CustomMotorCyclePartsBlog.com

PM Parts Made to Match Your FL Touring Model Harley

Everybody knows that Performance Machine has set the standard for quality in the motorcycle parts industry, from creating designs and then testing them to manufacturing the parts and testing them again.

So it’s no big surprise that we produce superior parts and accessories for Harley-Davidson’s FL Touring Models that add class and quality to any Harley — from a brand-new bike just off the showroom floor to a rusting relic that’s “tore up from the floor up.”

So, which of our FL products best tie that bike together? The obvious answer is wheels — our specialty. But next on that list would be matching brake discs, a belt sprocket and our Super Gas air cleaner. All these parts are made to match and complement our other components, such as our fuel door covers and bag latches.

In fact, that’s one of the things that sets us apart from the other parts manufacturers. Many of those folks offer a hodgepodge of accessories that aren’t manufactured to the same high quality stands we use, and do not necessarily connect visually with each other — creating, for instance, a bike with flames on the fuel door and maybe bag latches with grinning skulls. No theme there. Our products are designed to fit together in a consistent visual manner. And that’s important for riders who can only buy parts when their budget permits.

Our customers often ask us to help them prioritize their purchases with, say, a $500 budget. To us, that’s an easy decision. For under five bills, you can get our FL brake lever at $149.95, the FL shift lever at $89.95, FL bag latches at $149.95 and, of course, our Renthal Wrapped grips at $99.95. What these specific parts do is instantly give your bike a transformed look. And the best news? Anybody with basic mechanical skills can slap these on your bike. And they’re available in either black or chrome.

Our products are always designed with form and function in mind. For example our Renthal Wrapped Grips feature real Renthal rubber — and believe us when we say no one else in the industry offers real Renthal rubber. Our grips are designed to keep hand fatigue down because we use a grip that is 1.25 inches in diameter — the smallest you can find. This provides a more controlled grip that cuts down on vibration, which in turn, means less hand fatigue. Plus, like all our parts, it looks great on your bike!

If you’re sprucing up your FL and you’re wondering what PM parts can best do the job, here’s a list of what’s offered. Any one of these accessories can only add value to your ride:

• Latch Covers – smooth and fluted
• Speaker Cover – bezel and fluted
• Fuel Door – smooth and fluted
• Axle Kit and cover
• FL Mirrors
• Floor Board –rider and passenger
• Heel-toe shifter
• Brake Lever
• 4-piston FL Calipers
• Hydraulic Clutch Cover (any model, not just FL)
• Rear Master Cylinder
• Air Cleaners (any model not just FL)
• 11.8-inch Brake Rotors (Dyna Model and FL)
• Wheels (any model, not just FL)
• Hand Controls fit any 1-inch bar (any model, not just FL)

For more information, visit our parts and products sections at www.performancemachine.com.

PM Rolling Out Latest Wheel Designs at Fall Rallies

We’re continuing our year-long 40th anniversary celebration by loading up the show rig and heading out to several points on the compass this fall, ready to display our unique product line of more than 15 wheel designs. Also on tour through the end of the year will be our line of calipers, hand and foot controls and bagger accessories.

First stop will be in Berlin, Md., for the annual Delmarva Bike Week near Ocean City. Scheduled Sept. 16-19, Delmarva Bike Week is absolutely free. And like the sponsors say, if it rains you get a bike wash and wet T-shirt contest thrown in for free! For more details, visit http://www.delmarvabikeweek.com.

Next on Performance Machine fall rally agenda is a stop-off in Reno, Nev., as well as nearby Carson City and Virginia City. Street Vibrations Motorcycle Festival is a gathering of music, metal and motorcycle enthusiasts that’s so big, it can’t be contained in one city. There will be tours, live entertainment, parades, ride-in shows, stunt shows and more. The show runs Sept. 22-26. For additional information, click on http://www.road-shows.com/street_vibrations.php.

And, of course, what Oktoberfest would be complete without Biktoberfest, an international award-winning motorcycle festival set smack in the middle of Daytona Beach, Fla. This year’s extravaganza runs from Oct. 14-17 and puts the emphasis on plenty of sun, bikes and fun. To find out more, visit http://biketoberfest.org.

Finally, we’re pulling our huge show rig into Galveston, Tex., Nov 4 and leaving it there through Nov. 7 for the absolutely free Lone Star Rally. This event includes a biker promenade and Best Decorated Bike & Rider Contest, the Lone Star Rally Poker Run and Crawl, a display of military tribute bikes, and a Tattoo Expo featuring the best artists in the nation to help you with your body art. Details are at http://www.lonestarrally.com.

From Maryland to Texas, Performance Machine will be easy to find during the fall motorcycle rally season. If you’re planning on attending any of these great events, be sure to stop by and say hello to the PM crew.

Announcing August’s Bike of the Month Winner

Thank you to all the enthusiastic fans who voted for their favorite motorcycle in the PM August Bike of the Month contest.  No doubt, this month’s top 2 finalists were able to transform their motorcycles using Performance Machine products.

The top honor this month goes to – John K. whose 1999 Dyna Super Glide Sport, rockin’ a set of Contrast Cut Judge wheels, earning him the most votes.

Congratulations John – your motorcycle is definitely a show stopper.  You will be receiving your well-deserved $100 certificate toward Performance Machine product, plus your motorcycle will be featured here on our blog as well as on the PM homepage – Performancemachine.com. You also qualify for the PM Bike of the Year contest.

If you think your bike is worthy of winning the Performance Machine BOTM contest, look for a blog post later this month to submit your motorcycle for September’s contest.  And, just because you didn’t win this month doesn’t mean you are not eligible to resubmit your entry.  Check out the contest details to learn more.

Busy, Busy Week for PM at Sturgis This Year

The only thing missing from the Sturgis Rally this year was the tornado and hailstorm that plagued last year’s edition of the greatest motorcycle gathering on earth. That’s right, we had perfect weather all week long — and for those of us from Performance Machine, it was a week full of sales, installations and great chats with our loyal customers and friends.

We unloaded the huge PM show rig outside Black Hills Harley-Davidson in nearby Rapid City, and before we knew it, folks were lining up to buy our gear, get it installed and get back on the road. We sold a lot of PM Edition packages, which include wheels, matching rotors and Super Gas air cleaners.

And there was great interest in our FL Axle Kits, the major new product that we rolled out at Sturgis this year. These front-end kits feature an upgraded axle and two CNC-machined bolts — manufactured from high-strength, corrosion-resistant 316-stainless steel.

Also popular were our PM Renthal Wrapped grips Luxe wheels, Trike Parts and 40th Anniversary Bagger. With all these new and proven products on hand, we experienced sales that were up over last year’s rally.

And despite all the work on our hands, we still had time for some fun. Custom bike builder Jessie Rooke dropped by the PM show rig, bringing along armloads of his colorful T-shirts for our team. And Pee Wee Herman made a surprise visit (we kid you not), chatting up the Sturgis crowd and posing for a photo with Ted Sands, our national sales director, and Mark Finnie, PM president.

If you don’t watch yourself, you begin to take the Sturgis Rally for granted. It’s always a great event that taxes the senses and emotions of everybody who participates. The noise, the people, the chrome, the setting — all create memories that stay with you all year long until the next rally rolls around on the calendar.

So once again, we’d like to thank all of our loyal supporters who came by to say howdy, and thank our new customers for making Sturgis 2010 a big success for all of us.

Vote Now for PM’s August’s 2010 Bike of the Month

Before we announce the two finalists and ask everyone to vote in our August 2010 Bike of the Month contest, we would like to take a moment to thank everyone who submitted an entry.  We truly appreciate everyone’s enthusiasm for the Performance Machine brand, and we thank the dozens of riders who chose to share their photos and stories.

We had a blast checking out all the customized bikes and reading the history behind each one, but as with contests, only a select few can make it into the final round.  Without any further ado, here are the two finalists for August’s Bike of the Month:

1. John K.’s 1999 Dyna Super Glide Sport

John’s 1999 Dyna Super Glide features the following PM products:

- Contrast Cut Judge wheels

- Matching Judge Belt Sprocket

- Matching Judge Brake Rotors

- Renthal grips

- RSD Air Cleaner

And here’s John’s statement about his bike:

” I am writing to nominate my bike for August’s PM Bike of the Month!
When I was ready to give my bike a major upgrade using Performance Machine parts, I knew exactly where to find the artist I wanted to work on my bike.  Matt Whiting is the top wrench and local Harley Guru for “Frisco Custom Cycles” at 6427 Main Street, Frisco, TX 75034.
My HD started life as a 1999 FXDX and it took on a whole new personality under Matt’s skilled hands.  Fenders were cut front and back, the bike was lowered and Performance Machine parts were installed throughout!  Judge contrast cut wheels with matching sprocket and discs emphasize the classic lines of the bike while a Roland Sands Design air cleaner and Performance Machine calipers and grips finish out the details.
All the body work received a generous coat of shiny gloss black paint while the engine was pumped to 95” with Mikuni carb, Andrews cams and LSR 2-1 chrome pipes.  Suspension is handled by Progressive shocks in back and Storz-Ceriani forks up front.
The Judge contrast cut pieces from Performance Machine give the bike a truly custom look while retaining plenty of Old School nostalgia.  The bike gets a lot of compliments from the Ness fairing and Auto Meter gauges down to the powder coated and chromed rear axle covers, but it’s the Performance Machine hardware that gets people excited!
The first photo is of the bike on the lift in the Frisco Custom Cycles shop, wearing the original HD Diamond Ice Pearl colors.  All the Performance Machine goodies have been installed!
The second photo shows the bike on the Frisco Custom Cycles showroom floor, with a fresh coat of shiny gloss black paint, ready to roll!
Thanks Performance Machine!  You guys ROCK!
Sincerely,
-John Keating“

2.  Kevin S.’s 2009 Heritage Softail Classic

Kevin’s 2009 Heritage Softail Classic features the following PM products:

- Chrome El Dorado wheels
- Chrome Matching Brake Rotors
- Chrome Matching Belt Sprocket

Here’s Kevin’s statement about his bike:

“Hey there to you all at Performance Machine.  I’m submitting my 2009
Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic for the August Bike of the Month.
Man, I love this bike.  I bought this bike because I love the old style,
hardtail, low slung, deep seat, big fendered look of the Heritage big twin.
I knew I wanted a Heritage when I bought it.  I bought it brand new right
out of the box.  What a great bike I had to work with to personalize and
make my own.  I started adding chrome, piece by piece.  I wanted somewhat of a “Willie G.” theme, but not too much.  I think I succeeded.  I wanted a head turning custom paint job, but I didn’t want the typical flames or a bunch of skulls.  I wanted something different.  I got what I wanted with the tangerine orange and black waving checkered flag scheme.

After several trips to the chrome shop over many months, I found that I pretty well had the look that I wanted.  There was something missing, though.  The bike still had the stock spoke wheels.  I knew that the right set of wheels would absolutely set off my bike.  I was super PICKY about the wheels.  I looked and shopped for weeks.  Then I found Performance Machine.  However, even after I found Performance Machine, there were so many wheels to pick from. I would sit every night in front of my computer and look and look at PM’s wheels.

Finally, I decided on the El Dorado’s.  Of course, I couldn’t just
get the El Dorado wheels.  I had to get the matching sprocket and brake
rotors.  Boy, did I pick the right wheels!  Talk about putting the icing on
the cake.  I have actually found that it’s dangerous to other drivers when
I’m riding this beautiful machine.  Everybody who sees my bike turns their
attention from the road and stares at my bike.  Or, I’ll park at a shopping
mall, then come back out to have people standing around my bike.  A good 15 minutes or longer is then spent talking about motorcycles with new friends.
The Performance Machine wheels, matching sprocket, and brake rotors always get lots of compliments.  People are always asking me where I got them. I’ve even been asked to provide my bike for a 2011 calender photographic shoot.  Thanks PM, for the gorgeous, professional high quality chrome products.  My bike wouldn’t be what it is without them.

Thank you very much,
-Kevin Skurat”

We now leave the hard part up to you, our fans. Please use the poll below to caste your vote for the bike you feel deserves to win April’s Performance Machine Bike of the Month designation and a $100.00 gift certificate toward the purchase of PM products and accessories. Voting is open until 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Sunday, August 22, 2010.

Choose a Bike of the Month by voting below.

Update: Voting for August‘s Bike of the Month ended Friday afternoon. Check back on Monday, August 23, to see whose bike will be crowned August‘s winner, and then look for an announcement about September’s contest later this month!