By Brian Lohnes

BangShift.com

We’ve found a new personal gearhead hero. Whoever this guy is, he rules. Anyone who can claim ownership of a twin-engine, Harley-powered nitro bike is already walking among titans, but to have the balls to fire it up in the driveway and make a dry hop? Where do we go to join the fan club and get our decoder ring.

Things to look for. First is the female who was an integral part of the process because she started the camera and wisely sought shelter. Second, note that the dude is wearing velco type shoes with no socks. Thirdly, note that he installs the lanyard which would kill the bike in the event he were to be launched off the back, yet does not bother with a helmet. Fourthly, realize that he does the jobs of like four normal crew guys just to get the thing started and on the wheels.

This is awesome!

By Jen Dunnaway

Editor

In conjunction with this year’s K&N Horsepower Challenge, our favorite filter company will be sending eight finalists to the races and then awarding one of them this ultra-bad brand-new Harley. The Horsepower Challenge will see the top eight NHRA Pro Stock drivers face off against each other in a series of eliminations. Each finalist K&N sends to the event will be assigned to a specific driver–and whoever’s paired up with the driver who wins the event will be the one who gets to take home the Harley. Talk about having a reason to root for your driver! Become a fan of K&N on CarDomain, and check out the K&N site to enter the contest.

By John Coyle

Deputy Editor

The overall record for distance jumping is far north of 183 feet, but that is the farthest anyone has flown a Harley-Davidson. Seth Enslow made the jump in Sydney on a XR1200 with a dirt bike suspension and different handle bars, but other than that, it was stock. When he landed, he apparently racked his nuts something fierce, but since he’s not speaking in a falsetto, we can assume he’s probably OK. This looks pretty burly…

By Brian Lohnes

BangShift.com

Now this is some fun stuff. This 88ci Harley-Davidson powered dragster, which looks all the world like a slightly puffed up Jr. dragster was built by Phil McGee who is a major supplier of parts to the Jr. dragster community.

The ad says that the car can compete in normal bracket classes and we’re thinking that it moves out pretty well with the 5-speed trans and grunt from the V-Twin. Hell, even today’s higher powered juniors, with their alky swilling, billet block engines make enough snot to scare the pants off the occasional parent who jumps in to make a fun lap.

The chassis is 17ft long and the whole car only weighs about 500lbs, so although one guy could roll it around easily enough, it won’t fit into the bed of your truck. Some custome fab work and creativity could result in a carrier system that may allow you to though.

We wish they included some elapsed times for this creation, because we’re thinking it screams. The seller also said that he will include all the parts to make the car capable of swallowing a 103ci engine for even more snot.

Click here to see the whole ad. This is neat!

By Weston Henderson

Weston Henderson

I’ve always enjoyed motorcycles and this year I’m thinking about moving to the cruiser market. What do you guys think about the new Harley Iron 883? It’s basically a slightly less expensive, smaller displacement version of the Nightster 1200. I’d probably throw some mini ape hangers, whitewalls and wrap the exhaust.  So… should I get one? Or will I run the risk of looking like Justin Bobby from the Hills , because we all know he’s so cool.

Generally, I like to get this post up by noon. But this morning, I was out test driving a Lamborghini Gallardo. Boy, is my life rough. Here’s the news: 

• Given the news that Budweiser is no longer American owned, it’s kind of nice to hear than Harley Davidson has purchased Italian motorcycle company MV Augusta. Apparently the US dollar is still worth something. Associated Press
• In tough times like these, every automaker is feeling the pinch. Oops, sorry, not every automaker. Ferrari is doing better than ever, and the future doesn’t look bad either. Detroit News
• A gay dude in Italy was told that his sexual orientation required that he retake his driving test. No word on why the Italian DMV thought a re-test was required, but he sued, and was awarded $157,000 for the slight. Bellisima! Rueters
• The General has a plan to whip its troops in shape, and we’ll know the full scope of it tomorrow. You know there are plenty of folks that are going to have trouble sleeping tonight. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that any of the really painful cuts are worth it. Freep

Even though most of the people who can actually afford Harleys aren’t really the outlaw biker type, the company still likes to foster the impression they are. After all, it’s a lot cooler to be a Hells Angel than an accountant. So in keeping with that philosophy, the storied motorcycle manufacturer has chosen "Screw it, Let’s Ride" as its new slogan. When I first heard it, I was pretty sure this was a joke, but a quick trip over to Harley Davidson.com confirmed it’s for real. Personally, I dig the new verbiage, and I think it would be great if some car companies adapted this shoot-from-the-hip style. Check out a couple I can up with: "Toyota: It’s Just a Driving Appliance, but it Won’t Break," and "Ferrari: Don’t Worry, Not Everyone Will Think You’re Compensating."

Aside from the Dark Knight, the popcorn flick I’m most looking forward to this summer is Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Crystal Skull. Since Harrison Ford probably wouldn’t put up with being treated like a walking set-piece—as Lucas did with the actors in the Star Wars prequels—it’ll probably be a blast. Harley scored a product placement in the new movie, but the fact that it’s set in the ’50s forced them to get creative. While the bike in the photo below looks like a piece of post-war iron, it’s actually a new Softail Springer modified with period pieces. And while I don’t have any problem with the subterfuge, I wonder just how Harley intends to capitalize on the screen time. After all, the current model looks considerably different than the one Dr. Jones will be riding. Maybe the company will release a limited-edition retro package, like Triumph did—quite successfully—with the Bonneville? Stay tuned. More pics over at Autoblog. 

Here’s a story that’s sure to get some people upset. The police department in Lake Mary, Florida has decided to replace their fleet of Harley patrol bikes with new Hondas. The reason? Money. Over the course of a typical year, the Harleys cost almost $3000—per bike—to maintain, compared with the Honda’s $520 dollars, and get far worse gas mileage—30MPG to the Honda’s 42MPG. While I have to admit I like the idea of cops riding American iron, a $3000 bill seems pretty steep for a modern motorcycle. And given that the Honda is lighter, faster and more agile, this decision seems like a no-brainer. Read more over on the local ABC affiliate site.

Harley unveiled its new 2008 CrossBones in LA over the weekend, and I think they hit the nail on the head with this new design. While I’m not crazy about the ape-hangers—I prefer to be able to turn comfortably—I do love the old-school flavor the hidden the swingarm, liberal use of black, and the tiny headlight give the bike. Harley is clearly trying expand its demo from the retiring baby-boomers who’ve snatched up most of its inventory of late, and the CrossBones looks like a great start. What do you think? Will we see more youngsters passing up crotch rockets for American iron? Or is Harley destined to be the Buick of bikes?