DEAR BSH,
During the time of the coronavirus lockdown I’ve come to realise how lucky we are to have the Internet. How fantastic it is that, with a few clicks of a button, you can learn how to fix your bike, see reviews, and watch bike builders doing their thing on YouTube. A few fantastic sites come to mind; for example, Biker Build Off (featuring the likes of Billy Lane and Indian Larry), Pacific Mike (an old-school biker showing you how to fix your old Harley), Hunting Harleys, the Kaplan Motorcycle Museum, and don’t forget Delboy’s Garage! These, and many other, sites’ve kept me entertained during the lockdown period (although I have had the odd spin on my Dyna and my Shovel).
Talking of how great the Internet is, I bought a Shovelhead off eBay. Years ago you’d have to trawl through bike papers or mags to find what you were looking for, but now you can view loadsofphotosofabikeorevenseeavideo clip. Although I have a relatively modern Harley (a 2001 Twin Cam Dyna Wide Glide), I always hankered after an old-school Harley chopper, so after seeing one for sale on eBay I gave the seller a call, and off I went to have a look.
He ceremoniously pulled the tarpaulin off the bike, and there was this beautiful Shovelhead chopper which’d been chopped from a ‘78
FXS Lowrider. A few kicks later, and the bike came to life and settled into a tick-over through straight-through slash-cut pipes. Ah, the sound of a Shovelhead! Buying it as a second bike off the ‘net was the best thing I’ve ever done as it’s forced me to learn howtoworkona bike, and appreciate what makes it tick. Iif there’s one thing
I’d like to advise
your readers, that’d be buying a second, older bike to make you get your tools out, and have a go. With the aid of a workshop manual, and loads of helpful tips from the ‘net, you can more or less tackle any job, and if you get a tatty old bike, you’ll be more likely to have a go instead of tampering with your new bike.
Keep in the wind.
TOM The Internet is, indeed, great, but it’s also killing off bike magazines left, right and centre (most of the Yank ones’ve gone, 100% is no more, and a lot of European ones’ve closed, too), so enjoy the ‘net, but remember to keep buying bike mags (especially this one) too! N.