Category: B.A.D. Bike Build

To build and auction a custom Harley-Davidson Motorcycle as a unique way to contribute to the American Diabetes Association via the Southern California Rip’s B.A.D. Ride. A father and his paraplegic son will build a chopper – each with limited building experience – and calling on some friends to help with the “really tough stuff”. We will share the story on Blacktop Magazine with interviews of people who have overcome incredible challenges to pursue their dreams. Also we will talk with Father/Son teams, guest wrenchers, top product and service supporters.

Cleaning Rusty Gold

Cleaning Parts with Evapo-Rust Story: John Oro, Photos: Blacktop Media Staff Watching the American Pickers on the History Channel you hear the term Rusty Gold quite a bit. Uncovering the layers of history to find a truly valuable and unique item…

B.A.D. Bike Design and Planning

Now What? Story: T-Bone If you are like us and have never built a bike from the ground up it can be a bit daunting. Sure the TV shows show how easy it is, like a snap-together kit. Most of…

Treasured Truck Trunk

Say that three times fast… Photos/Video/Story: T-Bone You may recall when Billy and I were at the SEMA Show we saw some really cool products. One of them we mentioned in a previous article was the AeroBox from the family…

Time for a Road Trip

Photos: Anna/Potter, Story: T-Bone Living in Southern California I feel a bit isolated from the rest of our great country. Many of you have been under an arctic vortex with sub-zero temperatures and storm after storm after storm. I hope…

Hillco Super Cruise

Going for the Goal Video – Blacktop Media Network Our buddy Gary Morin from Rusty Relic Photography has said throughout the year that we should hit the annual Hillco Fastener Warehouse Super Cruise. This year we woke up early and…

Treasure Hunt

At the So Cal Cycle Swap Meet T-Bone and Billy head out to the So Cal Cycle Show and Swap Meet at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach. The Topping Events’ meet is one of the best in the country. On…

B.A.D. to the Bone

“Every act of creation, is first an act of destruction.” – Pablo Picasso Photos: Billy, Story: T-Bone I am an artist, writer, chef and I guess now bike builder. I am finding quite a few close resemblances to the art…

B.A.D. Engine Pt. 1

Wait till you see the black jewel to be unearthed from this beast. Photos/Story: Billy/T-Bone Today we ran over to visit with the engine for the B.A.D. Bike Build. Our buddy Mitch is going to split the cases. We ran…

Forensic Bikeology

Ten Years Gone Photos/Story: T-Bone The B.A.D. Bike is a 1980 Harley-Davidson LowRider. As we begin to tear down what’s left of this highway carcass it’s easy to get lost in the stories this steel steed could tell. It appears…

A Shovel Full

The B.A.D. Bike Continues a Tradition From 1966 to 1984 Harley-Davidson manufactured the Shovelhead engine. From 66-69 the Shovelhead used the Panhead style generator case (Pan-Shovels). From 1970 they incorporated an alternator bottom end (Cone-Shovels). Late in 1978 the motor…

Bringing it Home

Cone-Shovel Rolling Chassis Donor Photo/Story T-Bone The B.A.D. Bike Build get’s underway with an anonymous donor basketcase Shovelhead. What was at first described as a ’70’s Superglide is slowly being discovered to be a Low Rider. More mysteries to be…