When you think about motorcycle road racing, Harley-Davidsons generally aren’t the first thing that comes to mind. But the folks at Vance & Hines — along with their XR1200 Series — have done an incredible job of changing that thought process over the past couple of years.

Rewind to 2008, when Harley introduced the XR1200 Sportster in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Magazines were quick to cover what are most likely the sportiest bikes ever produced by the motor company.

Small racing leagues began popping up in Spain and Italy with “fun” being they key word whenever someone found a need to explain the XR1200 series. The powers… Continue Reading

It’s really no big deal, but we’ve gone ahead and tagged the word “rally” onto the back end of our 33^rd annual J&P Cycles Open House – mainly because it best describes an event that promises to be the biggest and best in more than three decades.

You might be asking how we can justify a statement as grand as that, but here’s the deal: This extravaganza — now known as the J&P Cycles Open House Rally – is scheduled for June 23 & 24 at our headquarters outside Anamosa, Iowa. And this year’s event will feature representatives from an unprecedented 100 different motorcycle brands who will be on… Continue Reading

Recently we made some internal changes here at J&P Cycles, and as a result, some of our job responsibilities got shuffled around. I used to handle a lot of the hard parts that you would find in the J&P catalog — things like handlebars, foot controls, suspensions and such. But with the new changes, I was asked to start handling the clothing end of our business. In a past life I used to oversee a clothing line, so I’m no stranger to this particular segment of our industry. Sure, the names are different, but the basis of the business remains the same.

One of the first things I… Continue Reading

Our tractor-trailer crew has just about enough time to wash the J&P rig, stock it to the bulkheads with new motorcycle gear and fill her up with diesel before hitting the road again. Rally season is underway, with the first scheduled stop at one of the largest biker events in the West — the 2012 Laughlin River Run in Laughlin, Nev., from April 25 through 29.

The massive 53-foot-long J&P trailer has been renovated in order to accommodate more vendors then ever before, all housed under a giant new awning. We’ve got vendors from the likes of Zox helmets and Rikki from Battisinis himself  – all… Continue Reading

Seen enough? At this point you should be upset – and understandably so. We certainly are. The No. 1 concern we consistently hear from our motorcycle riding fan base is S-A-F-E-T-Y. As a new motorcycle rider myself, I’m concerned about safety on the road. That and trying to persuade my non-motorcycle… Continue Reading

Billy’s Story

By Tony Colombini

 Twenty years ago at age of 18, Billy was a passenger in a truck that overturned on a back road in upstate New York. For more than three hours he lay in the darkness in a ditch waiting for help. As he waited, like anyone of us, he tried desperately to get himself up and out of the ditch. But even as… Continue Reading

Awww, to have the rush of air surrounds you lifting your spirit up for the first time in months. I know for a lot of southern folks this does not apply but after living in Florida for 3 years riding year around and now living in Iowa there is one thing I realized this spring. It is a magnificent feeling to get back on the bike after having to see it sit in the corner of the garage all winter frowning at me.

Throughout the winter months there were times where I felt something was missing from my weekly routine. Now that the weather here in the Midwest has… Continue Reading

Maddox is a veteran biker from White City, Kansas, who’s been astride a motorcycle since 1974 when he acquired his first ride. Since then, he’s owned more than 60 vehicles, ranging from motocross to ATVs. His current ride is a Heritage Softail with 70,000 miles on it.

New to the J&P Cycles blog as a guest blogger, Maddox has a blog of his own wherein he sounds off about his four decades of… Continue Reading

It’s finally arrived — the day old school bikers and the HD faithful have feared for decades. The Motor Company has gone electric! Somebody check hell for snow.

That’s right folks, due to a tightening noose strung up by the EPA, along with overall pressure to foist a “greener” company onto the public, The Motor Company is rolling out its first-ever electric bike. And to add insult to injury, they’re debuting this debacle at Sturgis — the mother of all motorcycle rallies.

Most of the rumblings and ruminations over the past few years have been… Continue Reading

What with fuel prices soaring and a lot of folks working two or three jobs these days, it’s very possible you missed out on the 71st edition of Daytona Bike Week. If that is indeed the case, we’re sorry. But we think we have a pretty nice consolation prize here for you enjoy online.

Please sit back and enjoy three minutes of some of the finest filming and professional editing you’re likely to see on our blog, narrated by our own Patrick Garvin and intended to entice your butts down here next year for the 72nd such happening.

Our film crew picked up all the noises, nuances and nonsense… Continue Reading