"American Chopper" is No More: Final Episode to Air February 11th
 It seems all those arguments and legal back and forths have finally come to a head: American Chopper has been canceled, and the final episode will air on TLC this Thursday, February 11th at 9:00 pm (8:00 pm, central.) The show originally debuted on Discovery Channel in 2003.
A voiceover on a TLC promo mentions "...a year of change and challenge," suggesting the Teutul family just don't have it in 'em any more to take part in a reality television show. The cancellation could also signal-- at least in the eyes of mainstream America-- the final death throws of the custom chopper. What do you think?
Source: TLC
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Photo © TLC "American Chopper" is No More: Final Episode to Air February 11th originally appeared on About.com Motorcycles on Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 15:32:20. Permalink | Comment | Email this
Harley Goes Hollywood... at Least Through Oscar Season
Harley-Davidson loves to play up their Hollywood history, and an upcoming exhibit at their Milwaukee museum is timed to coincide with the 2010 Academy Awards. From February 12 - March 14, a variety of bikes will be on display at their "Harleys & Hollywood" show.
The exhibit will include bikes from Star Trek, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Wild Hogs, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Visitors will be able to pose for pictures in the saddle of the Softail ridden by Shia LaBeouf in Indiana Jones (pictured above; click to enlarge.)
In addition to the bikes on display, a gallery talk will be held by an Archives and Curatorial staff member every Thursday at 2:00 pm, from February 18 to March 11. Tim Woods and Justin Kell, who worked together on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Star Trek, and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, will also host a special discussion about their behind-the-scenes experiences on February 26th at 7:00 pm.
For more info, go to Harley's official museum website.
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Photos © Harley-Davidson, Touchstone Pictures;
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Harley Goes Hollywood... at Least Through Oscar Season originally appeared on About.com Motorcycles on Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 04:39:39. Permalink | Comment | Email this
Motorcycle Mutt: What Happens When You Cross an Alfa Romeo With a Bobber
Here's a two-wheeled curiosity from the mechanical island of Dr. Moreau: Crossbreed Cycles took the heart of a 1970s era Alfa Romeo-- in this case, an all-aluminum 2.5 liter V6 that churns out a reported 156 horsepower-- and shoehorned it into a hardtail Kraftec frame, hooking it up to a four-speed Harley gearbox and Kawasaki ZXR 750-sourced forks and brakes. Its name? Why, Alfabeast, of course.
 But what's especially trick about this high-powered one-off is the way everything comes together, from the four downdraft Weber carbs protruding upward through the tank to the six counterintuitively small diameter, four foot-long exhaust pipes.
Wouldn't this baby make a sweet alternative to the plus-sized, super-powered Boss Hoss V8?
Sources:Crossbreed Cycles, Bike EXIF
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Photos © Crossbreed Cycles;
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Motorcycle Mutt: What Happens When You Cross an Alfa Romeo With a Bobber originally appeared on About.com Motorcycles on Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 03:51:52. Permalink | Comment | Email this
One Man's Obsession: A Photo Gallery of Jerry Kieffer's Amazing 1/8th Scale Harley-Davidson Knucklehead Model
 After retiring from his job as a field rep for a Wisconsin power company, Jerry Kieffer dove deep into his passion of building perfectly scaled mechanical models. Kieffer says he's a non-professional machinist who learned his craft primarily through trial and error, creating immaculate (and functional) renditions of steam engines, miniature tools, and a John Deere tractor in tiny scale before he ventured into the two-wheeled realm.
Using his restored 1947 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead as a prototype, Kieffer proceeded to build a 1/6th scale version of the bike's pushrod-actuated v-twin (which actually runs!) before he decided he wanted to go even smaller. So he set out to build a 1/8th scale version of the bike, complete with a working powerplant, gearbox, kick starter, and speedometer.
The model is currently in process, and you can see its engine, gearbox, kick start assembly, and sundry other parts (including an amusing practical joke by his engraver) in this 1/8th Scale Harley-Davidson Knucklehead Photo Gallery.
Sources: Cyril Huze Blog, Internet Craftsmanship Museum
Photo © Jerry Kieffer;
Click for One Eighth Scale Harley-Davidson Knucklehead Photo Gallery
One Man's Obsession: A Photo Gallery of Jerry Kieffer's Amazing 1/8th Scale Harley-Davidson Knucklehead Model originally appeared on About.com Motorcycles on Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 01:44:24. Permalink | Comment | Email this
2010 Kawasaki Buyer's Guide: Key Specs and Pricing for Every Motorcycle Kawasaki Sells
Don't let my recent review of the hooligan-friendly 2010 Kawasaki Z1000 fool ya; hot rods are but a sliver of the Kawasaki motorcycle lineup. There's a broad spread of cruisers, from the Vulcan 900 Classic ($8,149) to the Vulcan 1700 Classic Nomad ($15,199), as well as sportier touring options like the Concours 14 ($14,599).
Wanna hit the dirt? Kawi's offerings range from the humble KLX110 offroader ($2,099) to the aggro KX450F motocrosser ($8,049), and everything in between... not the mention dual purpose standards like the KLR650 ($5,999).
 But of course, Kawasaki's also home to the notorious Ninja franchise, which encompasses the beginner-friendly Ninja 250R ($4,299), the rocket-powered ZX-14 ($13,399), milder-mannered family members like the ER-6n ($6,699) and the Versys ($7,599), and a few others.
The whole lineup-- including key specs, pricing, and seat height information-- is encapsulated in this 2010 Kawasaki Buyer's Guide, which includes a few holdover 2009 models which may or may not get refreshed later in the year.
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Photos © Kawasaki;
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2010 Kawasaki Buyer's Guide: Key Specs and Pricing for Every Motorcycle Kawasaki Sells originally appeared on About.com Motorcycles on Thursday, February 4th, 2010 at 04:13:21. Permalink | Comment | Email this
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To me, the idea of watching a DVD in a moving car is still a novelty -- but it's old hat to the folks at Chrysler, who are introducing live television as an option in several of their vehicles. I got a chance to sample Chrysler's FLO TV service, and it works pretty well. 
