This year me and my friend Phil Borriello, who owns P B Chopper Shop in Londonderry, will be riding around Laconia on a new Chopper fabricated and built by Phil in his shop…This bike is really one of a kind. It has a Corvette LS-6 all aluminium motor, a 360 rear tire and hand formed sheet metal…

Phil who has hand built maybe 200 motorcycles has outdone himself with this bike. Since the bike is literally being finished today we have not had time to get it to the paint shop. So if you see a chopper in Laconia with a V8 motor in bare metal-that’s us..

If you see us at the rally be sure to say hello. Phil will be happy to show you the bike and explain how and why he built it.

Below are a few photos of the bike…If you like it or have any questions write back and let me know…Have a fun and safe rally.

Tom 
 

Looks good, even in bare metal, don't you think?

Phil and his amazing creation

Some of these young bikers ‘graduate’ to cruiser bikes made by companies like Harley Davidson and Victory Motorcycles while others remain race bike lovers for life. Although it’s rare to see older bikers riding sport bikes on a daily basis, many still enjoy the unique combination of speed and handling that only a sport bike can provide.

The first bike I fell in love with was the Kawasaki KZ1000, the grandfather of the super bike. When I purchased my first motorcycle, I bought a Kawasaki GPZ 900 Ninja. Now in my early 40s, I am a proud Harley Davidson Street Glide owner and cannot imagine riding a sport bike on a daily basis.

But if I did, here are the Big Three that I would consider:

• Yamaha YZF-R1: This beast of the street can achieve over 100 mph in second gear but has the ability to be a comfortable race cruiser provided you don’t twist the throttle too hard. The straight-line power of the bike is velvety smooth and its ability to transition through turns is effortless.

• Suzuki GSX 1300R (Hayabusa): With top speed of nearly 190 MPH and 156 horsepower, the legendary Hayabusa is one of the fastest, stylish, and most easily customized motorcycles in the race bike world. Hayabusa, which means Peregrine Falcon in Japanese, also is one of the most comfortable hyper sport bikes for long distance motorcycle touring.

• Kawasaki ZX 14 (Ninja): Although the top speed of the ZX 14’s speed is limited to 186 MPH, the Ninja leads the hyper sport bike class with 203 horsepower. While the Ninja and the Hayabusa are very close competitors in terms of power and speed, the Ninja falls a bit short on design, style, and handling. The brutish power of the Ninja is tempered by comfort that rivals the Hayabusa.

Hi, I’m Tom Kiley, and when my buddies and I go riding we always put safety first. Get a free copy of my motorcycle book for some valuable riding tips. And if you or loved one are ever hurt in the Massachusetts area, contact the Kiley Law Group for legal advice from a real motorcycle attorney.

The Suzuki M109r is a beast among muscle cruisers. Built with the same race inspired passion as the Suzuki Hayabusa, the M109r can best be describe as a race bike in a cruiser’s body.

The same goes for the Harley Davidson Vrod. This light, liquid cool v-twin machine mixes speed, power, and style in true Harley Davidson fashion.

Then there is the torque monster; the Yamaha Vmax. This bike is truly a beast and is legendary for it’s spine binding torque and horsepower.

The current version of each of these bikes leads the muscle cruiser class. But now they have to move over because there is a fourth bike that has joined this elite club.

The 2010 Triumph Rocket III Roadster has joined the fight and has come to win. This bike may not out-sell the competition but it may be the most stunning and unique bike in the bunch.

To win this fight, it’s best to bring a big stick. In motorcycle terms, the Rocket III comes to the fight with the largest engine of any mass-produced motorcycle in the world. Just shy of 2300cc, the Rocket III’s engine is nearly twice the size of the Harley Vrod. The Rocket III boasts 149 horsepower and an incredible 163 lbs/ft of torque. While the Vmax claims 200 horsepower, its legendary torque is about 40 lbs/ft less than the Rocket III.

The Rocket III Roadster has many of the same features of the other bikes in this class so you can expect a 240 rear tire and strong handling for a bike that weighs nearly 800lbs. The Rocket III’s anti-lock brakes and unique styling makes it stand out from the crowd.

Anyone looking to buy a muscle cruiser should take a trip to their local Triumph dealer and give the Rocket III Roadster a serous look. This could be the best bike in the muscle cruiser class that very few people know about.

Hi, I’m Tom Kiley, and when my buddies and I go riding we always put safety first. Get a free copy of my motorcycle book for some valuable riding tips. And if you or loved one are ever hurt in the Massachusetts area, contact the Kiley Law Group for legal advice from a real motorcycle attorney.

For 26 years, the Buell Motorcycle Company defied the odds and competed in the Japanese dominated world of sport bikes. Buell’s innovative design of the Blast, Lightning, Firebolt, and the Ulysses made Buell Motorcycles like nothing else on the road. Their short wheel base, high output, and handling characteristics made them a pleasure to ride.

Earlier this year, the last Buell Motorcycle rolled off the production line and Buell is now part of  motorcycle history.

Buell will continue to honor all warranties and will still offer parts and services through their dealer network since Buell Motorcycles will be on the road for many years to come. Without new Buell motorcycles hitting the roads each year however, they will increasingly become a rare sight. Eventually, they may even become collectible.

The last Buell Motorcycle produced, a Lightning XB12SCG, is headed for the Barber Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Alabama. The 2010 Lightning will join a fleet of 11 other Buell motorcycles. The Barber Motorsports Museum will house one of the largest Buell exhibits in the country.

The biggest question is how will other motorcycles companies survive despite the dismal shape of the US and global economies? All motorcycle companies will have to find ways to continue to attract buyers for their motorcycles as the competition for customers becomes increasingly more difficult. Companies will be challenged in terms of design, engineering, economics, and marketing to capture new niches.

The motorcycle industry has seen tough times before and has always found ways to survive. Hopefully as the Buell brand winds down, motorcycle manufacturers of all sizes have learned the necessary lessons to survive for years to come.

Hi, I’m Tom Kiley, and when my buddies and I go riding we always put safety first. Get a free copy of my motorcycle book for some valuable riding tips. And if you or loved one are ever hurt in the Massachusetts area, contact the Kiley Law Group for legal advice from a real motorcycle attorney.

Victory’s touring motorcycles have crashed the party and are getting wider acclaim as some of the world’s best touring motorcycles.

For some reason, Victory touring motorcycles evoke strong emotions. People either love them or hate them. The lovers are attracted to their sweeping lines, curvy finish, and striking style. The haters dislike the bikes for the same reasons claiming that Victory touring motorcycles are “too cute.”

There are a few things that no one can dispute. The Victory touring line can boast having the lightest weight, lowest seat height, longest floorboards, and largest storage capacity of other bikes in its class. The Victory line also has huge 5.8 gallon gas tanks, 92 horsepower, and 6 gears. All of these factors add up to a great ride on the open road.

Clearly, the Victory Cross County, Cross Roads, and Vision were made as direct competition to Harley Davidson’s Street Glide, Road King, and Ultra Glide. Victory is doing a magnificent job because along with their great features, Victory touring motorcycles handle great too.

At the end of the day, motorcycles have to handle well in real world road conditions. The Victory line has proven to have riding characteristics that can handle both long trips and daily commuting. Their low weight makes all three bikes easy to handle in slow traffic with tight turns and gives the bikes extra power on the open road. The low seat height makes the bike a comfortable even for shorter riders.

Victory’s history cannot compete with the history and legacy that the Harley brands evoke but in terms of pure riding characteristics, Victory touring motorcycles more than hold their own. Given more time on the market, Victory will continue to erode at the market share that was nearly the sole domain of Harley Davidson just a few years ago.

Hi, I’m Tom Kiley, and when my buddies and I go riding we always put safety first. Get a free copy of my motorcycle book for some valuable riding tips. And if you or loved one are ever hurt in the Massachusetts area, contact the Kiley Law Group for legal advice from a real motorcycle attorney.

In many cases, custom builders have become celebrities. Jesse James, The Teutel Family, the Detroit Brothers, Arlen Ness, and others have now become household names. Some custom builders gained fame and fortune through TV shows that moved them, their companies, and the entire custom motorcycle industry into the mainstream.

But the big question is, which builders are the best? That question is nearly impossible to answer since judging custom builders is largely subjective. However, here are some that are recognized as innovators and front runners in the industry.

• Redneck Engineering: Despite the name, the guys at Redneck have taken frame building and turned it into an art form. Their style is highly recognizable giving their brand a level of distinction and a leg up on the competition.

• Wicked Custom Cycles: Most custom cycles are made from American motorcycle components but these guys use the Yamaha V-Star 1100 as their base motorcycle model.  Wicked Customs is doing some amazing things with metric cruisers.

• Detroit Bros.: The Detroit Bros are relative newcomers to the custom fabrication world but they have made such a big mark that they have a show called Motor City Motors on the Discovery Channel.

• Arlen Ness: He’s probably the most influential custom builder in the industry. His work is considered artistry and his brand is one of the most well known in the industry. From bikes to components, Arlen Ness is the man.

• Orange County Choppers (OCC): Unfortunately the show that made Orange County Choppers a global phenomenon, American Chopper, was cancelled from The Learning Channel and Paul Jr. left the show and company. Fortunately for bikers, OCCs bikes are better than ever.

My attitude toward trikes has significantly changed over the past year. Maybe it’s because I am older and my motorcycle taste has changed. I think my attitude changed because the trike itself has changed. For some reason, they look cool now.

Gone are the days when a trike was created in your local mechanic’s shop where he added the back end of a Volkswagen Bug to the front end of a chopper.

Once again, Harley Davidson has taken the lead in this style of motorcycle. In 2010, Harley is offering a Street Glide Trike that comes right off the production line like any of their other bikes. This will ensure that the Harley trike meets the same high level of engineering as the Motor Company’s other motorcycles.

Trike conversion kits can help create a trike in any style. From a trike chopper to trike touring, the style variety is as wide as any motorcycle. Today’s conversion kits match the high quality standards of all major motorcycle manufacturers.

Typically, trikes have 2 rear wheels and one in the front. Not anymore.

The Can-Am Spyder is a trike with 2 wheels in the front and its drive wheel in the rear. This combination creates greater stability in the front and better handling characteristics. This stylish addition to the trike world performs like a sport bike, offers passenger and touring capabilities, and can handle road conditions that motorcycles can’t.

While the Spyder is built for comfortable performance, the Campagna T-Rex is built for all out performance. This side by side 2-seater trike is low, mean, and fast. The T-Rex goes 0-60MPH in 3.5 seconds and has a top speed of over 150 MPH. With a price tag of over $50,000, the T-Rex is not for everyone but it is awesome.

Trikes have come a long way and my opinion of them has changed drastically. Give them a second look and maybe your opinion will change too.

This changed in 1992 with the launch of the Dodge Viper. This car was not meant for the daily commute to work or for taking the kids to soccer practice. This limited production vehicle was built for high performance. The cornerstone of the Viper is the V-10 engine, which produced over 400 horsepower back in 1992. Today, the Viper pumps out an amazing 560 horsepower. The Viper is a bad machine.

What would happen if all that raw power was harnessed on a motorcycle?

That question was answered when Dodge launched the motorcycle-like Tomahawk in 2003. The Tomahawk essentially was the Viper engine on a motorcycle: an insane concept but one that was thought of as design and engineering genius.

This vehicle produced over 500 horsepower and had an estimated top speed of over 350 MPH. By contracts today’s most powerful production motorcycle, the Suzuki Hayabusa, has a top speed of about 185 MPH and produces 197 horsepower.

More impressive than it’s raw power, the Tomahawk ushered into the motorcycle world an innovative design. The Tomahawk has 4 wheels but the vehicle was designed to handle like a motorcycle. This ‘quadricycle’ design was the innovation that many felt would be a mainstay with the motorcycle industry. This new platform was thought to be the catalyst for new design and performance standards.

So, what happened? The concept went nowhere.

At a cost of a cool $500,000, only about 9 of these vehicles were ever sold. As a result, very few people have seen a Tomahawk in person (myself included).

Personally, I think the Tomahawk has merit but only if the concept can be adapted for everyday motorcycle buyers. While the original Tomahawk was built for only the most elite of automotive and motorcycle enthusiasts, I think regular motorcycle buyers would consider this vehicle at a much lower price point.

Hopefully, a motorcycle company will be daring enough to pick up where Dodge left off.

This year, I made my dream come true. A few weeks ago, I picked up a great deal on a 2007 Harley Street Glide from my friends at Eaglerider Harley Davidson in Orlando, FL. It is everything I wanted in a motorcycle and much more.

This bike has tons of power, handles very well, has great features, and looks awesome. The bike I selected is denim blue and always draws a few extra looks when I park or ride down the street. I should have bought one of these things years ago.

Buying a Harley was a lot easier than I thought it would be

Eaglerider, like many Harley dealers, is offering a variety of finance plans for people with less than perfect credit. Don’t think you have to have an 800 or higher credit score to buy a Harley. Believe me, my credit score is not that high.

Harley also continues to make some of their motorcycles affordable for those looking to ride the American legend. Harley dealers across the country are having a very hard time keeping the Sportster Iron 883 or 1200 models in stock. These bikes look great, ride like a dream, and can be purchased for well under $10,000 brand new.

The Sportster Iron is a perfect choice for typical bikers who only use their bikes for pleasure riding around town, an occasional commute to work, or a couple hundred mile rides across the state.

For those looking to hit the open road with more frequency, the 2010 Road Glide is a great choice. Starting at around $19,000, the Road Glide is not cheap but it is a great option for those looking to get into a premium bagger. Likewise, used Road Glides can be found at Eaglerider and other deals at great prices.

If 2010 is your year to start riding, stop by your local Eaglerider or Harley dealer and check out their inventory. You might be surprised on how easy owning a Harley can be.

While more people are riding, there are significantly more choices. As the motorcycle public becomes more diversified, manufacturers have to work much harder to build their brand name and subsequent loyalty.

In 2009, a few manufacturers proved that they are willing to go the extra mile to try to win as many motorcycle dollars as possible. These bikes are marvels of design and performance. If you are looking to buy a cruiser in the next few months, you would be a fool not to consider one of these.

Here are my best bikes of 2009 in no particular order.

• Honda Fury: The 2010 Honda Fury is stylistically a huge departure for Honda. This motorcycle, built on a chopper platform, is uncommon among Honda’s very safe designs. Along with its design, this is Honda’s first air cooled production motorcycle. They really went out on a limb with this bike. It is yet to be seen whether this bike will be a hit among consumers. Some say Honda missed the boat by about 2 years as the chopper style seems to be fading. Regardless, this bike is a design and technical triumph for Honda and the motorcycle community.

• Yamaha Vmax: All I can say is wow! The 2010 Vmax has been redesigned and is better than anyone could imagine. First off, there is no other bike in the world with the aggressive look of the Vmax. Its huge dual chip controlled air intakes and huge dual exhaust says two things; torque and horse power. The Vmax is such a marvel of design and performance that it has the distinction of being on display at the Guggenheim Museum’s Art of the Motorcycle Exhibit.

• Harley Davidson Sportster: The Sportster is a grandfather among motorcycles with history that spans several decades. The 2010 versions marry tradition with modern design to make a family of bikes that redefine the breed. With several versions including the Iron, the Nightster, the Low, and the Custom, the Sportster line has something for everyone. Also, this line comes in 2 engine sizes for those who want a light and maneuverable bike or those who seek a bike with a little more beef.