CINCINNATI, OHIO, FEB. 8-9—One might not think of Cincinnati as a desirable wintertime destination, but every year the V-Twin Expo draws dealers, distributors and manufacturers from all over the U.S. and beyond. It’s the place where deals are made over handshakes and cocktails, and on the showroom floor, parts purveyors display their latest creations, hoping to create a buzz. New products range from fanciful (as in “I wish I could afford that”) to the feasible (“That might do well in my shop!”). Here’s small sampling of what caught our collective eye this year.
Accel Stealth SuperCoil
Accel has long been known for its high-performance ignition systems and related components, and as such, has been the go-to source for spark plug wires for all my bikes. This year, the Accel display featured its newest product, the Stealth SuperCoil, which eliminates the need for ignition wires. The Stealth SuperCoil is mounted directly to the spark plug, with a cast aluminum finned cover that holds the product in place and pulls heat away from the cylinder head. Every bit of wiring is hidden in the fins, giving a sanitary, custom look to your Twin Cam Harley. The installation is plug-and-play, using high-quality Delphi connectors. Accel says you can expect faster rise time, higher voltage and maximum spark energy to the plugs, and the product is covered by a limited lifetime warranty. The product comes in natural or black, and is available for all fuel-injected Touring models from 2002-’14, Softails from 2001-’14, and Dynas from 2006-’14. Cost is $249 MSRP.
Metalsport Corleone 32″ Wheel
This year, Metalsport Inc. won the V-Twin Expo Accessory of the Year award for their 3-D Big Homie Wheels, but the wheels that were attracting the most attention at their booth were the 32-inchers. Pictured here is Matt Hotch’s “La Sancha” custom build featuring the brand-new Corleone 32″ billet wheel mated with a Vee Rubber tire. Metalsport is known for making large wheels, evidenced by the introduction of their 30″ wheel at last year’s Expo, as well as standard H-D and custom sizes. The company has exclusive rights to Vee Rubber’s 30″ and 32″ tires, and in fact offers wheel sizes to match every one of Vee Rubber’s tire sizes. The Corleone, as with other Metalsport wheels, is available in chrome or black anodized with contrasting designs machined in. MSRP goes from $7,500 to $10,000, putting them in the high-end custom build category.
BAKER Drivetrain Cruise Drive Smooth Shift Kit
That resounding clunk and the inability to find neutral when a crowd is watching are two of the more familiar quirks of the Harley-Davidson gear-shifting system. Most of us have come to accept these quirks, but BAKER Drivetrain has made it possible to shift quickly and quietly with their Cruise Drive Smooth Shift Kit. BAKER took design principles from its Six-Speed Overdrive to create a shift drum/detent block kit that bolts onto a stock H-D 6-speed. The detent block included with the kit is machined from 1018 steel for an increase in strength over stock. The bearing-mounted shift drum rides on a fixed spindle, and the kit includes an improved-geometry shifter pawl, making the effort to upshift on a par with the effort to downshift. All the components work together to greatly reduce the upshift clatter as well. The product fits 2006-later Dynas and 2007-later other Twin Cams, and the MSRP is $399.
Performance Machine Vintage Caliper
Small design touches can make a big difference in the overall look of your ride, and the Performance Machine Vintage Caliper might be subtle, but it sure is stylish. The Vintage Caliper is inspired by PM’s original Dual Action Cast Caliper, but encompasses modern-day 4-piston internals and CNC-machined fins to keep the caliper cool and provide maximum braking power with no flex. Finishing up the spiffy look is the accent bolt—available in chrome, black, red and blue anodized—surrounded by a precision-machined PM logo and centrally-located banjo. The Vintage Caliper is available for 1984-later Harley-Davidsons and MSRP is $429.95.
JIMS Damage Control Engine Failure Detection System
If I’d had JIMS new Damage Control Engine Failure Detection System installed on my 2000 FXD, I could’ve avoided the pricey bottom-end rebuild that had to be done after I unknowingly trashed the flywheel assembly. This new system provides an early warning of catastrophic engine failure. The system detects the presence of ferrous metal debris in the engine oil by using a sensor in a special JIMS drain plug. When the amount of debris reaches a certain level, the rider is warned by an L.E.D. light mounted onto its own handlebar clamp. The kit is easy to install, and provided is a complete wiring harness with no cutting or splicing required. It can accommodate 7/8″ and 1″ handlebars, and comes in black anodize or chrome. The system will work for 1992–2014 Touring models and ’92–’14 Dynas. MSRP is $195.25 for black and $208 for chrome. On a side note, JIMS R&D Manager Garry Hughes came up with the concept and sketched the idea on a napkin before he passed away from cancer in August 2012. JIMS will donate a portion of the product’s proceeds to cancer research.
Design Engineering Inc. Titanium Pipe Shield
Is the heel of your right boot and the lower right leg of your rain gear melted from exhaust heat? Or worse yet, burns on your inside right calf? Design Engineering’s new Titanium Pipe Shield may help remedy those situations. The Pipe Shield is made of two layers, with the outer layer made from tightly-woven pulverized and stranded lava rock and the inner layer made of a mostly silica-based fabric that can withstand 350 degrees more heat than glass fiber—up to 1,350 degrees. Included are worm clamps to wrap the shield around your exhaust wherever you experience a heat problem. The shield works on pipes up to 3″ in diameter, is available in a selection of sizes from 4″–6″ wide and 8″–3′ long, with pricing starting at $38.97.
Kraftwerks HDBlower
Kraftwerks Performance Group had a steady stream of traffic at its booth to check out the company’s new HDBlower product. The HDBlower is a supercharger designed as an air cleaner, and it’s got a clean, sleek design that allows it to fit snug against the right side of your Twin Cam. A compact Rotrex HD Blower unit is the heart of the beast. Your OEM crank gear under the cam cover is replaced with the Kraftwerks-supplied crank gear, and the blower contains its own drivetrain. The intake assembly is a replacement for your air cleaner and includes an internal throttle-body velocity stack. It fits all fuel-injected Twin Cams from 88″ up to 110″, either chain-drive or gear-drive cams. Modifications may be required for certain exhausts. With 91 octane gas, it is purported to increase horsepower by approximately 50 percent and torque by approximately 25 percent, without any increase in sound. The kit will be available in chrome, flat black and satin nickel finishes. What price power? MSRP will be about $3,699 without engine management and $3,999 with engine management.
Deltran Battery Tender LifePO4 Batteries and Battery Charger
Deltran Battery Tender has recently launched a new line of Lithium batteries and chargers for motorcycles—the high-output Lithium Iron Phosphate (LifePO4). The batteries offer up to five times the life of lead-acid batteries, and 2,000-plus “deep cycles” at 80-percent depth of discharge. They are up to 80-percent lighter than their lead acid equivalents, have an 18-month shelf life and do not sulphate. The batteries range from $99.95 to $299.95 MSRP, depending on CCA rating (from 120 to 480). The Battery Tender Plus Lithium Battery Charger, at 1.25 amps, is designed to quickly and fully charge a LifePO4 battery, and has an MSRP of $69.95.
Vance & Hines Fuelpak FP3
In 2007, Vance & Hines won the V-Twin Expo Performance Product of the Year award for their Fuelpak fuel management system. Now with the company’s new Fuelpak FP3, fuel management for all new H-D models using Harley’s CAN Bus system can be accomplished through your smartphone. Fuelpak FP3 connects wirelessly via Bluetooth to iPhones and Androids, using flash technology to recalibrate engine parameters and mapping for components such as exhaust, air cleaners and other performance upgrades. And when the Fuelpak FP3 module is plugged in, you can display speed, rpms, cylinder head temperature, voltage, gear selection and other information on your smartphone. MSRP is $389.95. The FuelPak FP3 kit is shown here with the new Vance & Hines Super Radius exhaust for Tourers for model years 1986-2014. The Super Radius features a new “Super Bung” dual-mounting O2 sensor port that allows for either 12mm (narrow band) or 18mm (wide band) installation without any additional drilling. The Super Radius is available in chrome or black and comes with full heat shields at an MSRP of $999.95.
Custom Cycle Engineering Dyna Glide Motor Mount
If you haven’t checked or changed the motor mounts on your rubber-mount Dyna Glide and have noticed that the handling isn’t what it used to be, or the exhaust pipes near your headers have been dented by front-to-back movement of your motor, it might be time to check out a different solution. Custom Cycle Engineering has just developed their new Dyna Glide Motor Mount for the front and rear of the frame. The rubber isolators are much stouter than the vulcanization used in the stock mounts, and each mount has two isolators, which results in a better ride, more balance and stability for improved handling, less vibration and breakage prevention. The product covers every Dyna Glide and Dyna Wide Glide from 1992-present. Custom Cycle Engineering is also developing a new top stabilizer link that will greatly improve upon the stock version, and this new product should be available by April. These products are so new that no pricing has been set yet.
