It’s A Major Award! S&S Attends V-Twin Expo In Cincinnati.

S&S Cycle attended the 2013 V-Twin Dealer Expo in Cincinnati, Ohio on Feb. 2nd and 3rd. The dealer expo in Cincinnati is a time-honored tradition in the motorcycle industry going back to the 1970s. It’s a kind of a rite of spring that signals that the riding season is about to commence. The weather was anything but spring like, with snow, high winds, and freezing temperatures, but that didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the exhibitors or the dealers who come from all over the world to see the latest, up to datest products for Harley-Davidson® motorcycles and other American v-twins.

As a side note, Saturday, Feb. 2nd was groundhog day, and Punxsutawney Phil, the famous weather forecasting groundhog in Punxsutawney, PA did not see his shadow. So according to Groundhogologists who specialize in groundhog lore, we should have an early spring. That means an early riding season. We believe it because the prediction was backed up by our own Jimmy the groundhog in Sun Prairie, WI.

Among the new products released at the show, one that generated the biggest buzz was the new S&S® Lubricants product release. The S&S Lubricants line includes both full synthetic and petroleum based engine oil and transmission oil, as well as an extreme duty primary oil. Other popular products were the Viola V-Twin™ service parts offering, the new 883 to 1200 conversion kit for 1986-present 883 Sportster® models, the Power Tune Sport exhaust system for 2004 and later Sportster models, the 4” Race/Tour mufflers for 1995 and later baggers, S&S Premium Tappets for 1999-later big twins and 2002-later Sportster models, Throttle Hog big bore throttle bodies for 2008-up baggers and other models with electronic throttle control (AKA throttle-by-wire), and the improved B2 cylinder heads that now accept a two-bolt exhaust flange and can be adapted to stock exhaust headers. Another service that was well greeted with some excitement was the new S&S Service & Speed Center™ (SSC). The SSC is a service that S&S provides to S&S dealers which includes engine remanufacturing, performance upgrades to stock Harley-Davidson® engines, machine shop services, and custom engine building.

As usual, the S&S and Crane Cams® booths were very busy, talking with shop owners who were eager to learn about the latest S&S products for the coming season. In addition, S&S Cycle Sales Manager Shane Whitty presented two seminars on new S&S products and S&S Cycle Product Manager Jeremy Gilbert was a guest on a panel discussion called “From The Track To The Show Floor”, to talk about how racing can help generate sales in your business.

The V-Twin Expo is a dealer only show, which means that the general public can’t get in, but S&S attends all the International Motorcycle Shows (IMS) and most of the major rallies. So if you’re not an S&S dealer and you want to see all these new goodies for yourself, take a look at our events schedule on the S&S website and see when we’ll be at a show near you.

We’re also very proud to announce that our own George B. Smith, son of S&S company founder George J. Smith, was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from V-Twin Magazine at an awards ceremony on Saturday evening after the Expo. George is responsible for many of S&S Cycle’s innovations and accomplishments since he took over as company president after the tragic death of his father in 1980. Those accomplishments are in both product development and racing. George has since retired as company president, but he remains chairman of the S&S Board of Directors. George could not be on hand to accept the award due to a prior commitment, so the award was accepted in his stead by current S&S company president Steve Iggens. Steve was accompanied on stage by the entire S&S show crew because George wanted to recognize that without the dedication and hard work of the S&S employees, he would not have been able to make it all happen. In his written acceptance, which was read by Steve Iggens, George recognized a number of S&S employees who had been with the company for over 25 years, some in excess of 40 years.

S&S Makes The Scene In Newton Iowa

S&S attended the Iowa Grand Rally at the Iowa Speedway near Newton, Iowa July 24 – 28.  This is the first year for this new rally and we didn’t know what to expect, but when we got there we were impressed by what a great facility the Iowa Raceway is. This modern racing, concert and event facility is a great venue to present everything from NASCAR races to motorcycle rallies to rock concerts. We were also impressed at how hot the weather was. During set-up on Tuesday July 24, and the first day of the show on Wednesday, the temperatures were well above 100° – that’s pretty hot! Wednesday night a line of thunderstorms came through with heavy rain and high winds. We were lucky because the S&S trailer came through the storm with no damage. Others were less fortunate.

The Wall Of Death, which was right next door, had its top awning blown off and badly damaged. In spite of the set-back the show had to go on. Take a look at the short video and the photos of Patch McGillicuttey defying death and gravity as he rides his motorcycle around the cylindrical track of the Wall of Death. He was riding with no hands, snatching dollar bills from the hands of spectators, and even making change if you didn’t have any small bills. The wall will be in Sturgis, and you should check it out if you get a chance.

As it is at every rally, our Morgan 3 Wheeler was a real hit. Some people have no idea what it is. Kind of like Marty McFly’s Delorean after he crashed into the barn in the movie Back To The Future. Some people had heard of it but have never seen one in person. Lot’s of people thought it must be something we fabbed up in the R&D department. Those guys are always surprised that it’s a production vehicle made by a company that’s been in business since 1910. A couple of with it individuals knew what it was and had some experience with the original Morgan 3. Everybody thought it was super cool, and wanted one.

Also on Thursday was the opening ceremony at the Rolling Thunder traveling wall and the S&S circle of honor. Event organizer Jay Allen lead the proceedings through the ceremony and the S&S Circle of Honor, a five bike simultaneous burn out in front of the wall. The mission of the Rolling Thunder organization is to honor and recognize the men and women who gave their lives in the service of our country.

The weather really didn’t cut us any breaks during the rally. Tuesday through Thursday were brutally hot. Friday was the only nice day. Saturday started out fairly nice, and attendance was looking pretty good. However, by mid afternoon, right after the closing ceremony for the traveling wall, the rain started and put a damper on the proceedings. A lot of folks called it quits and left and it’s a safe bet that a lot of the local people who would have attended, decided not to show up because of the weather.

In spite of the weather, we had a great time. We’re looking forward to the next Iowa Grand Rally. We think it has a lot of potential because of the great facility, a full complement of attractions like numerous rides to local destinations – lead by celebrity road captain and “Minister of Fun” Don Wood, activities, attractions, and big name entertainment. A great time in a great facility at a great price.

Return to the Knuckle Shuffle: Good time chaos in rural WI

On Saturday June 2nd, S&S® / Flathead Power® made the scene at the second annual Knuckle Shuffle (don’t look this up on Urban Dictionary) in Yuba, Wisconsin. For 364 days of the year, Yuba is a quiet, rural village located about half way between Madison and La Crosse, WI, but Saturday was a little different. Several hundred motorcyclists gathered in Yuba for the Knuckle Shuffle, a fund raising event for the chopper class at Kennedy High School in Lakeville, MN. The weather cooperated with a nearly perfect day for an outdoor motorcycle event.

Many of the attendees showed up on vintage bikes in various conditions from original paint to fully restored. (Check out our photo gallery below) The vintage bikes alone would have been a good enough reason to show up at the Shuffle, but there were a whole lot of other good reasons too. The first and foremost reason to be there is the financial support the event provides for Kevin (the Teach) Baas’ Industrial Arts class at Kennedy High School. This is a high school class where they actually build choppers! S&S Sales Manager and Knuckle Shuffle event instigator Jeremy Gilbert says, “Initial figures show that this year’s event was a little larger than the first Shuffle, and by the time the smoke clears and the bills are paid, there should be about $4000 available to donate to Kevin’s class and possibly to some additional schools with similar programs.” Supporting the Chopper Class is the primary reason for the Knuckle Shuffle event, but there’s no reason why you can’t have a good time doing something good!

The atmosphere at the Shuffle is very laid back and easy going. As Jeremy puts it, “The Knuckle Shuffle isn’t like the bigger rallies where it sometimes seems like a war between T-shirt vendors, in the middle of a rock concert, with motorcycles in the background. We keep it pretty real, and it’s easy just to relax and enjoy yourself. It’s about the chopper class, it’s about the bikes, and it’s about simply having a good time with your friends.”

There were two rockin’ bands on hand to provide music for the event. Annie C. and the Roundervilles from Madison, WI started it off with classic rock and blues. They even convinced the S&S Marketing Manager, Bruce Tessmer, to get up and jam a few tunes with them. After a suitable recovery period, The Krank Daddies from Chicago, IL put on a great rock-a-billy show until late in the evening. Of course, a full range of shenanigans are inevitable when motorcycles congregate. A good time was had by all those present.

Just before the Krank Daddies got down to it, Jeremy gave away the raffle items from all the various sponsors, including a brand new Anders Nygren signature series 93" engine from Flathead Power®/S&S®. Dan Grosskopf of Minneapolis, MN took home the motor. Dan doesn’t currently own a motorcycle, but he thinks now he might have to build one. Other sponsors included Baker Drive Train, Crane Cams, Cycle Source Magazine, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Builtwell Inc, Baas Metal Craft, Frame Lock, Gear Driven Performance, Lowbrow Customs, Faribault Harley-Davidson®, Sucker Punch Sally’s of Wisconsin, The Symco Shakedown, The Knucklehead Company, Smiley’s Cycle Works, Full Throttle Bar, Sinclair Art, Bodie Design, and Lake Muskego Lake Trash.

The word is getting out about the Knuckle Shuffle. This year, there were several representatives of the motorcycle press hanging about and taking it all in. Hopefully a few articles will come out of the experience. Ken Kick from the Garage Kickers TV show was on hand to shoot an episode about the Shuffle. Ken ended up with some really cool interviews with industry notables and a lot of footage showing how it’s done in the big town. Yuba, WI – population 91.

Plans are already in the works for Knuckle Shuffle #3 in June of 2013. Good things come in threes!

Vintage bikers invade sleepy farming village again for chopper class.

S&S® Cycle, Inc. of Viola, Wisconsin invites anyone with an interest in vintage bikes, technical education, or just having a good time to attend the second annual Knuckle Shuffle in Yuba, Wisconsin.

The Knuckle Shuffle is a vintage motorcycle event that will take place in the normally quiet farming village of Yuba, Wisconsin, located about half way between Madison and La Crosse. This S&S sponsored event is actually a fundraiser cleverly disguised as a party! Metal shop instructor Kevin Baas, aka “the Teach,” is the founder of the chopper building class at Kennedy High School in Lakeville, Minnesota and he – along with many supporters – is trying to keep the class available to his students after funding was cut to an all time low.

The Knuckle Shuffle was conceived and organized by S&S Sales Manager Jeremy Gilbert. Jeremy was a college friend of Kevin’s and when he heard the news that the chopper class budget was barely able to sustain the class, he came up with a plan to help keep it going. The first Knuckle Shuffle in 2011 provided $3300.00 for Kevin’s class at KHS. Doubling that amount is the goal for 2012. And the wheels are in motion to donate money to other high schools with similar programs. Corby Bodenburg, another classmate and Jeremy’s right hand man, has donated countless hours of graphic and web design to help out this event.

Corby Bodenburg and Jeremy Gilbert (bottom left) present Kevin Baas and his chopper class the check from last year's event.

The residents of Yuba and the surrounding area stepped up and pitched in to help make the first Knuckle Shuffle a success. S&S Cycle jumped at the chance to sponsor a local event for such a good cause. Says S&S Director of Sales and Marketing Gary Wenzel, “S&S Cycle has always supported technical education and the local community. First and foremost, education is what the Knuckle Shuffle is all about, and of course it’s right in our back yard. Yuba is only about 20 miles from Viola, and the tie in with our Flathead Power® line of vintage engine parts makes this a perfect fit.”

If this year’s Knuckle Shuffle is anything like the first one, you’ll see more original running knuckles, flatties, and Indians® in one place than you’ve ever seen before, or are likely to see again. Not to mention a lot of other rare and unique vintage machines. Rest assured that you don’t have to show up riding a knucklehead. The main thing is to come and have a good time… and of course support the Teach’s chopper class! Good times for a good cause!

Bruce from S&S interviews Kevin Bass from last year's Knuckle Shuffle

To make the party even more fun, an Anders Nygren signature KN-Series engine by Flathead Power (FHP) will be given away in a drawing to be held Saturday evening June 2nd. This is a special limited edition of the FHP KN93 engine, which boasts a 93 cubic inch displacement and the signature of Anders Nygren, the founder of the original Flathead Power Company in Sweden, CNC engraved on the cam cover.

It all starts on Friday, June 1st, when folks start showing up and getting ready for the main event. On Saturday, June 2nd, four rides from four different locations in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin will converge in Yuba for live music, food, good times, and an engine giveaway drawing. Sunday, those still standing can take a tour of the S&S manufacturing facility in nearby Viola, Wisconsin.

Shenanigans from the First Annual Knuckle Shuffle

For more information about the Knuckle Shuffle, visit the event website at www.theknuckleshuffle.com.

S&S® Shows Off New Stuff At Cincinnati V-Twin Expo 2012

Spring is Just Around The Corner!

S&S Cycle just wrapped up three days at the V-Twin Expo in Cincinnati, Ohio.  This is a yearly rite of spring for the v-twin motorcycle industry.  It's a dealer show, which means that admittance is restricted to registered motorcycle dealers and repair shops.  That's why we're giving the rest of the world a peak at what goes on at one of these events. 

The whole idea is that manufacturers show off their new products to the dealers so the dealers will be ready to present these products to their customers back home.  S&S featured the new Super Stock™ Stealth air cleaner and its associated line of custom air cleaner covers.  The new black exhaust products, with Jet-Hot® life time coating were another major introduction on display.  The Stealth air cleaner was a big hit with the dealers.  Although the idea of running your stock air cleaner cover on a performance air cleaner was appealing, they especially liked the new Muscle air cleaner cover that uses mini muscle-car style hood pins to hold the cover on the air cleaner.  The coolness of the idea is undeniable and when you see it up close and personal, the Muscle cover has a great appeal.  Most dealers agreed that the Muscle cover looks best on leaner, meaner bikes like Sportster® or Dyna® models and similar custom bikes.  The bagger crowd seemed to gravitate to the teardrop shaped Airstream covers. All of the new covers are available in either a show chrome finish or Black Jack wrinkle black.

A lot of dealers were impressed with the new black S&S exhaust.  We had a 2012 FLHX equipped with black Power Tune duals and black SPO® mufflers on display.  To top it off, the hog also had a Stealth air cleaner with a black Airstream cover.  It looked really bad, by which we mean it looked really good, if you know what we mean.  Our slash back and 3 ½” Touring mufflers are also offered in Jet-Hot® black. Already have chrome Power Tune Duals? Switch the look with our black heat shield kit! 

S&S conducted several seminars.  S&S rep Scott Hakins did an informational presentation for the sales reps from Tucker Rocky Distributing called the Knowledge of Power, and S&S customer service and tech guy Jeremy Gilbert did two sessions of a presentation called "How To Win Sales and Influence Horsepower" for the dealer attendees.  Both seminars provided good information about S&S products and suggested ways to let the end users know the benefits of using U.S.A. made S&S performance components.

Also in the S&S booth at the V-Twin Expo were representatives from the Power Sports Institute (PSI) in Cleveland, Ohio.  PSI handles all of S&S Cycle's dealer training classes.  Dealer training is another way that S&S strives to ensure customer satisfaction.

Of course S&S wasn't the only company strutting their stuff at the V-Twin Expo.  This show is like a Who's Who of the v-twin motorcycle industry.  Check out the photos of new products, custom bikes, vintage bikes, and industry notables.

At the same time S&S was showing the new products to the dealers in Cincinnati, we had a display at the Progressive International Motorcycle Show (IMS) in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  The IMS show is a consumer event and all are welcome.  We don't actually sell products at the show – we're just trying to get the word out so people know that they have a lot of choices when they are thinking of making performance upgrades.  Of course we hope they will choose S&S.

 

S&S Cycle® co-sponsors the AMA Hall of Fame 2011 Induction Ceremony

 

November 13-15, 2011 - Red Rock Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada

S&S® was proud to be a co-sponsor of this year’s event as the Who’s who of the motorcycle world gathered in Las Vegas Nevada for the AMA’s 2011 Hall of Fame Induction event. Over 800 people were in attendance at the banquet ceremony hosted by actor/motorcyclist, Perry King.  Newly named, S&S President, Steve Iggens and his wife represented S&S Cycle at the star-studded affair.

Industry leaders gathered to pay tribute to this year’s inductees which included Fred Fox, founder of Parts Unlimited, Phil Schilling, managing editor of Cycle magazine, Stu Peters,

Photos by Camilla Sjodin, courtesy of the AMA.

S&S President: Steve Iggens

Continental Motosports Club racing promotor, Norbert Schickel, early designer and innovator/founder of Schickel Motor Co. and Doug Polen, World Superbike roadracer.

Special awards were also given to existing Hall of Fame members, racers Kenny Roberts and Roger DeCoster.

This year’s induction ceremony was held in conjunction with the Dave Mungenast Memorial Concours d’Elegance. Over 100 beautiful classic and historic motorcycles were on display.  Best of Show award went to Bob Mitchell’s 1947 Indian Chief.

Other winners included:

Loren Carpenter’s 1958 Harley Sportster             Al Lutino’s 1971 Kawasaki F-5

Dan Selman’s 1961 Triumph TRS AC                   Don Harrell’s 1966 BSA Hornet

Don Johnson’s 1967 BSA Spitfire                          Peter Palko’s 1972 H-D XR-750

Brad Boyle’s MV Augusta 500                                 Paul Wheeler’s “Easy Rider” replica

Rick Huemmerich’s 1960 BMW R69S                   Eric & Lee Hale’s 1978 Yamaha OW-36

Gary Brigg’s 1966 Honda CA-77 Dream               Don Johnson’s 1953 AJS 185

 

S&S company founder George J. Smith was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994.

Established in 1958, S&S Cycle has been the industry leader in high performance accessories and engines for American and metric V-twin motorcycles. From engines, big bore kits, camshafts, valve train components and more, S&S has delivered the finest in American made high performance products to a worldwide market for over 50 years.

Count on S&S to bring “Proven Performance” to your motorcycle.

S&S At The Rally In Sturgis 2011 +videos

Damn The Economy, Full Speed Ahead!

Every year S&S goes to the Black Hills Rally in Sturgis South Dakota to show off our new stuff and to have a good time.  We were located right downtown on Lazelle Street.  That’s smack dab in the middle of the action, and traffic at the S&S trailer was phenomenal. It looks like even in a down economy, our customers put the yearly pilgrimage to the best known rally in the country, pretty high on their priority list.

As usual the S&S crew was on hand to talk to customers - answering questions about our products and giving out tech advice.  Anything from carburetor jetting to engine building tips.  Of course most people visiting the S&S display trailer were looking for ways to make their Harley® faster.  That's easy because we have a lot of ways to do just that.  S&S offers go fast parts for 1930 to present big twins and 1957 to present Sportster models, so we have performance solutions for just about any bike and for just about any budget, anything from a performance air cleaner to a complete motorcycle engine.

As usual the S&S 4-Step Performance Program generated a lot of interest because you can achieve your performance goals in easy steps instead of writing out one big honkin' check for the whole works at once.  Of particular interest are the S&S exhaust products for baggers.  A complete line of slip on mufflers and the S&S Power Tune Dual header pipes.  With a bike on hand equipped with both, you could actually see them and hear what they sound like

Don't tell anyone, but we were also previewing a new series of air cleaners that will be released later this year.  We can't disclose any details yet, so you'll just have to ask someone who was there!

S&S did not sell anything at the rally, but if you saw an S&S product that really trips your trigger, you can still get it right away.  J&P Cycles had a store just down the street from our location, and Speeds Performance Plus had a mobile shop and dyno right in Sturgis, where they did S&S installs and show you the dyno results in one go.  How cool is that?  (Watch the opening video below to see Speed's in action)

If you wanted to think about it and get your new S&S parts after you got home, you can always order it from your local S&S dealer.  Don't know who or where your local dealer is?  Check our dealer locator and find out in a hurry.

Of course it wasn't all business.  When in Sturgis, do as the Sturgians do.  That means S&S Night at the Broken Spoke Saloon, on Lazelle Street.  A good time was definitely had by all.  Food, music, burnouts, and one lucky guy, Dan "Z", walked away with a free S&S engine!  Watch the videos below and see the action!

Opening Days

S&S Night at the Broken Spoke Saloon

Final Days / Heading Home

Random Burnout at the Spoke... just because.

Heading to Sturgis with an engine to give away for S&S Night.

Here we are, looking down the barrel of another year at Sturgis. This year we are going to bring some firepower of our own and one lucky person is going to come home from the Broken Spoke Saloon (downtown) with a brand new, 1 of a kind, V113 engine made by yours truly, S&S Cycle.

Mark your calendar and set yourself a reminder to be at the Broken Spoke on Wednesday, August 10th for this year's S&S Night.  The giveaway starts at 9pm but be sure to get there early.  The only catch is your presence is required to be eligible to win. That's it.

"What sort of engine are we talking about here?"  Well I'm glad you asked.  It's the V113, replacement engine for Evolution® big twins. The V113 yields a broad torque curve while maintaining excellent reliability, making it a great engine for any Evolution® equipped big twin. But this one is NOT the average V113 though.  This engine is 1 of a kind, in a black finish not offered in our usual lineup.  Another special feature is this one comes with the Tuned Induction System that has nearly twice the filtering area as our teardrop air cleaner.  Normally this engine, depending on options, retails for about $7,650.00.  Not a bad haul for coming to party with us at the Spoke!

FITMENT

• 1984–’99 carbureted chassis
• Custom chassis designed for Evolution® engines

FEATURES AND BENEFITS

• Shorter than stock height engine makes installation easy
• S&S Super G carburetor with tuned induction system
• S&S® Super Stock® ignition system
• black finish
  
  

S&S V113 Engine Specifications
Displacement	Bore	Stroke	Camshaft	Piston Type	Compression Ratio
113"	4"	41/2"	600	S&S forged	10.1:1

So we hope to see you front and center at the Broken Spoke Saloon, downtown Sturgis at 9pm (or sooner), Wednesday Aug 10th for the S&S Night and engine giveway!  Good times will be had by all.

S&S sponsors first annual Knuckle Shuffle motorcycle ride and fundraiser bash

June 4, Yuba Wisconsin - The first annual Knuckle Shuffle! 

Knuckle what?  And what's a Yuba?

First things first.  The Knuckle Shuffle is a fundraiser for a high school shop class that actually builds choppers.  The purpose of this ride is to raise money for the Kennedy High School Chopper Class in Bloomington, MN.  Every year Kevin “Teach” Baas reaches out to the motorcycle industry to help support his class.  This ride was dedicated to him and his class to ease the burden and keep the chopper class alive! About 300 people joined us for the ride and enjoyed some of the coolest scooters, incredible food, and the best music around.  All bikes were welcome, but this ride was dedicated to the vintage iron and keeping history alive!  This was an old school ride, participants were encouraged to pack their sleeping bag, pack their tent and prepare for a fun weekend.

The ride consisted of two routes to Yuba, one left from The Ole Piper Inn in Lakeville, MN and the other from The Shed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Both rides converged on Yuba, Wisconsin at the Full Throttle Bar, for a street party, bands, burnouts, and fun.  The next day, a Plant tour of S&S Cycle in Viola, WI was available for ride participants.

Yuba is a small town (pop. 91) in southwest Wisconsin, were their community spirit and love of a good time contributed to the success of the Shuffle.  Motorcycles, food, and great music in a rural setting made for a great event with a relaxed old school atmosphere.  Lot's of vintage bikes (predominantly knuckles) were ridden from impressive distances to attend the event, proving that the American spirit of adventure is alive and well.  The choice of food was impressive, but the roast pork sandwiches provided by the Yuba fire department were just too good!  Then there was the music.  The Trunk Monkeys from La Crosse, WI started it off at about 4:00 pm followed by the Eric Tessmer Band from Austin TX at 8:00 pm.  Great times!

The event was so successful that event organizer Jeremy Gilbert tells us that over $2800 were raised to support the Kennedy High School Chopper Class!  S&S Cycle is all about having a good time, but supporting education has always been a top priority.  That is especially true of technical education, and if it involves motorcycles, even more so.  As Kevin "Teach" Baas say's "It's for the kids!"

A good time was had by all, and plans are underway even now for the second annual Knuckle Shuffle!