battery – A Biker's Life For Me!

If it ain’t a Harley, They are Just a Rider.

Posted on June 5, 2022 by Kris Kay in biker, Harley, Harley Davidson, Honda, motorbike, motorcycle, shadow

If they are not on a Harley Davidson, they are a rider. Wow! Coming from me, that’s one sided. I’m a Honda guy! Writing about Honda has been good to me!

No, it hasn’t. I built the Honda Hard tail. I wrote the articles. Honda was just the label. I got me thousands of readers. Honda didn’t do anything, but put a label on it.

If it would have been a Harley, those readers would be in the tens of thousands! This site would have popped, instead of fizzling. When writing, HD is the only way to go. But, back to the riders.

It’s my experience, if the person isn’t on a Harley, they are not a biker. An HD owner, they have made an investment. It’s a pretty serious one. They didn’t buy some little $2000 Shadow. They tacked a zero on there, and spent serious money.

So, they can’t just give up. They can’t forget their bike, their biker bros, or any of that. They didn’t get on a bike because of a T.V. show, like so many others. There is a reason you find a mass amount of every other bike type, needing their carbs cleaned, and don’t find many HDs in that condition.

If you get the idea in your head to start a club, trust me, don’t. All the guys that were not on your level, and had to join one, are going to flip the hell out. They will never be willing to understand that you might just be a little more than willing to be more than a prospect.

If you do want to start your own, look at the other clubs rules. I never thought I would say it, but that “Nothing but Harley Davidson” rule is an important one. I know, you don’t want to be like that, me either. One of the original founders of Hell’s Angels, he didn’t want to be that way either.

“in terms of pure workmanship, personally i dont like harleys. i ride them cause i am in the club and and that is the image, but if i could, i would seriously consider riding a HONDA ST1100 or a bmw” – Sonny Barger

The world has really flipped since WW2 and the beginning of clubs. When HD started, it was a cheap, American made, motorcycle. It was the best choice for clubs. They could afford them. Now days they are a status symbol, and the name on the riders bike should be looked at.

If they are not on a Harley, they are most likely not going to be riding in a few years. They are halfway in, that’s all. Don’t try to build with them. I was a Honda guy, but I will be getting a Harley. It is just the way it is. Websites, writing, it doesn’t matter. If your bike doesn’t say Harley down the side, nobody will ever take you seriously. If you just want to see what riding is like, get a Honda. If you are trying to be a biker, everything but Harley Davidson is a waste of money.

If you need a logo for your club, yell at me!

That’s all I have for tonight! I’m very sure I have pissed a few people off! Don’t feel bad, learning this is a serious disappointment for me too, but hey! Thanks for reading! See you next time around!

Destination Hard Candy’s Biker Wear!

Posted on May 22, 2022May 22, 2022 by Kris Kay in motorcycle

Hard Candy Biker Wear, Belton South Carolina.

So everyone arrives at the meeting spot. A few minutes go by, after everyone says hello, it’s time to ride! Everyone straps on their gear, and heads to their motorcycle!

If it’s Harley Davidson, it’s here! New, vintage, all of it!

Then it begins…

“where are we riding too?”

“I don’t know, where do you want to ride to?”

“Don’t ask me! I have no idea! Where do y’all want to go?”

Now you spend another 30 minutes, sitting in a parking lot, trying to decide where to go!

Boots, shoes, literally everything except a motorcycle!

If you find yourself in Upstate South Carolina, Hard Candy’s Clothing is your destination! It’s a good ride from anywhere in the Upstate! It’s a close ride from parts of North Carolina and Georgia!

Hard Candy isn’t monkeying around! Well… Maybe a little…

This store has a selection of everything! They also offer seamstress services! Finding a place to get your patches sown on, isn’t easy! This isn’t the 50s! Not everyone’s Mom has a sewing machine! They are fast, and very reasonably priced!

Great jewelry! This is not that Wish junk! You can find that ring you are looking for, and some things nobody else has!

A good place to ride to, where everyone finds something they like, that’s Hard Candy’s Biker Wear! Everything is high quality! Personally, it’s one of my favorite stores! I have bought a variety of different items!

There really is something for every biker!

The vintage shirts, are some of my favorite things. My girl, she always ends up with a shirt, or a jacket! We can get something cool, every time we visit!

She just might have that Harley part that you can’t find!

The prices are beyond reasonable! The selection, as you can see, is vast! All those chrome Harley Davidson parts , they give this place a shine!

The ride from most places, it’s through the country! Belton is a beautiful small place, and so are the areas surrounding it.

You can find Hard Candy Biker Wear at 101 Mc Gee Way, Belton, SC 29627. They are normally open Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-6pm, and 5pm on Saturday!

Mask… Gloves… A change of clothes… The back is right around the corner… Y’all stop, now. It ain’t funny!

Sometimes, the store will be closed during those hours. Hard Candy Biker Wear can be found at a lot of major biker events! They are always on the move!

Hard Candy Biker Wear is always showing support!

The store looks small, but everything is excellent quality, and fairly priced. You can spend hours looking at all their things! You won’t regret spending your Saturday riding time to end up at Hard Candy’s! If I was going to rate the store, 6 out of 5 stars!

Come meet Candy! Click here for directions!

If any of us are living a Biker’s Life, it’s Candy! Riding everywhere, having a badass store, and booths at events, she lives the dream!

Good biker wear is hard to find, make your destination Hard Candy Biker Wear! Thanks for reading! Give us a share!

Harley Davidson to Close P.A. Factory!

Posted on May 19, 2022May 19, 2022 by Kris Kay in biker, bobbers, choppers, Harley Davidson, motorbike, motorcycle, sportster

Big, big, news coming from Harley Davidson today! They are shutting down their Pennsylvania plant! They will stop producing everything, but the Live Wire! No, they are not financially struggling!

It’s supply chain issues! They can’t get enough in! If you don’t know, this slows down HD produced this year, by 25%. They have four plants in America. They lose one, that’s a 1/4 production loss!

That’s terrible, really. A lot of folks have lost their jobs. Let’s face it though, if they are workers, plenty of work is available. If they want to get mad, get mad at those that voted for Sleepy Joe. We have never been as bad off as we are now, not in modern times.

The cool part… Do you know how to make things rare? Well, an American coin, the mint mark plays a huge role. The mint mark is the little letter beside the person on the coin’s heads.

If a mint closes down, this leads to a limited run of coins. That makes that coin rare, and more valuable than the rest! Do you see where this is going?

Now, a motorcycle has a “mint mark”, like a coin. This will be your VIN, or vehicle identification number. This number will tell you where your bike was made. An example, if it says 1HD as the first few characters, it’s made in America!

They don’t plan on reopening this plant. So, look at that VIN, if you go to get a 2023, or late model 2022! If it leads back to Pennsylvania, you have yourself a rare bike and a treasure! It is the same as a rare coin! The factory did not make many, so it is rare!

Every generation says they came up in “crazy” times, but I think we can all agree that these last 4 generations of people have them beat! This year, and all the crap that has got us here, gives those bikes one hell of a story!

Over the last few years, the Pennsylvania plant has taken a beating! This does suck. Nobody wants to see an American classic company losing a factory. We have lost enough companies, and factories, over the last few decades, and hate to see another one go.

All we can do is find the silver lining. 2022-2023 HD, made in Pennsylvania, are rare bikes! A closing of a factory means less is going to be made, adding value to every Harley Davidson.

What does Harley say? They will be closing the factory for the foreseeable future. The only Harley that will be produced in Pennsylvania is the Live Wire. This is due to a supply chain issue, that can’t be fixed.

What do I think has happened? War, and offshoring. The materials they need, they came from Ukraine or Russia, or a company that is supplying one or the other.

HD can no longer get the materials. It isn’t made here, because of Fair Trade. We gave up a lot of things, so the rest of the world can have jobs. World Trade, and Fair Trade, removed us from a lot of industries. Now we have demand, and no supply. That leaves us with empty factories.

Then, this could be the beginning of the end of fossil fueled motorcycles! Harley Davidson is king. If they stop, everyone will follow!

As always, thanks for reading! Please give us a share!

How to Install a Trickle Charger on a Harley Davidson!

Posted on May 18, 2022May 18, 2022 by Kris Kay in motorcycle

Today we are going to go over how to install a trickle charger plug on a 2006 Harley Davidson. This is another thing that people think is “shop work”, and it is really simple.

This is one of the more simple tasks. You are going to need a flat head screw driver, a Phillips head, and a 3/8 wrench or socket. Sizes and tools very for different bikes. These are the tools we need for this particular bike.

Now we have to locate the battery. If you don’t know, it’s under the seat. This is basically standard for all bikes. So, we pull the seat off.

This is done by removing 3 screws, and the strap. Two of the screws can be hard to find. The first screw is on the back, under the back rest.

This should be easy with a flat head screwdriver. Careful with the screws. Don’t damage the chrome! They are also spring loaded. This keeps them from bending the seat, and hanger. Don’t pull them all the way apart. You will lose the spring.

The flathead, down under the right side of the seat, is your screw. It is also spring loaded. Be careful. Sometimes, as it is on this bike, it can be hidden under a decorative piece. Normally it flips up.

Our third screw is located on the opposite side of the bike. It should be in the same location. Remove it, remembering the spring.

On the left side of the bike, you will find the bolt that holds the strap on. Do not remove the bolt. Pull down on the strap. The buckle has a loop made to unhook. Next you must slide the seat back. This will unhook the front hook.

Unbuckle the back of the strap, slide it over the seat , and the seat is now removed.

Now we have access to the battery. We want to unhook the negative cable, first. We are not going to unhook this from the battery. We are going to unhook the bike’s main ground. This is an easier process on this particular bike.

Using our 3/8 wrench/socket, we are going to remove the screw above. Following the cables, you can see it leads directly to the negative post on the battery. We want to unhook as little as possible from the battery. The location of the battery makes it difficult to reconnect everything.

We are now ready to unhook our hot. RED IS ALWAYS HOT! Pull the battery up, hold it, and remove the screw. Keep up with the cables connected at this point! Watch out for the brass fitting! You don’t want to drop it in the bike!

Remove the brass fitting. Place the red side of the trickle charger port on this screw Replace the brass fitting. Make sure the brass fitting is touching the battery. Snug the screw back down. Replace the battery.

Now we want to place the black side of the trickle charger, on the main ground screw.

Hide your cables! You want to secure them. Don’t let extra cabling hang! This is dangerous! Make sure to keep it away from tires, chains, and belts! Tuck it under, not over! Use zip ties to secure it.

Make sure you have access to it, without having to remove the seat! And always… ALWAYS make sure the bike doesn’t already have one!

This bike now has two! Worse things have happened… I still can’t believe I didn’t see it before I took the seat off! Now they have a plug on each side. Let’s replace the seat.

Set the set back on the bike. Remember that you have to slide it forward. CAREFUL! THE BACK MOUNTING BRACKET WILL SCRATCH THE FENDER!

As you are sliding it forward, make sure the front hook goes back into place. Next is your back screw.

Gently move the seat around until the screw lines up. Give the screw a turn and a half or so. Do not snug it up. You want to be able to move the seat. Leave it looking like this picture. Next are the sides.

Leaving the back bolt loose, you can line them up easier. Insert one side, leave it loose, then insert the other. Now snug it down, go to the other side, do the same. Save the back for last.

Hook the strap buckle, and you are finished!

That’s how you hook up a trickle charger port! Thanks for reading! I would also like to thank Steve Kerr for allowing me to do this on his bike!