So it is the week before Super Bowl weekend, which is also the weekend we have our V-twin trade show in Cincinnati, Ohio. Sure, there are a bunch of parties for the big game, but by the time it is on, everybody is so tired from dragging their asses up and down the aisles of the Duke Energy Center that we are too tired to cheer anyway.
"Why do you drag your dire carcass up and down the aisles of the Duke Energy Center?" you might ask. Well, we do it for you. We make it a point to visit every booth and shake hands with at least one representative from every company that takes the time to set up a booth and drag out all their new products for everybody to see. We take a look at their new stuff, and if it is more than an existing part reworked to fit the new model year, we will shoot a photo of it and scribble down some notes in our notepad. When we get back home, we'll pick the "best of the best" of the new parts and feature them in our special "new products from Cincinnati" section that we're putting together for the June 2008 issue-that's next month for those keeping score at home.
In this issue, we have managed to pack the latest and greatest from some of the biggest names in the bagger business, including Klock Werks, S&S, Andrews, Hyevon Choppers, Redhill Motorcycle Werx, Victory and of course, Harley- Davidson Parts & Accessories. And for you metric bagger fans, we've included metric double feature from the fine folks at AFT Customs as well as our monthly installment of Mike Calabro's journey from Chicago to LA on Route 66-or more like what's left of it. We've also included an air-ride buyer's guide put together by our own recently licensed John Mata, who was one of five staffers we sent through the MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) weekend-long course in Long Beach, California. Some of the riders were junior staffers getting certified so they could get their license, others were doing it so they could get the certificate and get a pretty substantial discount on their annual insurance premium.
And now that we have put another jam-packed issue of Hot Bike Baggers to bed and are getting ready for another trip to the V-Twin Expo, life around here is feeling a little bit like the movie Groundhog Day. I am sure that will all change soon enough, though. Until then, keep the rubber side down and the shiny side up.Courtney Halowell, Editor
On The Road
Be careful, or next month your mug could end up in our random selection of photos regularly seen here.