Featured Chopper Auction – 2006 Custom Built Panhead Bobber

Up for auction is this 2006-07 custom built bobber motorcycle. This one off was built by Sussex Hills Cycles, NJ.

It has 608 original miles and is in Mint condion. Every part was chosen to create a very special bike.

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Current Price - 18000.00
Bids - 0
Buy it now for - 21000.00

A Harley wide glide front end with Pierce trees, Fat Bob tanks and a RevTech "Pandemonium" 88 cu Engine fit perfectly into a Chopper Guys black powder coated hard tail frame. The hand dyed, hand stiched wide lace solo sprung seat truly completes the look. T

he engine features a 5 speed, Baker trans and S&S super E carb. Take a close look at the pics they should fill in the blanks for those who truly know what they are looking at. The bike is great looking and great to ride. The paint scheme is super black and red with a a metallic silver and red stripe and seven coats of clear.

Every detail is perfect as only the best parts went into this build. This is no SP Sally. The bike cost just over $30,000 NOT including much of the labor as my father in law and I were 2 of the builders. I have 2 kids in college and Lord knows that isn't cheap, so it is priced to go. Good Luck this is truly a special ride.

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Motorcycle Safety Course Date Moved Up

I do not have a motorcycle license.

I've ridden a number of times before, but never while actually licensed in the state of Nebraska. For some reason the California license I originally had a motorcycle stamp on didn't transfer that over to the Nebraska license I got when I moved to Omaha. I had a Nebraska permit for a while, but let that lapse.

So while I was shopping for a motorcycle, I was doing it while knowing I'd have to get my motorcycle license sooner or later. If I forgot, my wife would politely remind me, with kind of a cackling undercurrent present in the conversation.

I figured that taking the Rider's Edge course would be the easiest way to go about getting the motorcycle certification. I took it in California and it was a lot of fun. Plus it would be two days off work, riding bikes and hanging out with other potential riders, which is much better than sitting in a housing unit watching inmates - which is what I'd otherwise be doing.

I paid for the course in April, forking over $275. Originally I was put in a slot on the 7th, 8th and 9th of July Rider's Edge class that was scheduled at Dillon Brothers Harley-Davidson. Jason Davis pointed out that the earlier classes were full, but if I actually put money down on a bike, they keep slots open for people who intend to buy one immediately.

Since cash talks, in early June I put down some actual money down on a bike deposit in the hopes that a spot would open up on an earlier class. That night I was called by Dave Halen, who let me know that they'd had a cancellation for the class scheduled for the 23rd, 24th and 25th of June and asked me if I wanted to be put into the class.

Well, yeah, Dave. Yeah I do.

So now I'm going to get my license sooner, which makes me very happy, because that means I'll get my motorcycle sooner and be able to ride a bit during the summer before the good weather goes away.

My wife has invited me to come with her to Lincoln on Thursday of this week to have lunch with her friend and to take a side trip to Frontier Harley to see what deals they have going on right now. Two co-workers of mine have been singing the praises of Jay Eilts at Frontier Harley, telling me that they won't buy a Harley from anyone else. I suppose I'll have to go see what they're raving about and see if they're right. Since I've already been approved for motorcycle financing through Harley Davidson Financial Services, I can buy from whatever dealership wants me as a customer the most - so we'll see who does, I guess.

Chopper News Roundup – June 8, 2009

Here's news and reviews that stood out as I woke up today:

Big Bear Choppers Holds Rally

Being an ex-Californian, I remember vividly the beautiful Big Bear area that I visited so often. My uncle had a cabin up there, and I was always amazed at the huge - huge - trees. So when I hear about a motorcycle rally in that area, I get a little jealous. The guys at Big Bear Choppers had a nice turnout of about 6000 motorcycle riders show up to their Ride the Mountain Rally.

What started out as a way for Big Bear Choppers’ Kevin and Mona Alsop to show a little appreciation for their customers and fans has evolved into one of the better micro-rallies on the West Coast. This year’s celebration had a ‘Hollyweird’ theme, complete with fire-breathers, knife throwers, burlesque dancers, the Globe of Death, and Shortywood’s KISS cover band.

After looking over Big Bear Choppers' store, I decided to pick up one of their long-sleeved shirts - the Cid.

Harley-Davidson Chooses New Director Of Market Outreach

Harley-Davidson Motor Company has announced that John Comissiong will oversee the development of strategic marketing opportunities for the African American customer segment as the director of Market Outreach.

John has been with the Motor Company for more than five years and has served in the positions of Material Velocity Center Project Lead, Financial Analyst, Strategic Planning Manager, E-product Marketing Manager and Sales Operations Director.

Before joining Harley-Davidson, John was at Canon USA in his hometown of New York. He holds multiple degrees including a Bachelor of Science in engineering from Cornell University, a Master of Science in engineering from Stony Brook University and a Master of Business Administration from Duke University.
A licensed rider, John’s VRSCDX Night Rod Special is his favorite motorcycle. Never having ridden a V-Rod model before, it was a perfect fit from the moment he got on. In addition to getting out and riding every chance he gets, John enjoys attending motorcycle events and becoming further immersed in the world of motorcycling and bonding with fellow riders.

19th Annual Operation God Bless America Motorcycle Ride

Some of the best people in the world are out there on motorcycles, donating their time and money to worthy causes. 2,500 registered motorcycle riders helped raise $62,000 on Sunday for the Martinsburg's Veterans Affairs Medical Center during the 19th annual charity motorcycle ride.

Operation God Bless America began 19 years ago when a group of dedicated motorcycle enthusiasts planned a ride to support soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines during the first Gulf War. Over the course of the last 18 years, riders have raised and donated about $225,000 to the center, 100 percent of which goes directly to the care of veterans.

Full story coverage here and here.

What To Look For In Cold Weather Motorcycle Apparel

Motorcycles aren't just for the summer, but if you've ever ridden your motorcycle in cold weather, you're probably aware of how important cold weather gear is.

If your body is uncomfortably cold while riding, it will tend to distract your attention from the road. Cold weather riding can put you in a position of grave danger not only because your cold muscles will respond slower than normal, but because your cold head will think slower. Put those two things together and you are asking for a possible bad situation.

As far as your helmet goes, a full face helmet is going to protect your face much more from the cold than just a half helmet. If you ride while wearing a half helmet, you should think about investing in a full-face helmet as well. If it's really cold out and the full face helmet isn’t enough, you can put something like a ‘watch cap’ on beneath it to hold in your heat.

Well insulated but still pliable gloves are a must. The insulation will keep your fingers warmer and more responsive and pliability guarantees free movement.

Your jacket will not only need to act as an insulator, it will also need to act as a wind breaker. One that will snap up around your neck (should you need it) is also a big plus. You can accomplish all of this by having an all inclusive jacket, or you can wear layers of clothes. This will give you the option of removing layers should weather conditions dictate it.

Your pants and your boots will also need to have insulating qualities as numb extremities will not respond as well and will also affect your comfort level. Riding while your feet are getting frostbitten sucks, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
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My Motorcycle Financing Has Been Approved

Wednesday was a busy day.

The wife was a bit more patient with me than usual and agreed to head over to the First National Bank over on 168th and Maple for a quick check on what the numbers would be on a business loan for whatever motorcycle I end up buying. I left her and the three kids in the car (for whatever reason they didn't want to come into the bank) and talked to a loan officer, who took down all the info relating to the purchase and told me she'd call me back later.

Initially the plan was to put down about $9,000 or so, which would leave me financing no more than $10,000. But once I finished the sit-down with the finance gal and got back into the car, Jamie brought up that it might be a better idea to put less down and to just pay off the loan faster. Less risk and lower carrying costs on our part if anything happens and there's no pre-payment penalty when you're talking about a motorcycle loan.

Jamie left open the option to drive to Lincoln to check out the Frontier Harley-Davidson dealership there, but I figured I wouldn't do that to her. Three kids in the car, one of them teething, not a good idea to drive an hour there and an hour back just to take a look at some bikes. So we headed over to Dillon Brothers Harley, which is about a 5 minute drive from our home and less than a minute from the First National Bank I had just left.

It helps to have all the bikes at a dealership available to browse through on the Internet. Here's Dillon Harley's inventory of new bikes online - what I used to narrow down my search for what's available and (hopefully) easy to make a deal on. I was particularly looking for a deep turquoise and antique white 2009 Road King Classic.

So the family and I walked in, the kids sat down with their mom and I started looking for Jason Davis - who wasn't around. After a little bit of wandering around the dealership searching for any deep turquoise and antique white two-tone bikes, I was approached by Mick Ruff.

After talking with Mick for a while I quickly felt put at ease. Mick's a cool guy, very helpful, even if he rides a bagger with fairing. I asked to see the 2010 Harley-Davidson color chart, he got it out for me and let me check out what's in store for 2010. I showed the wife the future colors and she agreed with me - Harley-Davidson's really in love with purple for some reason. I am not sure why. So, since I didn't see anything in Harley's 2010 color scheme that was particularly appealing - other than the basic vivid black - I decided that it might not be worthwhile to wait until 2010's models were released to actually buy a motorcycle, like I'd been planning.

So, after telling Mick that I'd like to look at the deep turquoise/antique white Road King Classic that they had in stock, Mick took us all to the back storage area to check it out.

Oh yeah. It was nice. I don't know if anyone else sees the potential to really "classic" out that particular model and color, but I've got a few ideas I'm rolling around in my head about it. More on that later.

The only thing left to do was to check on the financing options, to make sure I would be approved to buy the thing. I might as well have something to compare with First National's financing numbers, right?

Mick introduced me to Mark Gifford, one of the finance guys at Dillon Brothers Harley-Davidson. Mark and I chatted a bit about our day jobs while we waited for the financing application I'd filled out to be approved.

We figured out the numbers for a deal slightly different than what I asked for at First National - $3000 down and stretching the financing terms over as long as possible, as suggested by my wife.

And yeah, I got approved.

Life is good.

If You’re Considering Customizing Your Chopper, Know The Cost

I love my car. However, I will be honest. There are a few things about it that I wish I could change about it. But, the good things definitely outweigh what is bad about it so I made the purchase. For the most part, I think everyone probably has things they do not like about their car – small little details they would change. However, cars are not made custom – things come standard, because it is more cost effective that way.

Ironically for a lot of motorcycle owners it has become increasingly popular to customize their vehicles. They want the best looking chopper on the road. If you have a motorcycle and feel the same way, than it is important to know up front how much it will cost to customize your chopper.

The good thing about customizing a motorcycle is that you can do it in a variety of ways. If you wanted to just add a few parts to your vehicle, this would make your chopper look new and unique and it would not be as costly. However, if you decided to buy a custom chopper from a professional, it could cost you around $35,000. Alternatively, the build it yourself kits usually cost around $12,000 upfront. If you want to cut costs, you may prefer to get an old bike and start making adjustments step by step so it is not as expensive initially.

Motorcycle Financing Inquiries

I figured today was a good day to get started with my investigations regarding motorcycle financing, so I made a few calls and left a few messages with some people I know who work in banks who might be able to get me on the right path.

I basically left the same message with each of my contacts, detailing what timeframe I'm looking at (30 days or so), the manufacturer (Harley), the model (Road King Classic) and the amount I expect to finance (around $10,000).

Hopefully someone will get back with me, because I still have some questions. I've dealt with car loans numerous times, so I know the ins and outs of those kinds of loans - but how different are motorcycle loans? Are the rates higher and terms worse because motorcycles are typically considered pleasure vehicles?

Adding to the confusion is the fact that I intend to buy and title the bike in my company's name. Since my company is relatively new (less than a year old) that might be problem. Income isn't a problem at all, and putting 1/2 the price of the bike down should make things go smoothly...but who knows? If I need to just pay the entire amount up-front, I'd have to wait a month or two more, and that'd just ruin my summer.

I also want to know how long Harley-Davidson's financing approval period is and what interest rate terms I can get from them - so I can compare that financing with what my bank comes up with. I'm looking forward to that. I hate not knowing.

I have tomorrow off and the wife agreed to head on over to Dillon Brothers with me again in exchange for my help cleaning the basement. After looking through their online stock, I noticed that they had a deep turquoise/antique white Road King Classic in stock. Hopefully their website is accurate and up to date and I'll be able to see the color in person - with the wife giving the thumbs up or down.

How To Get A Custom Chopper

Do you own a motorcycle? If not, have you ever driven one? The great thing about choppers is, when you are driving them on the road, it feels like you are flying. Your adrenaline starts pumping and you feel a rush like no other. However, all those feelings come crashing down when another guy with the exact same bike comes riding right next to you.

This problem can be easily fixed with a custom chopper. The idea of a custom motorcycle is great – a bike like no other, completely customized to your wants and needs. How do you get one?

There are a couple different options to get your very own custom chopper. First, there is always the option of building it. This is a great option if you are very hands on and good at following directions, because there are a lot of great guides out there that will show you exactly how to do it. Also, you can probably take a course at your local community college to learn more about building your own chopper.

If you don’t want to invest the time in this or you know that you are not skilled at following directions, than you can always call on a professional builder. They produce amazing bikes. You just have to go through an ordering process with them and wait for your bike to arrive. Pick whatever option works for you and have fun riding!

Otherwise, find yourself a bike that touches your soul while browsing around on the internet. Chopperfanatic here has a nice little section that shows you choppers for sale that'll work for all budgets - large and small. Go check it out now and see what's out there.

How To Find A Great Motorcycle Dealership

When you go riding every weekend with your motorcycle buddies do you feel like your current ride isn't good enough? Maybe your bike doesn't stand out like you want it to, and you're lost in a sea of look-alike motorcycles? Maybe you're thinking that the time has come for an upgrade?

While completely custom choppers will obviously stand out, even the choppers from the larger manufacturers stand out from the rest of the cruisers or sport bikes out there. If it's been a while since you've been in the market for a new ride, read on.

Big Boy Toys Cost Big Boy Bucks

As you know, getting a new chopper can be a sizable investment. You're going to drop some money into your new ride, either all up front or piece-by-piece as you go. You have probably been riding your current bike for a while now, so you may or may not have been looking around at the local dealers. I'll tell you right now, though - one of the most important things you can do to help you with the whole motorcycle-buying process is choosing the right shop to buy the bike from.

You want a shop that you can trust to help you pick the perfect bike for you. Also, you want a shop that is going to charge you a decent price. And, most importantly, you want a shop with a great selection of choppers and cruisers to choose from.

First off, be sure to ask your friends or other riders you see out on the road for suggestions. They will be able to tell you where they had good experiences.

Shop Around For Dealers As Well As For The Motorcycle Itself

Where do you go to look? The first thing to keep in mind is the importance of shopping around. Regardless of where you live, there is more than one motorcycle dealership out there and there are usually many more. Check into each of them. Walk in, see how friendly the salespeople are. Talk with some of the other customers and see how they feel about their experience. If you're not completely comfortable, walk out. You're the guy with the cash, after all.

Use The Internet To Find The Right Bike For You

If you're smart, you'll use the internet to research motorcycle prices. You can use this research to send bike price quote requests via e-mail to motorcycle dealerships within a reasonable distance and possibly score yourself a deal.

Once you have either cash or financing on hand, get a list of all the motorcycle dealerships within a reasonable radius - I usually go with dealerships within about a 500 mile radius.

Once you have the list, work it a bit and, by visiting the dealership websites, get a working e-mail address for each of the dealerships. E-mail the right people at the dealership to get a line of communication going. You probably want their Internet sales manager, or their general sales manager, or both. Send out an e-mail to each dealership's sales managers asking them if they'd like to make a deal ASAP. The dealerships that respond will be the ones you'll focus on.

Don't be stupid, don't be greedy. Dealerships aren't in the business of giving bikes away, and you'll be cutting your own foot off and get nowhere if you make outrageous demands.

The best way I've found to get a good deal is to say in your follow-up e-mail that you have no problem paying MSRP (or a little lower) on the bike itself, but you were wondering what else the motorcycle dealership could throw in on the deal. Make sure the e-mail states that you're talking to other dealerships - and name them. This puts the ball in the dealership's court and, hopefully, they'll come back with a decent bargain for you. It's not uncommon to get an extended warranty, free services, a good amount of credit on a gift card or even an expensive accessory or two like pipes or seats to be thrown in to get you to jump on a deal.

It may take a little effort to find the right shop, but when you count the cash you've saved with a little research, you will be glad that you spent the time.

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