Cincy V-Twin Expo Pics

[DarthRider]

Hey boys -
I just got back from a 5 day biz trip to Cincy and I thought I'd send you some of my images from that industry/dealer show. This is the largest of the "American V-Twin Shows" with nearly 500 exhibitors and I'd guess several thousand attendees from around the world.
I'll spare you the things I think you would not be interested in and focus on the things I was most interested in, or just liked for some reason.
Most of this will not be your "cup o' java" but you really do have to appreciate some of the engineering, design and styling of some of the stand-outs.
All of these are available in a larger image size, should anyone want to see more detail.
Apologies for many of the images that are just not up to par...we have a new company camera I am learning how to use. My pilot buddies would call this "cockpit trouble!"
Here goes:

An S&S Cycle powered drag bike. S&S Cycle's engines "look like" HD but they are not..they are better.
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55519998-L.jpg

Turbocharged V-Rod drag bike.
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520000-L.jpg

Kind of a cool looking "old school" bobber/chopper.
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520002-L.jpg

An "old school" bobber.
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520006-L.jpg

Torque anyone? Yes, it's real!
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520009-L.jpg

Custom Panhead...high performance.
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520012-L.jpg

Another hot-rod Panhead with tranny...these are even heavier than they look!
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520013-L.jpg

A hot-rod Knucklehead from the same guy. These are cool...
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520016-L.jpg

This was my 2nd favorite bike there...a custom by Roger Goldhamer that has won all kinds of awards for engineering, design & innovativeness. It's a big twin "single" with a turbocharger. It is a pure showbike, not really intended to be ridden but it has been ridden and is entirely functional, including the front suspension. It is entirely hand-built and is a true work of art. Some of the "old/new school" board-tracker design is being incorporated into some pure street bikes...can you say "Torque-to-weight ratio?"
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520024-L.jpg

Another view:
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520022-L.jpg

Look at the *incredible* handwork! Look at Roger's hi-performance tennis-shoe in the background!
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520063-L.jpg

Functional beer-wagon.
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520028-L.jpg

Cobra Exhaust custom/bobber with hot-rod car touches...ridden regularly.
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520031-L.jpg

Seriously bad-ass drag bike, not sure what class. See following 2 pics for more.
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520042-L.jpg

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520039-L.jpg

Totally scratch-built drag motor from this bike...take a long look at this!
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520034-L.jpg

Top Fuel dragster.
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520044-L.jpg

Another scratch built race motor...the "260"? Cubic inches of course!
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520046-L.jpg

I'll sue!!
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520050-L.jpg

Flat-head power for the one-legged man!
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520053-L.jpg

Pretty custom V-Rod with a big motor. Kinda cool...
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520056-L.jpg

This ad poster just knocked me out! Ever ridden you Indian Power Plus up a telephone pole? This is a real pic of an old hillclimber/flat-tracker. http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520058-L.jpg

The Late, Great(HA!) Indian Larry's bike with the frame & forks welded up out of chain...really. Don't ask me why..."just because you can doesn't mean you should." Motor's pretty cool though...
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520066-L.jpg

I guess I better break this into 2 parts...not sure how many large images we can put on 1 page?
More to follow...
Dave

[Sir Limpsalot]

at it, the workmanship/detailing/finish on that lot are just superb! Not normally my thing of course these "luncheon meat" bikes, but beautifully done.
Thanks Dave.
Si

[DarthRider]

OK, here we go again! How much V-Twin action can you stand?!

Now here is a really cool one! This is Revolution Engineering's carbon fiber bike. The frame & chassis are 100% carbon fiber except for a few steel bearing mounts, axle holders, aluminum fuel & oil tank liners, etc. It weighs 26 lbs. with the steel parts and axles mounted! The complete bike weighs 365 lbs. dry. Their CH wheels weigh 6 lbs. Go as bad as you want with the motor. It will run and is intended to be a rider, although just bar-hopper duty obviously.
A great example of some of the technology coming out of the V-Twin custom scene. This tech will make it's way into 100% useful road bikes.
Nope, no seat cushion!
Wish I had taken more pics of this one.
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520071-L.jpg

Now here's a mind blower...this is a functional concept bike with a 124" TP motor and a car roots type supercharger! It burns alcohol and makes about 400 HP. It uses a modified car clutch and has 3 big butterfly valve breathers in the front of that hump-snout. It is just to showcase some of the technology in their street "pro-stock" style bikes. 2 more pics to follow.
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520077-L.jpg

Check the safety wire pattern on the header heat-wrap.
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520079-L.jpg

Look at the clutch. Don't get your finger in that belt Bubba!
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520081-L.jpg

Old school Shovelhead bobber/hotrod.
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520082-L.jpg

This was a way-cool functional Yamaha custom...didn't get a lot of attention from the HD Faithful. 1 pic to follow.
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520087-L.jpg

Oh yeah...
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520089-L.jpg

I likes it!
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520098-L.jpg

Another Cobra show/concept bike. This "new school/board tracker" is 100% functional but does not get ridden. Neat. 1 to follow.
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520102-L.jpg

How clean can you get?
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520106-L.jpg

Another "old school chopper". This dipshit was looking me right in the eye when he stepped into my shot and straddled the bike. Effin' moron. I didn't like the bike well enough to re-shoot.
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520108-L.jpg

The DJ Department:
A couple of our Umbrella Girls showing off a couple of our new "Bike-In-a-Box" kit bikes. This one has an S&S Evo style motor and is sort of a "modern/retro" rigid springer. "Aces High".
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520111-L.jpg

Same bike, another Little Chickadee...I love the Umbrella Girls!
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520124-L.jpg

This is our other new kit bike, S&S Shovelhead style motor, rigid "old school bobber". "The Rockabilly Rod". This bike has won a couple of awards already and is brand new. This is the non-running prototype. Of our 7 kit bikes, this is the one I'd like to build, it's really pretty cool!
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520117-L.jpg

Same chick, same bike.
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520122-L.jpg

And finally..."The Dave Howe Best of Show" bike...the one I'd take if I could have anything from the show: The Storz Performance XR1200 Sportster conversion. This is Steve Storz in the pic, an old flat-tracker doing great in the aftermarket making & selling high performance suspension, brake & body parts for late model Hardley Ablesons. This bike is really, really trick with an off-the-charts cool factor. Go Steve!
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520092-L.jpg


Part of my terrible job at this show was to take the Umbrella Girls to lunch everyday...can you believe they would make me do that?
What *I* can't believe is they actually pay me to do this!
Oh well...

Dave

[DarthRider]

Hey Si -

I understand what you're saying and agree about 95%, but I don't understand what a "luncheon meat bike" is??
Enlighten me, my Limey Bro!

Dave

[Dallara]

Hey, Dave...

Who made this trick Yamaha Warrior rig?

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/55520089-L.jpg


Thanks!

Allan (Dallara)

[DarthRider]

A custom builder named Roland Sands.
Pretty cool, huh?

Dave

[DJ Down Under]

Fantastic pictures Dave...thanks...I'm going back for a second look...:023:

DJ

[TorqueMonsterMT-01]

Good job Dave. I too have trouble believing that someone pays you for this work. I guess this falls in the category "Someone has to do it....".

The Storz XR has long been a favorite of mine. I had a chance to ride one of his earlier bikes in the early 90s. The XR is a great concept that all riders would enjoy. Yes, the fuel tank is small and there is no room to carry anything, but the fun factor is off the scale.

That Yamaha bike looks like a familiar concept, although I can't remember where I experienced something similar.

Anyway, I like the brunette.

Keep up the good work!

Regards,
Jeff

BTW. How does your boss do your yearly review?

Took hot chicks to lunch. Check.
Drooled over some cool bikes. Check.
Tolerated some expensive, but pretty curb furniture. Check.
Resisted the urge to kick the shit out of some asshole that stepped into a photo op. Check.

You get a raise!

[DarthRider]

Jeff, you knock me out!

Yeppers...pretty much spot on on the works stuff & perfromance review.
All except the "Get raise" part!

Ditto on the XR thing. I was seriously considering getting a new rubber mount Sporty 1200 and building one of these...until I added up about $21,000 including the donor bike with me doing the work! And that doesn't include engine mods. Then I discovered the new "Speedies" at way less than half that. Hoochie Mama!

Steve will be happy to do you a turnkey job, just like the showbike...for $25K & change!

Why are all the best bikes Jay Leno Specials?

I'm still dreamin' though...and it takes very little to make a HD motor a lot faster...and I think I can borrow from my retirement plan...and I'm pretty sure Miz Betty would be all for it...and...and...

Dave

[TorqueMonsterMT-01]

Yeppers...pretty much spot on on the works stuff & perfromance review.
All except the "Get raise" part!

Dave, I'll be happy to make your boss an offer he can't refuse. I'm sure you would have a nice bonus within the week.

And just for fun, i'd be glad to kick the crap out of the guy who looked you in the eye and stepped into your photo. He deserves a good ol' country ass whoopin' just for wearing that shirt, but a direct challenge to one of my bros makes it mandatory.

I can't claim to have won all of my fights, but my lack of fear (AKA stupidity) gives me an instant advantage.

Saludos,
Jeff

[DarthRider]

I'll warn my boss!

Dave

[jamming]

Dave...what would it cost ME to do YOUR job? Jeez, I have 100 people a day demand my time, and I have to be nice too! :076: AND..not one of them is as cute as the umbrella girls. I'm counting down the days until 25 years is up. I like my job, but hey, I don't get to go to bike shows OR take hotties to lunch.
Soon, 397 days....Roger

[DarthRider]

Well Rog, it's not quite as rosy as all that but this is the most fun job I've ever had...and the lowest paying one in 20 years or so! But will do quite nicely for the 10 3/4 months I have to go until retirement!
Maybe after we're both retired we can meet in the middle, go to Dean-O's place and mooch off of him for a few months?

Dave

[socalrob]

Darth,

Great post. How much for that last "bike in a box"?

What would be really fun to build would be something more like the new Triumph Scrambler, but with easy to work on older tech. I don't know, but it does sound fun to build a bike from a kit, just would be nice to want to / be able to really ride it.

[MidlifeMark]

What happened to the other pics? After the first one I just see captions.

[Deans BMW]

Every one is welcome to come up for a visit and Mooch Away.

[DarthRider]

Rob -
I'll get you some info on "The Rockabilly Rod".

Mark -
The images open OK both at home and at work...they are large, hi-res images and are slow loaders, maybe they just weren't done?

Dave

[arkline]

Love that "board tracker". Denny Berg? Was in Cycle World a couple of years ago. Its a clean machine, for shore.

And I'm still trying to figure out the relationship that Storz and Ceriani have. Does he design the forks and triple trees and they make them or what? That Harley has a Mert vibe about it I really like. Just not enough jingle in my jeans to make something like that happen, but one may pine away for want of some things...:icon_cool: Or not...

[DarthRider]

Ron -
"Board Tracker"...? You mean the red & silver Cobra custom?
I think it was Denny Berg but they didn't have the builder's name on it so not sure.
Storz & Ceriani -
As I understand it, Steve became friends with Senor Ceriani when he (and everyone else!) was using Ceriani forks back in the 70's.
Steve started selling Ceriani's when he opened his company, then became exclusive distributor. Now I *think* he either owns or licenses the brand and has them made at the same factory. I think Sr. Ceriani is now retired.
Some guesswork here but not much.
Most if not all of the Ceriani stuff now is HD oriented...Sr. Ceriani must love *that*!

Dave

[arkline]

Dave,

Yup, that Cobra custom is a Denny Berg. Supposed to evoke the feeling of the old time board trackers from the teens and twenties of the previous century. Almost every year Cycle World gets Cobra (and hence Denny Berg) to build a nifty custom job like that. I like his work a lot since he's got some interesting ideas, he generally works the metric cruiser front, and he's not too far over the edge (you could prolly ride his customs farther than to the next bar). Smooth stuff.

[Dallara]

Thanks, Dave!

Just took a look at Roland Sands' website, and he makes some pretty cool stuff... Not really in the normal *chopper* genre at all. Does some stuff with Yamaha R-1's and Hayabusa's, too, though most of his bikes are H-D powered.

It's a damn Macromedia Flash site so I couldn't snag any images from there to post here, but I did manage to Google some up...

http://www.thebeerguys.com/Kahuna/ROLAND%20SANDS%201.JPG

http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/bike/slideshows/roundfour/finalbikes/gallery/sands_500x275.jpg

http://www.hrroadhouse.com/builders/roland%20sands/smaller/dsc_0056.jpg

http://www.hrroadhouse.com/builders/roland%20sands/smaller/dscn0128.jpg


But most interesting of all is that Roland Sands is one hell of a rider...

How good is he?

He was AMA 250 GP Champion in 1998! He also shares the most wins in the class with Eddie Lawson. He retired from racing in 2002.

Here's a pic of him at Daytona one year...

http://www.agvsport.com/2002/racers/roland1.jpg

He now also does bike tests and evaluations for www.motorcycle.com (http://www.motorcycle.com) , and he obviously has fun doing it...

http://www.motorcycle.com/mo/mccompare/99_600s/mcphotos/600shootout16.jpg

http://www.motorcycle.com/mo/mccompare/99_600s/mcphotos/600shootout43.jpg


You will find some very interesting reading at his *blog* site, too...

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=29908952


Not your average, every day custom bike builder, eh?

Thanks again, Dave!

Allan (Dallara)

[arkline]

Roland is also the son of Perry Sands, owner of Performance Machines. Its in his blood.

[DarthRider]

Yep, he's a hell of a rider and it shows in his designs & builds.
You'll notice I didn't waste any pixels or our time with the "bar-hopper" stuff...except for a few that were exceptional in some way.
I have to say I really like the "old-school bobbers" which are very trendy right now.
Our "Rockabilly Rod" would make a way cool Sunday afternoon cruiser. It would never be my primary or only bike, but hey niether is the Norton or the motard!
It's all good...

Dave

[DarthRider]

A bumparoo of an oldster for our Bros of the V-Twin persuasion.
Hey Bill...note the turbo-V Rod drag bike & the black & gold custom.
It's really fun to reminisce about the "funnest" job I ever had.
I sure miss TorqueMonster/Jeff!:icon_redface:

Our good ol' Cafe' was only 1 month old when this was posted. And we were already talking about a gathering at Dean's!:eusa_clap:

[JCsman]

Some pretty neat stuff there, Dave. And, yep, the VRod(s) caught my eye.

But, sad to contemplate, isn't it. Those umbrella girls would be lots older now. Likely 26 or 27 years old.