18/08/2008 by info.

S & S Cycle cuts 60 workers

By RYAN STOTTS / La Crosse Tribune

VIOLA, Wis. — The euphoria for S & S Cycle’s 50th anniversary in June has been short-lived.

Company President Brett Smith announced Friday that 60 workers have been cut this month through voluntary separation and layoffs.
“This was a very, very hard decision personally,” Smith said. “People I’ve known for years were impacted.”

He blamed the economic slump for a downturn in sales of the company’s high-performance engine parts and engines for motorcycles.
“In the grand scheme of things, we make a product that people don’t need to have,” he said.

All but two of the cuts were made at the company’s Viola site rather than the La Crosse location, Smith said.
The company Aug. 4 offered voluntary separation packages that 33 employees — mostly in product development and sales and marketing — accepted, Smith said.
They began leaving the company Aug. 8, he said.

Another 27 employees, primarily in production and manufacturing, were laid off by Thursday, Smith said.

Others who remained have been transferred to different areas, such as customer service.

S & S now employs a total of about 195 at both sites, he said.

“We’re doing everything we can to become lean and consolidate our efforts for future long-term employment,” Smith said. “We don’t expect to be in this position forever.”

The company’s core business of bolt-on, high-performance, after-market components still is strong and growing, he said, but S & S had to take a pragmatic approach in an economic environment that’s seeing less disposable income.

“It’s a very unfortunate decision, coming on the heels of our 50th anniversary,” Smith said.

The S & S event, which drew an estimated 28,000 motorcycle enthusiasts to La Crosse in late June, played no role in the cutbacks, Smith said. Despite rumors, the cost of hosting the event was completely covered by sales of the 50 custom motorcycles made for the competition, he said, and the support of the community.

Ryan Stotts can be reached at (608) 791-8446 or ryan.stotts@lee.net.

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18/08/2008 by info.

Tonight, I thought my husband was acting weird.  We had made plans to meet at a bar to have a drink.  I was shopping with my friends all day long, so I thought he was upset at the fact that I was a bit late, but he made no comment on it.

Conversation wasn’t flowing, so I suggested that we go somewhere quiet so we could talk.  He agreed, but he didn’t say much.  I asked him what was wrong.  He said, ‘Nothing.’  I asked him if it was my fault that he was upset.  He said he wasn’t upset, that it had nothing to do with me, and not to worry about it.  On the way home, I told him that I loved him.  He smiled slightly, and kept driving.  I can’t explain his behaviour.  I don’t know why he didn’t say, ‘I love you, too.’  When we got home, I felt as if I had lost him completely, as if he wanted nothing to do with me anymore.  He just sat there quietly, and watched TV.  He continued to seem distant and absent.

Finally, with silence all around us, I decided to go to bed.  About 15 minutes later, he came to bed.  To my surprise, he responded to my caress, and we made love.  But I still felt that he was distracted, and his thoughts were somewhere else.  He fell asleep - I cried.  I don’t know what to do.  I’m almost sure that his thoughts are with someone else.  My life is a disaster.
 

HIS DIARY:
Harley wouldn’t start today, but at least I got laid.<–>

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13/08/2008 by info.

MIKE Garrison, Manager of the Ultima Engine program at Midwest Motorcycle Supply, has announced the availability of EPA compliant engines from the company.

Ultima engines, in capacities from 80ci up to 127ci, are now being sold with 49-state EPA compliance. They are being offered in natural, black or polished finishes and are ready to install with carburetors, air filters and ignitions included. Details of which exhaust systems need to be used for compliance are also included in the comprehensive instructions supplied with each engine package.

The 80ci to 113ci engines are supplied with a two-year/24,000-mile limited warranty, and the 120ci and 127ci engines have a one-year/12,000 mile limited warranty.

MIDWEST MOTORCYCLE SUPPLY
Pevely, Missouri, USA
Tel: 636 931 3200
Fax: 636 931 3300
E-mail: midwest@midwest-mc.com

Ultima Engines

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12/08/2008 by info.

NESS Motorcycles, the company set up by Arlen and Cory Ness to manufacture production motorcycles, has launched a new model. The Lowliner V is a limited edition bike powered by a Victory Freedom 106 motor.

The new model is a continuation of the work the Ness family has been doing with Victory, which includes special editions of the 2009 Victory Vision and Victory Jackpot models built at the Victory factory. The new Lowliner V, however, will be produced at the Ness facility in Dublin, California.

The engine in the Lowliner V is 106ci, is finished with diamond-cut heads and barrels and has custom Ness side covers and badges. The new machine features 23in front and 20in rear wheels, with a choice of four different designs. There is also a choice of three styles of grips and pegs and five different levels of Ness paint options, including the full blown ‘You dream it, we can do it’. All sheet metal, mono shock frame, handlebars, mirrors, controls, seat, gas tank, six-piston brakes front and rear, forward controls, headlight and trees are Ness designs.

The 2009 Lowliner V will be available through Victory dealerships later in the year.

www.arlenness.com/

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07/08/2008 by info.

GREG Weld, the driving force behind Weld Racing, has passed away at the age of 64.

Weld began his career in sprint car races, winning over 100, including the 1963 Knoxville Nationals, the premiere event in sprint car racing, as well as the USAC National Sprint Car Championship at the age of 23.

After retiring from racing he founded Weld Wheel Industries in 1970, starting the business with $2,300 he’d saved from racing with the simple idea of making sprint car wheels that performed better. He went on to manufacture forged alloy wheels for various vehicles, including racecars, and was an active sponsor of the United States Auto Club series, NHRA and IHRA. In January 2007, Greg started a new company, Greg Weld Competition Wheels.

Weld was honored during his life and was inducted into numerous Halls of Fame including the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1998. “Greg Weld was a visionary in the Motorsports industry. He raced his way into the record books and into the hearts of many, but more than anything else, Greg Weld was a great friend and will be missed by everyone,” said Bob Baker, President of the Sprint Car Hall of Fame.

Weld leaves behind his wife Deb, former wife Marilyn Brockman-Weld, daughter Christian Weld-Brown and sons Taylor and Brock, as well as sisters Delores Wesley and Marilyn Burasco, and brother Ricky. Greg Weld is survived by his grandchildren Marin Brown, Sophia Brown, Spencer Brown, Harley Weld, Quinton Weld, Aiden Weld, Lola Weld and numerous nieces and nephews.

www.weldracing.com

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07/08/2008 by info.

 Freestyle Class Results, Top 20

Production Manufacturer Class

When it was all over, there were a total of nine builders from the United States finishing in the top 20, and builders from nine different countries representing the top 20 finishers.

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07/08/2008 by info.

After three and a half days of competition the Official World Championship of Custom Bike Building has drawn to a close. What began over a year ago with a series of 12 Affiliate shows, covering four continents and an estimated over 2,000 competitors, has culminated at the pinnacle of motorcycling’s Holy Grail, Sturgis, South Dakota. This year’s OWC has been held at Champions Hall in the heart of Sturgis, South Dakota. Since the opening of the hall on Sunday morning, thousands upon thousands of spectators have poured over the 68 motorcycles, which represent 13 different countries.

People from all walks of life, from local residents to industry insiders, to the builders themselves, have spent many hours studying various aspects of the bikes, which represent the highest level of motorcycle craftsmanship and fabrication in the world.

The competition was divided into four different classes, Metric, Modified Harley-Davidson, Production, and the creme de la creme, the Freestyle Class.

The awards ceremony began promptly at 3:00 pm CST with master of ceremony Chris McGee keeping the packed hall of anxious competitors and spectators entertained. With each winner being announced the anticipation level grew and grew.

Before getting to the class winners McGee announced the winners of the Partners Picks of Excellence. These were motorcycles selected by partners of the OWC, which they felt represented the best use of their parts.

With no time to waste McGee jumped into the announcement of the overall winner of the Metric Class, Jim Giuffra of AFT Customs, located in Martell, California, with his entry Er Hed.

2008 Metric World Champion
AFT Customs, Jim Giuffra, Martell CA, USA
Bike: Er Hed

Next up was Lock Baker’s entry from Eastern Fabrications in Branford, Connecticut, “White Line Nightmare”, taking top honors in the Modified Harley-Davidson Class.

Best Modified Harley-Davidson Prize
Eastern Fabrications, Lock Baker, Branford CT, USA
Bike: White Line Nightmare

It was now time for what everyone was waiting for, the announcement of the finishers in the Freestyle Class. For an unprecedented third time, Canadian Roger Goldammer got the top honors being named the World Champion and overall winner of the Freestyle Class. This is the third time in five years Roger has come out on top of the competition. Roger’s entry for 2008 is the same bike that he competed with on the Bonneville Salt Flats in September of 2007, a liquid-cooled, single-cylinder, fuel-injected blown sport bike, with nitrous that achieved a top speed of just over 164 mph, as he took home a world record with an average speed of 160+ mph. AMD magazine and the World Championship program had started to detect the early signs in a quantum shift in custom design and engineering thinking several month ago. Goldammer’s win confirms that performance may well be poised to emerge as the market’s “New Retro” on a moving forward basis. Just as Roger’s first World Champion bike of five years ago set the standard for the trends to come, we expect his creation “Goldmember” to do the same in the years to come.

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05/08/2008 by info.

The 68th annual Sturgis Rally officially got underway today Monday August 4th. Joining the hundreds of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts already in the Black Hills of South Dakota are many more recent arrivals. This morning got off to a great start with cooler weather coming as a welcome sight when compared to the weekend’s high temperatures.

Monday night AMD and HOT BIKE magazine hosted a welcome party for all the competitors and Partners of the Championship. The party was attended by a huge crowd that spent the evening reminiscing with old friends and making new acquaintances. Many of the competitors spent the better part of the evening going over and explaining numerous intricate details of their bikes to fellow competitors. This is one competition where egos have definitely been checked at the door!

A large enthusiastic crowd of attendees has been steadily streaming through Champions Hall, which houses the Official World Championship of Custom Bike Building. Over and over again spectators have commented in amazement at the high level of craftsmanship displayed on the 66 bikes, which represent 13 different countries.

Vendors in Champions Park have been reporting increases in spectator traffic. This year’s rally goers are proving to be savvy consumers who know just what it is they are looking for and willing to pay for it once they have found it. Motorcycle manufacturers have been busy taking orders on production customs, and look forward to what the upcoming week will bring.

Orange County Choppers has been busy fielding questions from inquisitive consumers regarding their new production line of motorcycles. Of particular interest at the rally has been their touring model dubbed the OCC SR Cruiser. Outfitted with S&S Cycle’s latest powerplant, the X-Wedge, the big bagger boasts 117 inches of displacement to take riders comfortably to their destination.

Kiwi Mike Tomas has brought his 20+ years of experience and unique brand of motorcycle building to both Champions Hall and Champions Park. On display inside the hall is Mike’s example of what he calls a Retro American Motorcycle, the Chieftain. The new motorcycle, built from Mike’s exclusive pieces, is a perfect example of integrating yesterday’s looks with today’s technology and reliability. The bike will be the basis of a new limited production line Mike will be producing from his Riverside, California shop. Outside the hall Mike and son Ross have been busy at their trailer keeping the public informed on their latest offerings including production motorcycles as well as their over 2,500 piece parts catalog.

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04/08/2008 by info.

Taken from the company blog……

And Now For The Moment We’ve All Been Waiting For…

By InMoBlog on  7/17/2008 4:25 PM

An enormous milestone was reached this week at the Indian Motorcycle plant when the first production vehicle rolled off the assembly line.  The first bike to wear the Indian badge was a red and cream 2009 Chief Vintage, complete with windshield, tan leather seat and saddlebags.  The bike was hand-built by a team of 6 craftsmen.

Building an Indian Motorcycle is an intricate yet rewarding process. Each bike is assembled by a team of master craftsmen. A signed certificate of craftsmanship accompanies every bike that comes off the line.

Being part of the team that is building America’s motorcycle is the greatest feeling in the world. Being there when the first bike came off the line was awe-inspiring. The 2009 Chief is truly a work of art.

www.indianmotorcycle.com/

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04/08/2008 by info.

THE Tear Drop air cleaner from S&S is instantly recognizable. However, many potential users mistakenly believe it will only fit S&S Super E or G carburetors. This is not the case as it is available to bolt directly onto a stock CV carb or single bore throttle body.

S&S claim that the chromed air cleaner will offer up to an eight percent increase in horsepower and 10 percent more torque, when used to replace a stock air cleaner. Kit includes backing plate, high-flow pleated air cleaner element, mounting brackets (as required) and Tear Drop cover.

Applications are available for almost every Harley-Davidson motorcycle built from 1986 through to 2008.

S&S CYCLE
La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA
Tel: 608 627 1497/0253
Fax: 608 627 1488/0771
E-mail: sscust@sscycle.com

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