The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

Vintage Harley Davidson Adventure Motorcycles

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After seeing the images of all of those Harley Davidsons riding in snow, jumping hills, climbing mountains and generally taking their riders everywhere makes a person wonder, was it a fluke that these riders decided to do things like that or was it expected, even encouraged by Harley Davidson itself? I started looking through some old magazines for the ads and, sure enough, … [Read more...]

Universal Adventure Motorcycles – Nothing Special and That’s the Whole Point

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Got an email from Gordon yesterday with a long series of vintage photos attached, photos of a group of guys out on their usual Sunday rides in Colorado, showing the kinds of places they went and what they did on the way. A quick look and you know these fellows had some fun in a wide variety of situations, but what struck me right away were the bikes they rode. In today's world … [Read more...]

Catalina Island GP Historic Photos

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With the revival this year of the Catalina Island GP, the first time it has run since 1958, I dug into The Kneeslider research library and came up with a few photos of the early years. I found a couple of articles from 1952 and 1958. Times have changed but some who remember the original races are pretty excited. From what I hear, accommodations are already in short supply so … [Read more...]

Rising Chinese Labor Costs May Signal Opportunity for Manufacturers Elsewhere

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As motorcycle manufacturers everywhere are struggling to remain competitive, they're facing cheap Chinese producers making impossible demands on their few remaining profits, leading to outsourced production in China in order to compete, however, a news item this week signals a change may be brewing. Foxconn Technology, a Chinese contract electronics manufacturer making … [Read more...]

1983 Dnepr Bobber From 500 Dollar Pile of Parts

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You remember Dr. Robert Harms, he's built some spectacular bikes from the most disparate piles of parts imaginable. This Dnepr is no exception, starting as a $500 pile of parts, everything was reconstructed, rebuilt, improved, modified and reengineered. The result is a knockout. How does he do it? The Doc was kind enough to send me this note to explain: This is a … [Read more...]

Radial Engine Sport Bike?

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With the recent mention of the radial engine project going on down under, you start to wonder what the guys building radial engine customs have been up to. The guys at JRL Cycles, who have now put together a number of bikes around the 9 cylinder Rotec radials, are working on several projects, including an 18 cylinder two row version which should be quite a sight. While … [Read more...]