Beanie On A Greenie
Hey, Chris, just wanted to let you know I enjoyed your review of Senior's Greenie. Looks like a sweet ride! I was actually writing to you because I was wondering what helmet you are wearing in the opening shot on the bike. I'm having a hard time finding a DOT helmet that doesn't give the mushroom look. I'd really appreciate any direction you could provide me.
Josh
Phoenix, Arizona
That helmet is made by Advanced Carbon, but it’s not DOT-approved. However, they also make an approved one that is slightly wider, but doesn’t look like a mushroom. You can reach them at 800/300-9813 or www.CarbonFiberHelmets.com. -- Chris Magnussen-Moss Act
In the January ‘08 Hog Helpline, the last question was from a guy with a 2005 Road King. A dealer told him if he put a Power Commander on his bike it would void the warranty and American Iron agreed with that. What is your knowledge of the Magnussen-Moss warranty act? It's my understanding that, as a part of this act, aftermarket parts do not void the warranty unless the parts can be proven to have caused the problem. I know a lot of dealers are scaring their customers into using only genuine Harley parts by throwing this voided warranty threat at them and I hope AIM would not support this kind of scare tactic. Please tell me if I am wrong.
Brett Logan
Kansas City, Missouri
Brett, the M-M Act pertains only to replacement parts that meet the OE standards. A warranty cannot be voided because you put different tires on the bike, for example, as long as they are the proper size, speed rating, etc. A Power Commander is an add-on component, so it is not covered under this act. -- Chris Ridin' In Weather
Gen, nice article in AIM about weather and riding in it. Makes me think of the times when I should not have been in 27-degree weather riding at 60 mph with a 10-mph wind in my face. Figure the wind chill on that one! Anyway, we do have a nice day once a month or so in Colorado when it is winter. Only the brave or foolish ones go out in it. Has to do with needing a ride.
Hugh Warren
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Two Snivels And An Attaboy
My first snivel is that Maurice LeBlanc is sitting on a 1945 WL not a Knucklehead; my second snivel is that your article on the 1928 factory Hillclimber stated that Harry Molenaar’s Harley-Davidson dealership is in Hammond, Illinois. Actually it is in Hammond, Indiana. I should know as I worked for him for 15 years, on and off. Molenaar also had a blue ’28 factory racer, which we used to ice-race on Wolfe and Indiana Lakes at LaPorte, Indiana. The Tokyo Drift is nothing; try the Indiana Ice Drift (ice racing on a chained up FR). I don’t know how I lived to be this old. I often wonder what happened to all the old pictures that were stashed in boxes in the Loafers Area of his shop. He left them for all to look through. There were some great pictures in that stash.
I’m curious to know if Dale got Harry’s 1941 Knucklehead sidecar rig with the two-piece cylinders, designed and built by the late Harry Snuggs. Man, that thing could really run. With a rider and a passenger in the hack, it could outrun the average two-wheeler.
Molenaar also had a red trike rig powered by a 61” Knucklehead, which he used to haul scrap to the junkyard every three months. Getting scrap there with this rig was a trip. It would not stop well with a ton of scrap metal loaded on it. The rear end was a Model-A Ford modified to sit between the Knuck rear frame rails to drive another rear end that sat under the trike itself; all of this ran off of a modified chain sprocket, which ran to the transmission. Molenaar’s did the tune-up on Evel Knievel’s Sportsters before his Chicago jump in the mid ‘60s. Harry would not let us test-drive the bikes to verify our tune-up work. (Hummmm, I wonder why?) I could tell you a lot about Harry, and his factory connections. We would travel to Milwaukee every Wednesday to pickup motorcycles and parts. Harry’s brother Al owned the Indian dealership in south Chicago, which, if I’m not mistaken, is where South-Side Harley started after Indian went bankrupt. My thanks to Harry Molenaar for allowing us punks to invade his shop. He was a great teacher, and he enjoyed watching what we kids (at the time) would come up with for entertainment. He stirred our minds to get us to think outside of what is.
Old Man Bob
Sunrise, Florida
Yeah, we know about the flathead. Screwed up another one! And thanks for the info about Harry Molenaar. Sounds like a very cool guy. Reader Submissions
I have an idea for your magazine. When heading to events like Gettysburg Bike Week, try meeting up with local riders to find out where to eat, where to find the best back roads, and maybe snap some photos of home garage shops. You might be surprised at what you find. It could be a new section or just a feature article, but, whatever the case, we have some fine riding, food, and people in the area that would be happy to help out. You could also just have the readers send in photos, riding routes, and destinations from all over the country. Every year riders plan trips, let’s help them out. And let’s face it, there are a lot of mom-and-pop places that don't get the recognition they deserve. I also think we have seen enough professional, high-dollar bikes and shops for awhile; it's getting old.
Brad Meushaw
Via Internet
We’ve been asking for readers to send in great local places to stop, but we haven’t gotten anything back. I’ve put it in my column at least three times over the last couple of years. If you got ‘em, send ‘em in! Unfortunately, we can’t stop in to visit with readers when we’re riding to an event, though we’d like to, due to time constraints. (Bummer!) As for the customs, we put in bikes of all kinds and price ranges. The ones you don’t like, others do. Do you want to know how many times I hear “Don’t put in any more of that old crap” or “Why did you put in a basically stock bike? I can see that at the bar down the street.” Our take on it is that there’s room for all, folks. -- Chris Another For Genevieve
Genevieve, due to being on holiday, I have only just received and read the December’07 edition of AIM, and have just finished reading your article contained therein. I feel compelled to write to you to express my support for your opinions.
I have enjoyed Harley-Davidsons for the past 17 years. During this time I have only owned two Harleys: a 1935 R model and a 1984 Wide Glide. Well, I am finally in a position to purchase a new Harley, so I took a couple of the 2007 models for a test ride. Now, whilst I admit that they are nice rides, I find that they are lacking the substance that (in my opinion) defines a Harley. That substance is the raw essence of the 45-degree V-twin. This is where our opinions diverge somewhat: in the reasons why we like what we like. For you, it seems to be the pragmatic side; for me it is the experience.
Anyway, after riding the 2007 bikes, I felt they were just a little bit undifferentiated from the crowd. In fact, without the name on the tank you could be fooled into thinking they were churned out by foreign marquees (although they never get the styling queues right). In the Motor Company’s defense, however, I acknowledge that this change is being brought about by the ever-tightening EPA regulations. There are only so many restrictions you can place on manufacturers before their products all feel the same.
There is an upshot to this story. I managed to take a friend’s 1994 FXSTC for a ride (a model I have been in love with for a long time) and I realized that the Evo-powered models give me what I want. I get all the rawness I desire in a Harley, but I get reliability if the bike is looked after correctly.
So, in support of your article, just because it’s the newest bike on the market doesn’t necessarily mean it is the best bike for a particular person. Consequently, those with the new bikes should not look down their noses at those with the older ones.
Bill Hambly-Clark
Via Internet
Okay, One More For Gen
Genevieve, first of all, I'd like to say that it's great to have another female contributor at AIM. Women influence so much of a man's life, even when we don't acknowledge it, and it's good to have a woman's opinion available without having to ask for it.
I just read your column in the February’08 issue about weather junkies. I live in south Florida, so right now, I'm enjoying the cool weather -- it's only 85 degrees today! I also don't own a car, which you might think is no big deal in the subtropics. Well, let me remind you that south Florida (south of Lake Okeechobee) is mostly drained swampland. Summer is not just hot and humid; it's also our rainy season. I've never been to Montana, so I don't know what kind of rain you get there, but summer in south Florida is brutal! You can tell the time by when the rain starts. Our rain drops are the size of marbles, and they feel like marbles when you get caught on the interstate in a torrential downpour! Winter is our “dry” season. That doesn't mean it doesn't rain, just that it rains less. Our average monthly rainfall in winter is about 3", whereas in the summer it could be 6". Also, our cold weather comes in two- to three-day bursts in the 40-degree range.
Yes, I check the weather daily. Several times a day in the summer. Does that make me a weather junkie? Well, let me put it this way: I don't own a car. If I have to go somewhere and it's raining, I just get wet. Oh yeah, I ride a not-so-softail-style bike with no bags.
Tito Jimenez
Florida
Frame Lock Facts
Thank you for the wonderful article about the Frame Lock on page 133 in the January ’08 issue of American Iron Magazine. I would, however, like to address a couple of things so that people better understand the product. The article states that the pin is made of stainless steel, but it is actually manufactured from steel and then coated with clear zinc. The article recommends using tie-down straps to keep the front forks from moving from side to side or to use the fork lock. We do not recommend any type of tie-down straps or wheel chocks with this system! We recommend just using the fork lock on all models except the Touring models. Our product testing has shown that when leaving the front fork unlocked and straight on any Touring-model motorcycle, the front fork will not move from side to side when the motorcycle is being transported using our product. The article suggests using two people when installing or removing the pin, but we have found that using one person for this task is actually easier than using multiple people. The president of our company is 53 years old, 5’7”, weighs 155 pounds, and can load and unload his 2003 Screamin’ Eagle Road King by himself in a matter of just a few minutes. I hope this helps people understand our product better. If anyone has any questions or would like more information on Frame Lock please contact us at 608/254-8158 or
www.FrameLock.com.
Mike Meinhardt
DRM Industries Corp.
Lake Delton, Wisconsin
May 2008 
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