360bikers.com

Yes, I haven’t put an entry on for awhile, but it’s been because I wanted to bring some photos back from Leesburg this weekend.  Leesburg Bikefest is one of the nicest biking events I’ve ever seen.  It’s very down to Earth and an incredible value compared to many other biker events.

You can read more about it at www.360bikers.com under news.  There is also a link to the photo gallery where you’ll see a lot of custom bikes, many of which I will work into our series on customizing your motorcycle.

Without a doubt one of the most major aspects of customizing that you can ever do is to paint your motorcycle. I honestly could not do enough research on this as there are so many artists out there with so much talent. You can get a paint job for anywhere from $1,500 to well over $35,000 depending on the artist and detail you’re looking to achieve. You can have someone design your bike from the ground up or you can any degree of input from the general theme to providing the actual pattern to be used. Paint may be the most personal statement you make in your customization process. Due to the expense, it’s one that is often foregone in favor of accessories and chrome on most bikes.

The Harley-Davidson Road King I bought from a man in Charlotte, Fl was customized to the hilt. While the skull theme showed in every detail from the tranny cover to the tail light, it all paled next to the paint job that covered the tank and air intake. While the bike didn’t fit me, the man that bought it said he was tired of looking for his Road King at major events where there was an ocean of black and dark blue look-alikes. You can click the photo to see a larger image and more images of this bike and these still don’t do it justice to the work as seen in person. It is incredible and it will never get lost in the crowd.

So, now you’re ready to have your bike painted. Who’s going to do it? How much can you afford? What is it going to look like? Where do you start? These are all tough questions that you’ll have to address before the project can be started. They aren’t to be taken lightly as each directly effects the outcome of your customization. This is where your artist may give you guidance if you want. Typically, this is their skill area and they’ll create a mock-up for you. Talk to your artist, unless you’re using something you created that has personal influence. Even then, talk to the person that will be putting it on your motorcycle.

Paradise Powder Coating offers a lot of alternatives at some of the best prices I’ve seen. You can create your own radical design or use an artist. Their process makes one of the most durable paint systems you’ll be able to put on your motorcycle. As you look through their gallery you’ll get an entirely new perspective on what powder coating can be. My image of powder coating was always the single color roughed surface known for its durability. You saw it on motorcycle frames where stones and debri might hit your bike. You see it on tough areas that don’t have to shine. Well, those days are definitely over as you’ll see intricate designs with gloss and depth that we once saw only on bikes from the great customizers. It’s worth a stop.

Sick Paint is one of the many great painting shops we found on the web. They have painted many award winning motorcycles and have the in-house staff that can support you in creating the design that will make your motorcycle stand out in the crowd.

Manifest Art Studio paints anything and everything. Look through their galleries and you’ll see paint on ATVs and tractor rigs that really show off a serious talent. Take a look through their gallery to see all the different kinds of paint works they do.

I think I’m going to run out of room for all the graphics links I’d like to put here. This is my favorite part of the motorcycle to photograph. It expresses the designers theme more than any other part on the motorcycle. Cosmic Custom Airbrush has some really nice tanks in their gallery. You can see the extraordinary concepts like the tank to the left set them above many of the artist you’ll find in your own research.

D B Custom paint has nice paint to consider, too. The tank at the right is just one example of their many accomplishments. Here you will also find an assortment of surfaces that can be painted from helmets to fenders. The thumbnail photo is rather small so I recommend you check out the gallery yourself. You’ll be please at the work from this group in Canada.

Jellusions is more than just a cool name for a paint shop. Take a look at their stuff, too.

Crazy Horse Painting sets the bar rather high. The car photo at the left provides a larger than motorcycle canvas to show off the talents in this shop. You’ll get lost in their gallery of incredible art work. This is great stuff to an extreme and you should enjoy looking through the samples at length.

Bad Ass Paint lives up to its name and gives other painters a run for the money. Here we go with another online art show made for wheels.

It’s hard to imagine that I can put anymore artwork in this entry. Below I’ll put just a few of the many sites we saw incredible art work presented. If we missed your favorite shop, post a comment with one sample of the art work and a link to their site. Make sure your favorite painter is featured here.

Sick Paint Airbrushing

Paradise Powder Coating

Manifest Art Studio

Cosmic Custom Art

DB Custom

Jellusions

Crazy Horse Painting

Bad Ass Painting

Hog Painter

Custom Painting by Horst

Jim Munroe

Kwiatt Custom Motorcycle Painting

Hanson’s Custom Painting

Alcalde Customs

Rock and Roll Custom Paint Works

BD’s Cycles

Pamela Chanteau

Tex EFX

Airbrush Guy

Scooter Puzzles

Kurt Carloni

Nicole’s Custom Motorcycle Paint

Cycledelics

I can’t go on… there are so many, many more.  Add some yourself with a comment.

We’re moving around the bike on our hunt for customizations for motorcycles.  Something to keep in mind is that when you are customizing a motorcycle it doesn’t mean you have to replace everything.  Customized stock bikes have a personal statement without the expense of creating a concept from scratch.  You may graduate to a complete custom motorcycle someday, but it doesn’t mean you have to start with a frame you design and work your way up from there.

Look for effects that will create your new look.  One part that takes a little more work than the others is the fender.  Fenders are cool.  You can cut them, paint them, light them, twist them, shorten them, and make the out of a lot of different materials.  One thing to keep in mind is that the tire has to fit in there, too.  RC Components makes fenders and kits that go with the fender.  Many companies do this because a lot of bikers want to put that fat back tire on when they customize.   When you look at the fend you should be looking at the big picture of what your bike will look like when it’s all done.  This decision may influence your frame, swing arm, wheels and tires or those purchases may influence your fender.

There are a lot of different shapes in fenders.  Boxes, prostreet, “classic”, flared, and the list goes on.  Even on stock bikes you usually have the same model in variations where the main difference is the fender style.  This variation isn’t limited to the back fender.  You are going to have to look at the front fender and how it blends with your new design concept.  Once you have it, you have to decide if the fender works the way you got it or if you are going to have to cut it.  I’m seeing a lot of that lately and it looks great.  I’m seeing more fenders moved from the original position, stretched, and cut to shapes that give the motorcycle a new flow.  Harley Customs has a large variety of raw fenders for Harley-Davidson motorcycles that will work for your project.

Now, I have to admit I get stereotyped when I think of fenders and customizing them.  I envision a custom bike or a custom cruiser or anything long and sleek.  But there are a lot of sport bike riders out there and like it or not they have some very radical custom designs.  So, what do they do with fenders?  Well, sometimes they eliminate them altogether with special kits.  Extreme Customs has fender systems with the sport bike rider in mind.

One of the most beautiful stock bikes ever made is accented by it’s rear fender with built-in taillight and turn-signal system.  The Honda Rune’s short life gave us a design that we still turn our heads to watch.  It’s futuristic lines blend with retro shapes and make a statement never heard before, and perhaps never to be heard again.  Those that have a Rune from the only two years it was built have a piece of history.  The fenders are an important part of this look.

The fender is the most complicated part to choose in your process.  If effects almost every other line on the bike. Later, we’ll look at paint and lighting as it effects the fenders.  Meanwhile, here are a few sites we used in our homework for fenders.

RC Components

Harley Custom

Extreme Bike Customs

Motorcycle City 

I’m taking a break from customization topics today. It’s actually getting very tempting to start a project, but the time isn’t there yet. I actually plan on running the miles up on my Yamaha Roadstar to around 25,000 miles and doing something with BMS. But after researching customs I think I might actually have to try the whole thing myself in a year or two.

Today I am looking for some serious feedback on the original concept for 360Bikers. I have never really got past the prototype level on this idea, but with different people I’ve made levels of progress in design. I’ve worked with some dealers on the idea and they seem receptive, but for some reason or another I’ve never had everything in place to make the final push to a completed product. Try the links and photo in this entry to see examples.

Initially I was working with a welder with some extensive experience in materials. Gary and I were working towards completion when all of a sudden he disappeared on me. The prototype was nearly done and he just quit answering my calls. He wasn’t at his shop when I’d try to stop by and I eventually gave up on the pursuit with him. I liked the design we had together, but without his expertise it wasn’t going any further. I did a session with Victory Motorcycles of Pompano in 2005 using an early version of the prototype and you can see an example using the link. He just dropped the ball and walked away. I never found out why.

After the set-back with Gary I looked around for components to move forward myself. I ended up finding a company that had a similar pursuit in mind, but from a different perspective. I started working with Shawn from SemcoMotion in Utah. His company created rotating displays based on their electric motors. Working with Shawn, we started designing from the motor out instead of the unit towards the motor. We made progress on a tilt function and I was ready to test it in a real situation.

Nature was not kind to me and in a one week period I had the death of my father and a major hurricane (Wilma) hit our area. I lost a few thousand dollars invested in doing a booth at Biketoberfest in Daytona Beach in spite of spending the night in a last ditch effort to attend the event. It turned out that I made the right choice as the eye of the hurricane went right over our house. Our area suffered a lot of damage and left us without electricity for 12 days. Even at that, I felt lucky compared to some people who to this day have not been able to complete repairs.

As luck would have it, I followed that up with another loss when planning to attend Thunder by the Bay in Sarasota, Florida. With everything in place I was fighting a medical situation that is still not successfully diagnosed, but no longer the serious threat it once was. While I often feel lucky to be alive and functioning, I lost that opportunity to test the system as well. Since then, it is I who has dropped the ball and need to get back to Shawn with new ideas to make the prototype functional and perhaps a lot lighter.

So, here’s the basic idea for our process. Our studio (portable and stationary) will shoot a series of programmed rotational photographs of your motorcycle along with some close-ups. Models sitting on your bike are optional, but you’ll see how nice they look in a minute. The photos are then processed into two primary products for our clients. The first is a high-resolution interactive business card CD that will work in any Windows-based computer. It lets you look at your motorcycle from 360-degrees and zoom in almost to the nut level for exquisite detail. You can make endless copies to share with your friends or use our services to make duplicates. The second product is a lower resolution version that is web ready and published on the 360Bikers web site. While this version doesn’t let you zoom in as much, it is optimized to be viewable quickly at today’s Internet speeds. A third optional product is print photos of your favorite shots from the photo session with your bike.

So, my question is do you think this is something that some bikers would we interested in purchasing? With my health returning and fresh ideas on making this viable I am ready to re-ignite the pursuit of this passion. I love photographing motorcycles and offering a 360-degree view of your bike is something no one else does.

I also created a process called “Homemade Pie” where you would take our package to shoot your own photographs. You would then send them to me to process into the 360-degree versions. If you are interested in testing this with your bike, let me know. I’ll shoot an instruction kit out to you via email and we can see if it has the acceptable quality for a reduced version of the 360Bikers view.

I appreciate your feedback.

This is definitely one of the more serious customizations you can do to your motorcycle. Not only is it the largest canvas on the bike, but you also have a lot of safety features to consider. Many customizers skip this step and move straight to painting the stock tank. Replacing your fuel tank requires planning unlike upgrading your mirror, handlebars or grips. Fortunately, some of the planning is taken out of the mix if you buy tanks made specifically for your motorcycle. You’ll find most of these are for Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

This is also an area where many riders that are serious about building a custom motorcycle might start to look towards kits. We’ve talked about kits before and we’ll revisit that concept later.

To my surprise I found a lot of resources for getting the raw tank for a custom project. The one above is from RC Components, a company that makes several of the parts you will want for your customized motorcycle. They have a great, well organized web site and support all the major motorcycle manufacturers. Definitely a recommended visit. While they don’t make the tanks or other accessories, we come across Tejas Thump Cycles in many of our parts searches. They emerging as a one-stop shopping site for high end customizing.

There are web sites that focus on the safety factor I mentioned above. Please keep in mind that you’re working with the flamable liquid container that sits between your legs. When you think about that you realize you have to really consider the composition and safety features when selecting your tank. You may want to consult an OSHA certified safety expert before you lay down your bucks. At least make sure your tank is OSHA certified.

I found some really incredible chrome tanks on Scotty’s Choppers. Scotty’s place is down-under, but thanks to global shipping you aren’t limited to looking at tanks on your own continent. His designs let you know there are a lot of variations and can include many features. Think your design through. There’s nothing like spending the money and time only to decide there was a better way to do it.

One last stop before we let you ponder your options. Independent Gas Tank Company makes a large variety of tanks that will meet your custom needs. This is one of those companies you feel safe about dealing with because this is their specialty. They don’t make forks or frames. They don’t make mirrors or saddles. They make great gas tanks for customizing your motorcycles. They are definitely worth looking at.

Well, that’s all I have for now. As usual, we welcome your comments and suggested sites for additional tanks. Next, we’ll look at fenders before we find a place to paint our custom machine. Here are some of the sites we used in our research.

Independent Gas Tank Company

Santiago Chopper

Scotty’s Choppers

Steel Thunder

Safety Is Us

Tejas Thump Motorcycles

RC Components

Mirrors are cool.  There are so many things you can do with shapes, mountings, and at the same time they let you see what’s behind you.  Mirrors are great on motorcycles.  A lot of bikes today come with effective mirrors, but they lack style.  Now, you can find all kinds of mirrors to fit the theme of your bike and how you ride.

Now, the odds are that your manufacturer makes some OEM upgrade mirrors for your bike whether it’s a Harley-Davidson, a Honda, a Yamaha or a Ducati.  Well, maybe not the Ducati.  The point is that there are some great substitutes for stock mirrors that will meet your style and your needs at the same time.  Some lights even have turn signals built into them that provide better visibility of your bike in traffic situations.  No matter what motorcycle type you have, there are lots of mirror options out there for you. You’ll also find other companies that make mirrors specifically for your motorcycle and the theme concept you want to develop on your bike.

Kuryakyn makes a lot of mirrors for both Harley-Davidson and metric lines.  They range from the really radical cool like the one show here to some basic standards.  Sometimes, it’s good to go with a well known company.

As you can see here, there are some designs that are exceptional and very, very cool for your motorcycle.  This skull mirror has great detail and has a nice viewing area.  I like things that are eye-catchers and have a pragmatic side to them.

Eckcraft is a custom mirror company with a huge line of incredible looking mirrors.   This is just one of many designs they have and you absolutely have to look at their site to see the great custom work they do.  This is a company you’ll want to use for those one-offs or something that looks like a one-off.  Like anything else of high quality and design, you will be paying a little bit more for them.  Look for these to push you over the $250 mark quickly.  But, you are trying to make a statement with your motorcycle customization.

Lots of sites sell some really nice mirrors, too.  Be sure to shop around to find the mirror that fits your budget as much as it fits your theme.  You have to strike that balance yourself as you do with all customizations.  Mirrors are very noticable, so give them the attention they deserve.  They sit high on the front of your bike, so they catch the eye of judges in shows and babes as they look at your bike.

While the great customizers like Cyril Huze and Arlen Ness also have lines of accessories, you’ll find other companies like Aeromach emerging with styles that newer riders like.  Here’s an example of incredible design that includes the popular LED lights that accent your design.  These look very original and on the right bike will really make a statement.

There’s not limit on what you can do with this seemingly small part of your bike.  Designs from manufacturers, accessory companies, designers and the custom shops leave your imagination (and budget) in control.

Here are a few sites we used in researching mirrors for your motorcycles.  If you know of any other sites that should be listed, let us know.  We’ll add them to the list.

Aeromach

Tejas Thump

Eckcraft

Kuryakyn

Harley-Davidson

Star Motorcycles

I figured as long as we’re on the handlebars we should finish it out with the stuff that goes on the handlebars. Probably the most common feature riders customize here is the hand grip and throttle. The are so many different varieties ranging from radical chromes to comfort for those long rides. Kuryakyn Iso Grips are one of the most popular models I see on bikes that reduce vibration. Kuryakyn makes a lot of different models and you should check out their line of accessories.

Harley-Davidson makes their own line of grips, which is quite extensive. Everything from flames to heated grips for those that ride in cooler temperatures. As a motorcycle manufacturer, Harley-Davidson does an excellent job of offering a variety of accessories for their own bikes. The grips section is great and this is the place to start if you have a Harley.

There are a lot of customizing and accessory sites to check when you’re looking for grips and levers. You’ll find the item you’re looking for, but be sure to compare prices. Think of your riding style when ordering grips like this chrome set. Many grips will look great and fit into the show bike concept quite well. They may not be well suited for distance riding where you might encounter weather that would make them slippery.

You’ll notice on the photo above that the grip also features a custom brake or clutch lever. This is a great area to customize and really catches the eye even when the bike is moving. You can find custom levers with all kinds of themes from skulls to flames. Here are some Kuryakyn grips that put the babe where you can show her off anytime. I found custom levers to be one of the hardest customizing parts to find, but the right levers make a pretty cool statement on your bike. You can also get leather covers for levers that look pretty cool. If you’re into fringe, those are also available.

Our next installment will continue to look at the handlebar area through the mirrors.  Meanwhile, here are a few sites we used in our research.  Please send us a message if you have other manufacturers of grips or levers that you think should be featured.

Harley Davidson Accessories

Kuryakyn Accessories

Aeromach

This is the third in our series on customizing motorcycles.  Handlebars have come to represent more than just a steering function.  They are used today to adjust the rider’s reach (you can’t just pull the seat closer to the wheel on a bike) and to make the ride more comfortable.  You’ll see handlebars customized more often on cruisers, choppers, and touring bikes than most others.  You won’t see it often on sport bikes.  And there’s more to it than just handlebars.

There seems to be a finite number of styles in motorcycle handlebars with an infinite set of combinations to express creativity.  Ape hangers raise your arms to the wind, typically making your arms parallel to ground or angled to let the air flow under.  You’ll always hear a novice rider expressing how uncomfortable that must be for a long ride, but until you’ve tried it you won’t understand how comfortable apes are.   Ape hangers come in several sizes and there may be local or state laws regulating how high you can have your arms or hands.  Check before you customize this part of your bike.

Drag bars are either straight across the triple-tree or nearly straight across.   They often have built in risers and feel great on a bike that either entices you to lean forward or has a tank and frame short enough to let the rider reach comfortable to the grips.  The taller guys like these because they can reach them even on a stretched frame.  I had drag bars on the custom Harley-Davidson Road King I had once and was impressed at the feel.  It was much nicer than expected.  It makes you feel a bit more connected to the bike’s power for some reason.

Beach bars are those wide, lazy, relaxed handlebars similar to those found on the old-fashioned beach bikes.  I’ve seen these used on lowered bikes to give it a sprawled look.  You need a wing-span to ride a bike with these as your arms are moved out from the center of the bike.  They aren’t as common, but can look great on the right theme.  You’ll want to try riding a bike with these before you add them to your customization.

Pull-back handlebars are a relaxed-fit approach to riding.  They seem to be a cross between standard/classic handlebars and ape hangers.  Typically, they have a slight tilt at the end and come back to the rider for a laid-back approach to riding.

Some riders use risers to show off and extend the handlebars.  There are some really nice risers and caps that can be found along with some unique one-offs.  Here you see a very typical set of risers, but don’t be afraid to look around.  There are so many variations and this is the area of the handlebars that is easiest to customize.

Here are a few sites we used in our research. There are many more out there to find.  Let us know and we’ll add them to the list.

Custom Cycle Control Systems

Tejas Thump Cycles

Scoot Works

Baron Custom

Wild Chubby’s

 Star Motorcycles