04/10/2008 by info.

S&S Cycle President and company founder’s grandson Brett Smith is resigning from his post with the Wisconsin-based engines and performance parts manufacturer effective December 1st.

In an exclusive interview with AMD Magazine, Brett’s father George Smith said that “accepting Brett’s decision has been the toughest business decision of my life, and not something that I welcome or have sought”.

He went on to say “I’d like to pay tribute to the job that Brett has done for S&S Cycle. He took up the challenge some six years ago and under his watch the company has faced the most difficult period in its history. Recent times have been challenging for any company in our position and whoever had been in the hot-seat would have had the most difficult series of issues to address”.

“However he has done an outstanding job in dealing with those issues, and I and the board of directors at S&S Cycle are grateful to him for the determination and creativity that have characterized his stewardship of the business”.

“I and the board are one hundred percent supportive of the initiatives he has set in motion to help prepare the business for its next fifty years of market leadership, such as the internet re-seller policy, authorized dealer and distributor training and qualification programs, the successful creation of our world-class Customer Service Center at La Crosse, the way he has provided market leadership in the development of the Certified Engine Program, the successful launch of the X-Wedge engine and more”.

“The list of Brett’s successes is long and impressive. In a short time he has made an outstanding contribution to the future of our company, and I genuinely believe that he has also done the interests of the wider market, of which we are a part, a vital service through the vision and leadership he has shown in relation to regulatory matters”.

George Smith will now operate S&S Cycle as Executive Chairman and CEO, with Brett Smith’s tenure as President ending on December 1st.

Commenting on his decision, Brett Smith told AMD Magazine that “Those who know me well know that I have been considering stepping aside for some time, but wanted to see the plans that we had laid for celebration of our 50th anniversary through to their conclusion, and to supervise the first stage of the reshaping of our costs that is inevitably necessary to ensure the company is able to maintain its position of market leadership for years to come”.

“I have enjoyed my time as company President even though it has been a tough period for us; indeed for the market as a whole. I think I have achieved a lot, and have reached a point where much of what the company needed to do to shape itself for the future has been set in motion. So I sense that now is the right time to step down and take a break before setting myself some new challenges”.

“I’d like to thank my family for the opportunity they gave me, and to thank our fantastic workforce and dealer network for the wonderful support they continue to give to S&S Cycle. I firmly believe ours is a business that can now face the future with confidence, and that generations of riders to come will be able to enjoy the benefits of a product line that combines the greatest aspects of the market’s past with a genuinely future-facing performance opportunity”.

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

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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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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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16/05/2008 by info.

BIG Bear Choppers is the first motorcycle manufacturer to have 50-state EPA certified motorcycles in production using the S&S X-Wedge motor. The bike - the G.T.X. Bagger - achieved this feat after Big Bear Choppers worked closely with the new S&S Emissions Certification Laboratory in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

The G.T.X. is a radical departure for the California-based motorcycle manufacturer better known for its line of production Choppers. The bike is a reworking of a traditional Pro Street design to create a modern Touring machine. The patented design stretches the bike’s wheelbase to place the pillion seat in front of the rear wheel to centralize the weight on the bike and improve handling. A second advantage of the redesign is the inclusion of an auxiliary gas tank below the pillion seat in the space created by the wheelbase stretch, which allows for greater mileage between gas stops.

Talking about the collaboration between the two companies, Kevin Alsop, owner of Big Bear Choppers, said: “S&S and BBC philosophies are parallel, to create the most innovative, reliable and comfortable product while increasing efficiency and power by using the latest technology the world has to offer. To concept and produce this kind of end product to our high standards takes a seamless joint effort, and S&S is 100 percent with us.”

These sentiments were echoed by Michael Scaletta, S&S Director of New Business Development, who said: “Helping Big Bear Choppers get the first 50 state emissions certification is the culmination of the X-Wedge engine project for S&S. When we were developing the X-Wedge powerplant, Big Bear Choppers was in on it from the start. We are very thankful for their innovation and support.”

BIG BEAR CHOPPERS
Big Bear City, California, USA
Tel: 909 878 4340
Fax: 909 878 4341
E-mail: andy@bigbearchoppers.com

www.bigbearchoppers.com

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28/02/2008 by info.

Ever hear of a V-twin Evo or Twin Cam motor with approximately 85% of available torque coming in at approximately 1500 RPM? We have! At RPMHemi.com we do it all day long with our patented 4 Valve Hemi Bolt on Head Conversion Kits. “This is simply the best performance bolt on for the buck in the V-Twin market!” states Phillip Holmes, VP of Marketing & Sales for RPMHemi.com. You can estimate an approximate 20% power gain. This is a proven technology with both street and racing applications.

How it works: Utilizing our patented 4Valve system in a hemispherical combustion chamber we can increase airflow 1.5 times, increasing the compression ratio while maintaining a 25° spark advance, which gives an equal full burn in the chamber, while preventing pre detonation. All this in a package that is ¼” lower than stock heads. Our headsets and engines are also low in emissions.

RPMHemi.com manufactures their patented 4 Valve Hemi Head Kits and sells complete 97”, 107” and 114” motors with or without our 4Valve Hemi Heads and we have our patented Ram Chamber for single and dual carburetor V-Twin applications.

Currently, we have several OEM motorcycle manufacturers testing our products and all looks good.

Link: Revolution Performance Motors

via: http://thekneeslider.com/

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22/02/2008 by info.

TRASK Performance now has bolt-on turbo kits available for H-D’s Sportster. The kits are designed specifically for use on 2007 and 2008 EFI equipped Sportsters.

The complete kits are said to be easy to fit for any competent HD mechanic and produce a claimed 113.3bhp at 6200rpm with 110ft lbs torque from an otherwise stock 2007, 1200R.

Each kit is supplied with a highly modified Garrett GT Series turbocharger, billet plenum with built-in velocity stack, billet breathers, ceramic or chrome pipes, hi-flow injectors and a high performance clutch spring.

TRASK PERFORMANCE
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Tel: 623 879 8488
Fax: 623 879 8470
E-mail: info@turboyourharley.com

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13/02/2008 by info.

S&S announces TUV approval on EURO III T-Series engines and TUV carburetor approval.

S&S Cycle has announced the successful approval of a TÜV closed loop fuel-injected T-Series EURO III engine program.

The S&S T124 engine meets the current EURO III noise and exhaust emission standards and is certified for use in ‘02-’06 Harley-Davidson touring motorcycles. The motor will be offered in natural, back, and polished finishes to European customers. Each engine will include an S&S VFI system, closed loop air/fuel ratio control, single bore throttle body, Teardrop air cleaner, and the necessary TÜV documentation for the engine. Installation of the engine will require adding oxygen sensors to the stock header pipes and the use of stock 2007 mufflers to meet EURO III emissions.

Director of Business Development, Michael Scaletta, said: “Getting the T-Series certified to EURO III emissions is a big deal to us. It allows our European customers to continue to use the best air-cooled pushrod V-twins in the world.”

The company has also received TÜV approval on Super E carburetor kits as replacement components for ‘84-’06 Harley Davidson Big Twins and ‘86-’03 Sportster models. The carburetor kits include an S&S manifold, Super E carburetor, Teardrop air cleaner and TÜV documentation.

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

www.sscycle.com

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23/10/2007 by info.

JIMS has released a line of race engines beginning with the 131ci Twin Cam race engine.

The 131ci, which fits into all stock and after market frames, features a 4- 1⁄2 stroke with a bore diameter of 4-5⁄16in. The CNC-ported heads were developed specifically to flow maximum air, and the oil pump is upgraded from the stock H-D unit. A billet cam support plate, which utilizes Harley-Davidson’s new hydraulic cam chain tensioner, is fitted as are the new JIMS Powerglide II hydraulic tappets.

The engines fit Twin Cam Touring and Dyna models, as well as the ‘91-’99 Evolution model.
An additional version of the 131ci motor has been developed which will bolt directly into Evolution style frames of older H-D models.

The range of 131ci engines is complemented by a 120ci Twin Cam race engine for 2000 - 2006 Softail models. The JIMS 120ci is the only race engine available for counter-balanced Softail models. It is claimed to deliver 121hp and 125 ft-lbs of torque.

JIMS thick-walled cases offer greater strength and can support a bore size of up to 4.800. This engine features pressed flywheels, forged pistons, Screamin’ Eagle valve springs, forged 4340 steel connecting rods and the latest JIMS Powerglide II tappets.

As with the 131ci version Jims offers a 120ci Twin Cam engine which will bolt into a frame designed for an Evo.

JIMS USA
Camarillo, California, USA
Tel: 805 482 6913

www.jimsusa.com

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11/10/2007 by info.

S&S Cycle has released details of the international builders participating in its 50th Anniversary Bike Build.

On June 26-29, 2008 motorcycle industry history will be made as 50 of the best-known custom bike builders in the world come together in LaCrosse Wisconsin, to support the S&S 50th Anniversary celebration. And while they will be there to support S&S, every builder has plans to win the $50,000 Grand Prize by taking first place in the bike show.

“When I think back to 1979, when I joined the business, who would have thought that we would have 50 builders from all around the world building motorcycles to participate in a competition celebrating our 50th,” said S&S Chairman of the Board, George Smith.

The builders will come from Australia, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden and the United States. A full list of builders will be published in AMD #101.

Judging will be done by the builders themselves, key media members, S&S personnel, show attendees and internet voters. Each engine category winner will receive the cost of their engine back and the People’s Choice winner gets a brand new X-Wedge engine.

The engines used in this historic event will be serial-numbered from 1958 to 2007 as a tribute to the 50 years of S&S and represent the only anniversary engines built for the S&S 50th. The 51st engine, serial number 2008, will be used in a special S&S project to be revealed later.

www.sscycle.com

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