Hot Bike, August 2011 issue......

Strange how things work out sometimes. The August '11 issue of Hot Bike features a tech article I did on hardtailing the '99-back Softail frames. If you're not a regular reader of HB, and if you've contemplated doing this exact frame conversion on your Softie, the issue is well worth picking up to see exactly what a conversion like this involves, and how practical it is. Why not work with what you already have, right?

Originally, I did this article for Jeff Holt, and he was going to run the article in Street Chopper. But, Jeff told me at Kutty's Hippy Killer Hoedown that Eric Ellis, the editor for Hot Bike, was in Jeff's office, saw the article on Jeff's desk, and asked if he could have it for Hot Bike. Jeff said he thought I wouldn't mind, and gave it to Eric. I told Jeff I didn't mind, they could have run it in Guns and Ammo or Yachting, as long as Source Interlink sent me the check, haha.......

Seriously, it worked out great. Part-timer Steve shot the photos as we worked, and did a killer job on them. The crew at Hot Bike did a really nice job on the layout, and you can follow along on the conversion easily as you read it. They even gave me a nice blurb on the cover to boot, and I got a chance to share the issue with Tommy Foster's build he did for Marc Altieri, two guys I know well. Thanks to Eric and the HB staff, it was most appreciated!
Speaking of hardtailed Softail frames, Wade sent me this photo of his TC B-motored '06 that I did the conversion on, along with a rewiring, Altmann P-3 ignition, a custom set of hi/lo shotguns, and one of my sissy bars.

This photo was taken at a carwash in Taos, NM, on one of his trips from Oklahoma back to Flagstaff. Glad to see you're out and about and enjoying the finished product, that's what it's all about! Now, if I can just get back on Deb's bike project......