Ride Her Own” by Debbie. I bought my wife Kim a 2006 Heritage Softail Classic last Mother’s Day. She is only 5’ tall and I had a 2” lowering kit installed on the back, leaving the front as is. This did allow her to touch the ground but not easily. Later, I got her the deep sundowner seat, which lowered her down another inch. Now she has no trouble at all. So Debbie, when you get that new bigger bike, you might want to think of doing the same.
I think it's a good thing that the ladies are getting more into riding their own. I enjoy riding together with Kim. We spend more time, just the two of us, riding. A lot of the people we ride with only get the weekends off. I work overseas 28 days on and 28 days off. So Kim and I get some good riding time in together.
Jeff DiMauro
Jonesville, Louisiana
2004 Engine Noise
In the November issue, John has a knocking sound in his ‘04 Road King. I have an ‘04 Fat Boy, and at 2,000 miles it started making a noise like metal hitting metal when I was going up hill under load or down the highway at around 70 mph. My dealer could never hear the noise either. At 25,000 miles (after the warranty was up), I was talking to a mechanic at another dealership. He took the oil filter off and took it apart; it had metal in it. He pulled the cams, and in the front cam that goes into the case bearing there was a 0.250” area with no machining on it or any other marks. The oil pump had also been chewing at the cam plate. He talked to Harley for quite awhile and they finally replaced the cams, bearings, oil pump, and cam plate. Since it was out of warranty I paid the labor. If your dealer can't find the problem or duplicate it, find another dealer that will fix it. Not all of them could care less about you. Now I go the 100 miles out of my way to go to the other dealer.
Mike
Via internet
Splitter Bolts
I tried your splitter bolts idea in the exhaust pipes for more midrange torque. Wow it worked with 3/8” bolt, but my 2003 FI Road King with a Stage 1 down load, high-flow-air-cleaner-equipped Twin Cam 88 rattled at WOT (wide open throttle). When I changed to 1/4", it was too small and I lost rpm at the midrange (3000 to 5000 rpm), but 5/16” worked well, with only a slight motor rattle and it improved torque as measured by a seat-of-pants dyno. Thanks!
Ken
Via Internet
All For Maps
Concerning Genevieve’s column in the November issue, just one word: Amen! All the new toys are great and fun, but I’m afraid that, like the youngsters who can no longer do relatively simple math calculations due to the use of calculators, it won’t be long before we can’t find our way from Jacktown, Oklahoma, to Red Lodge, Montana, if the battery goes dead. Just the ramblings of an old-time cross-country rider who maybe is a little tech unfriendly: I’ve seen the loss of a lot of human ability because we tend to lean on the little electronic box too much. Keep up the great stuff!
John Dennis
Electrical Supervisor
Via Internet
Index Guide
For years, I have read where people want a yearly index guide. Today most people have computers and can make their own index. I have folders on my computer that are specific to items that are helpful to me (Fat Boy, Dyna, V-Rod, Corvette, trains, electronics, etc). I use this system because I get many magazines, and I need to discard them after awhile. This way I don't throw away anything I'll need later, and I don't end up with piles that I no longer need.
Bill Intelisano
Altamonte Springs, Florida
Blowing Hot & ColdChris, I read your column in the December issue of American Iron with great interest. I was a medic at the Love Ride this year and I think hypothermia and hyperthermia are two important issues that motorcyclists must look at when traveling long distances. Hypothermia and hyperthermia are cousins and possibly siblings. The common denominator between these two is not being fully hydrated. The body can maintain its temperature fairly well in hot or cold weather conditions if hydrated. If not, you will experience exactly the symptoms you describe: lack of muscle coordination and control, becoming mentally altered (a medic term meaning you're just not yourself), and nausea sometimes accompanies the other symptoms. Always have several bottles of water and/or sports drinks in your saddlebags or backpack. Beer and coffee will only make you urinate out more than you drank in, and then you have the potential to be in even worse shape. Yeah, having to pull over to the side of the road before your bladder explodes may be a little inconvenient, but so is having your name on the back of a T-shirt saying "In memory of ..."
Steve R. Jackson
Via Internet
Trailers
Genevieve, just finished reading your article in the new issue of American Iron; good job! You ride alone, and that’s great, and traveling by yourself, you can pack most everything for one person on your own bike. Traveling two-up is another story. My girl and I have been from North Bay, Ontario, Canada, to Key West Florida, and we could not have done it without our trailer. It does make traveling so much easier. If you need something along the way, you just lift the lid; you don't have to go pulling your tour bag apart on the back of your bike. The model I have cost me no more than a stock Harley Tour-Pak, and I have at least five times the room in it. Also, you can’t even tell you’re pulling it. There are two other things I’ve noticed about trailers. First, the bike is a lot harder to steal with the trailer locked on the back. Second, if you stay somewhere for a few days (say a rally or other large gathering of fellow bikers), you can take the trailer off, lock it up, and your parking space is there when you come back. But a brother biker would never take your spot, now would he? No never!
John S. Richards
Attleboro, Massachusetts
Adirondacks
Buzz -- I read your article, and agree with you about the Adirondacks having some of the best scenery in the US. I try to get a few rides in each year. I wanted to read the article by Don Gomo that was supposed to be in the January issue but I couldn't find it.
Jeff Eckler
Cobleskill, New York
Jeff, by the time you read this you will have already seen that it was in the February issue.
S&S Flathead
While at Sturgis this year I took the opportunity to visit the S&S booth -- a wonderful display of American craftsmanship by a great American company. Much to my surprise, the stars were, for me at least, not the show-polished 124” powerhouses. What fascinated me were two new/old classics: a gorgeous flathead and Knuckle motor built to S&S standards. I've included a picture of the flathead for your review. If I understood the S&S staff correctly, these two will soon join the S&S Pan (shown on page 31 of AIM's December edition) in the S&S line up.
I've always relied upon AIM's product assessments and tech articles to inform my bike-related decisions. I would very much appreciate it if you would apply your usual thoroughness to an assessment of these two new engines. What a hoot it would be to build a classic chop or bobber around one of these motors.
Marshall Reed
Steilacoom, Washington
Marshall, we’re hoping to do just that. We’ll keep you posted.
Bearing-Less Cam Plate
A month --or two or three -- ago Donny Petersen did an article wherein he stated that Harley was manufacturing the 96" without bearings in certain stages of the engine or maybe it was the tranny; can this be true? If so, can you give me the issue date of that article?
Blyter
Via internet
That was in the October 2007 issue. The part is the camshaft support plate, which used to have a roller and a ball bearing for the outer end of the front and rear cams. H-D now uses what is called parent-material bearings, which means there is no bearing or bushing between the spinning part (the cam) and the supporting part (the cam support plate). The cam runs in the plate with oil being the barrier between the two.
1957 Panhead
I’m another one of your long-time subscribers that waits patiently for my issue of AIM to arrive in the mail. I look forward to the old bikes that Jim Babchak covers, especially the Panheads. I am the proud owner of a restored 1958 FLH. I have to tell you that although the article and photos of Pete Esposito's beautiful 1957 FLH are what I have come to expect from you guys, I was somewhat disappointed that there were no photos of the left side. Otherwise another great issue.
Bob Scott
Via Internet
Yeah, we blew it that time. Normally we never run a bike without both sides, but we just didn’t get any shots of the full left side that were usable. However, we still wanted to run the bike so |
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