Hermetically Sealed
Buzz, I read your Shifting Gears column, and I have to tell you how much I enjoyed it. It was titled Keep Your Harley Humming; I learned a few things. After a 35-year hiatus, I need all the help I can get. The days of fixing your bike with a bobby pin and a matchbook cover are gone. And, yes, I got my old Knucklehead going one night with just those two items. Keep the information coming. It’s great.
Here is a picture of my new ’08 Heritage. Right now it’s in a bubble in my garage. Some of my buddies laughed when they saw it inside the Harley bubble, but I hope it will be just as pristine in spring as it was the day I zipped it up.
JJ BarKan
Mount Prospect, IL
Harleys On Ice
Chris, it was with great interest that I read the Harleys on Ice article by Robert Mads Anderson in the February issue. I rode a Harley in Iceland from Harley-Davidson of Iceland on August 6, 2004. I was on a company trip with a former employer, and I walked three miles to the Harley-Davidson shop only to find out that some military personnel had just cleaned the shop of T-shirts and other collectibles. After talking with the manager, Sigurzter Pair Sigustssa (at least that’s the best I can read his signature), he agreed to send a coffee cup and a T-shirt back to my home address in the States.
At the time, he did not rent bikes; however, after a lengthy conversation, I rented a 2001 Police Special. I was in heaven and had the time of my life that day. The manager was so excited upon my return that he drafted a certificate on Harley-Davidson Iceland letterhead that states that I was the first US private citizen to ride a Harley in the country of Iceland. I hung it proudly in my trophy room. We get lots of “Ye can’t beat that” stories from it.
Dan
Via Internet
Full Headdress
I did a bit of work on my wayah na ayosdi ugodidi ustiganvnv (wolf that seeks many paths) so that I can better evade high-speed pursuit or keep up on the interstates where the Q-tips (big-haired old women) are pushing 80 mph in their huge cages. I added a cassette player so that I can hear my native powwow tunes as I travel across my land.
The strange thing about this FLHT/I is that when I was raising hell on my 1967 XLCH, I said, as a self-respecting biker, I would rather be dead than ride a garbage wagon (full dresser), but look at me now. You just never can say never.
My first three issues of
American Iron, including the premier issue, were sent to me as a HOG member. That was it, no more issues. I had thought you guys folded until I bought a 1999 FXST based on a review I read in the August ’99 issue. In tribal council, we figured if a magazine had that much of an influence on our purchases, we had better subscribe. There have been seven more H-D purchases based on
American Iron Magazine reviews. All issues of
AIM are archived for us, and our future ani yvwiya generations.
If you can remember the 1980s, things were a might bit confusing, as they were in the late 1970s when I graduated from a sidewalk commando to biker. Congratulations on your 20th!
GreyWolf, Wolf Clan
Northeastern Cherokee Indians
What! No Sporty?
Hey! I just got my February issue. Every other month, I go straight to the table of contents to see what’s in Sportster Corner and Hot XL. This month, under Hot XL is the Rat Hole WLA bobber. What gives? Granted the bobber is cool, but it damn sure isn’t a Sporty. Are you guys having trouble finding cool Sportsters to include in your mag or what? There are a lot of us who don’t have the money for a Big Twin and like to see cool Sportys in our favorite rag, so hook us up! Also in response to a letter in that month’s Sportster Corner: dude, you need to go to your local Harley shop and get a catalog or get on the web. I don’t know what planet you’re on, but there is a ton of stuff out there for the new Sportys! As for mine, it was built at home by my wife and me. Under $10,000 was spent (including the bike)! Try that with a Big Twin! Still love the mag though!
Dusty Pine
Terre Haute, IN
Dusty, though we put the wrong bike in the Hot XL section, there is a Sportster in that issue as always. It’s that month’s Classic American Iron bike: a 1960 XLH. Keeping A Cool Head
I’ve been reading Donny’s articles on the 110" problems with great interest. Since we as customers are demanding more power (bigger cubes), and more importantly, the EPA is mandating increasingly lean air-fuel mixtures, I think we have just about exploited the air-cooled, pushrod, two-valve V-twin to the max.
As much as I hate to say it, we old-school guys may have to get used to
seeing those pushrod tubes go away and a radiator hanging out front on our new Harleys, lest we spend most of our time alongside the road, broken down. (Yes, I also have resisted the V-Rod, but it works well.) Having both a Harley dresser and an Asian V-twin, I can tell you which one is more efficient, and it’s not the one that sounds better.
As a pilot of piston-engine airplanes, I can directly control the air-fuel
mixture, and we pilots run our air-cooled engines very rich to keep them cool and alive. In fact, we’re advised to not lean turbocharged engines at all in the climb to thinner air, despite what the book says.
I have learned that the aluminum alloy used in cylinder heads for aircraft engines loses half of its tensile strength at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, so we’re advised to keep CHTs below 380 degrees. It would be interesting to see Donny and company install CHT gauges on various post-Shovel Harley rear cylinders to see how they do, especially the 110". I do recall some Shovels having CHT gauges.
Joe
Via Internet
Sidewalk Commando
I just finished reading Don Gomo’s Safety Skills in the March issue. He gives good advice, talking about riding in and around New York City. I rode there for years before moving out West. I’ll take a cactus over concrete nowadays. I feel he left out the biggest advantage of a motorcycle in the big city: it’s easy to park it anywhere. You don’t need a parking space. Most any sidewalk will do fine. I preferred to take my motorcycle to NYC because I could park it right where I needed to go.
Jay Slezak
Tooele, UT
Sorry to inform you, Jay, that is no longer allowed in the Big Apple. Sidewalk parking gets you a very expansive spot at the impound yard. XL Heat & Rattles
As the owner of an Ironhead Sportster (1969 XLCH) and also the recent
purchaser of a 2003 XL1200C, I have suggestions for a couple of people who wrote in to the February issue.
For Jerry, San Antonio, Texas: my old Ironhead (and therefore iron cylinder) will also cruise at 60-65 mph all day. Exceed that, and it will overheat to the extent of back firing into the exhaust. I completely rebuilt this engine two years ago. I’ve tried timing, loosening the valves, and changing fuel. It’s a hot-running engine and will stay that way. My newer bike, being geared higher and made of aluminum where it counts, doesn’t do that.
For Gordon, via Internet: try pressing your finger on top of the pivot pin for the clutch handle. That’s what’s causing the noise on my 2003 XL1200C. I haven’t done anything for it except ignore it for the time being. Tough to find; I about crashed the bike looking for it.
John Ludwig
Milan, IL
Hits Home
Genevieve, I just wanted to say I enjoy reading your column in AIM. And the one you wrote about guys trying to make their wives or girlfriends ride like they do really hit home ’cause that’s what I was doing. We bought my wife an 883 Sporty for her first bike in July of 2004, and in August she rode to Sturgis. In December of 2006, I bought her a 2005 Big Dog Chopper; I have a 2005 Ridgeback. Thanks for the insight.
Patrick MacVittie
Via Internet
Head Trip
Just read your product review of Head Trip in the February issue. I’m glad you guys (take that as gender neutral) discovered my favorite helmet of some years and thousands of miles. But there’s more to that story, lots more!
When I first got my ACC helmet, Black Candy metalflake, it was rounder than my head. I called ACC and whined. ACC had me ship it back, so it could reshape the helmet and sent it back to me. Had to do it a second time, then it fit perfectly — like it was made just for my big, pointed head. All this at no cost to me! But wait, there’s more!
Last month, I broadsided a school bus and totaled my Road King. (Ask me no questions, and I’ll tell you no lies.) The helmet, with my head inside, ate some blacktop. I sent it back to ACC, which repaired it, reshaped it again, sent it back to me, and charged me nothing. Zilch. Nada.
I love the helmet. It sparkles in light, any kind of light: headlights, sunlight. It’s as light as a leather driving cap, which I wear as a liner underneath, and it separates my head from pavement. I wouldn’t be caught, er, alive, in any other helmet.
By the way, I got a Fat Boy a week after the wreck. (My bride made me up my life insurance before I rode again.) So if you’re in the upcountry of South Carolina and see a dumb-looking guy with a sparkly head on a Fat Boy — look out! You’d better wear a helmet! I highly recommend Head Trip helmets.
Bikabill
Easley, SC
Boardin’
Regarding a question about a 2006 XL 883L: the writer refers to his wife’s desire to have floorboards installed. Front floorboards can be installed; I’ve had it done. Here’s how: I purchased a set of chrome classic floorboards (#DC 27-0917 ) from Debrix Cycles. The first installation resulted in the floorboard being too close to the forward control shift lever. I took the floorboard set to a machine shop to make a new set of mounting hardware without positioning holes. Then I took the floorboards to a custom motorcycle shop for fitting, so the floorboards are at an angle that’s comfortable and allows my boot to fit between the floorboard and shifter. The shop drilled the holes appropriate for the angle desired, and mounted the floorboards to the bike in place of the original pegs. I’m sure you knew this could be done; just thought you’d like to know how I did it. I couldn’t accept that the H-D dealers in my area said it couldn’t be done.
Rodney Hurt
Murray, KY
Totally Tubular
Gents, you describe the Dirico on page 100 in the March issue as having a “hand-built DOM mild-steel, single-downtube skeleton.” I seem to count two downtubes in the pictures.
Steven Kastell
Manalapan, NJ
Yup, there are two. Geez, I hate it when we do that! — Chris
Queen Of The Road
Just sitting at home on a 9-degree-Fahrenheit day in New Jersey, and
reading the new
AIM before getting ready to leave for the NYC bike show. I came across the letter from Steve from the United Kingdom about his 90-year-old friend Amy and her enjoyment of his bike. Well, my
84-year-old Aunt Nancy from Arizona was visiting my wife and me this past September, and as soon as we picked her up at the airport, all she would talk about was going for a ride on my chariot. Within hours of her arriving at my house, she was looking at my 2006 Road King and just itching to get on. She did, and enjoyed it so much that she sent the photo to all her friends and family as a Christmas card. It just goes to show you, that no matter how young or old, some people just love to ride.
Bill Castiglione
Via Internet
Cleaning Chrome
I found a great cleaning product for chrome; the guys at Vance & Hines turned me on to it. I was on my way to a photo shoot with my posse when we got into a little rain, so when we got to the location, we all broke out the microfiber towels and started shining. As soon as I touched my exhaust heat shield with the towel it melted and left a residue. I was bummed; I had just installed a set of Vance & Hines True Duals.
I tried everything I could think of to remove the residue: lacquer thinner, mineral sprits, alcohol, chrome cleaner — anything that did not have grit in it — and nothing worked. I gave up and called Vance & Hines to see if I could buy just the heat shield. V&H suggested that before I spend the money to try Easy-Off oven cleaner, so I did. To my amazement, it worked great. I used the instructions for cold cleaning on the can, which is to leave the stuff on the pipe overnight. I got to thinking if it worked for the pipes, it would probably work to remove the road tar on the mufflers as well, and it did. I don’t know if this is news to you, but it was to me, and I thought if this experience could help others, I should pass it along.
On a different note, I remember reading something about a Mexico ride in 2010. I would be interested!
Kevin Haugen
Vancouver, WA
Thanks for the heads up, Kevin! And, yes, in 2010 I’ll be riding across the border into Mexico for a big shindig in Mazatlan with the crew from Steel Thunder Outfitters. You can read all about it on its web site: www.SteelThunderOutfitters.com. Definitely come along; it’ll be a blast, and the guys from STO always make my trips in Mexico hassle free.
AIM 
June 2009 Letters 
Linear Mode
