The Motorcycles of the 2014 Kickstart Classic

This year's Kickstart Classic was the biggest yet, with over 100 motorcycles registered for the run.  Here's photos of about a quarter of the motorcycles that attended.

Perry Ruiter's Generator Rebuild and 2-Brush Conversion

The Harley-Davidson V-series engines began using the Model 32E 3-brush generators in 1932.  I assumed that I would be using a rebuilt 32E for my build and went about looking for a reputable builder who hopefully could supply me with a completely rebuilt unit as I did not have a core to rebuild from.  After a little searching I found out about Perry Ruiter who rebuilds 32E generators up in Canada.  I sent him a brief email telling him what I needed and what I wanted to do with the motorcycle and he quickly recommended that I go with one of his rebuilt 32E's that had been converted to a 2-brush model.  Perry went the extra mile and not only educated me on the difference between the 3-brush and 2-brush set ups, but also took pictures of the entire rebuild process explaining each step.

2014 AMCA Southern National Meet

Here's a big collection of photos from the 2014 AMCA Southern National Meet which was held down in Denton, NC.  I picked out my best shots from the two and half day event and you'll see everything from race bikes to slow races.  Those who came early had to weather a massive thunderstorm on Thursday night, but everything dried out in time for the gates to open on Friday, the first official day of the meet.  Both vendor and general admission numbers were up from last year and I hope to see that trend continue as this is a great event with a great location.

Indian Motorcycle Factory Photos from 1908

It would be another 20 years before the Hendee Manufacturing Company would change their name to the Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company that we are all familiar with.  Still, they had been producing Indian Motorcyles since 1901, two years earlier than the first Harley-Davidson.  These photos were taken at their Springfield, MA factory in 1908.  In this collection you'll find photos of early V-twin engines being assembled, frame building and some sheet metal work.

Abandoned Harleys Get New Life in Holland

By the end of World War II, the United States had sent hundreds of thousands of military vehicles to Europe, either for their own troops or to their Allies through the Lend Lease Program.  Once the War was over, it was impractical to ship all these vehicles back to the US, so many of them were destroyed.  For years, stories have been told about how hundreds of vehicles, including Harley-Davidsons, were dumped off of ships, buried in large pits or otherwise destroyed.  There has probably even been a quest or two launched to locate these secret dumping grounds filled with now valuable military machines.