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Dave Perewitz
New Products for 2009
Have you ever wanted to Fix Your Own V-Twin Motorcycle, but didn't know how to get started? At Wolfgang Publications we have the answer. Just wait a bit and buy a copy of How to Fix Your American V-Twin Motorcycle. Written by the Shadley Brothers and photographed (mostly) by some guy named Timothy Remus, this new tome covers all the basics, from changing the oil to installing a clutch and putting the bike away for winter storage. Whether you want the pride of doing it yourself, or the financial savings that come with not having to take the bike to the dealer, our new book is sure to please. Think of it as 144 pages of motorcycle advice sure to save you money. Look for How to Fix Your American V-Twin Motorcycle to be in stock early in April. |
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On the road again This new book is a partnership between Mark and Paul Shadley, and Wolfgang Publications. Observant blog readers will remember an earlier trip I took in October to see the boys in Whitman, Massachusetts, home to the Shadley Bros. shop. During that trip we were able to cover about 2/3 of the projects on our "to do" list. Finishing up the final 1/3 of the book meant one more painful trip to Whitman, home to some great Harley mechanics and an endless supply of Bud Light. |
 Rear ¾ view shows just a little of the 300 rear tire, and the unique bags. |
The Shadleys do more then just fix V-Twins, they also build three or four custom bikes each year. The latest hot rod is an UnBagger from Redneck Engineering. Mark bought the bike as a rolling chassis assembly from Vince at Redneck, and set to work making it his very own. During this latest trip, I was able to photograph the beast at the end of the mock up session, nearly ready to be blown apart for paint, plating and final assembly. Mark promises to have the bike ready to ride this summer. Luckily for me, Dave Perewitz has his shop about 10 miles south of the Shadley Bros operation. Which meant I was able to enjoy dinner with Dave during my visit. Like a lot of shops, Dave reports that the custom bike business is slow. Slow enough that he’s doing a trick paint job on a ’33 Ford Street rod. Apparently, custom paint is custom paint, and when the going gets tough the tough become flexible about the type of vehicles that occupy the paint booth. |
 The fairing is just as unique as the bags, designed by Vince Doll to split the air while looking cool as hell. |
Open Road Radio I recently had the good fortune to do a live interview with the crew from Open Road Radio, a live biker-based internet radio program. Gina Woods and crew called on Sunday, the 18th of January, and we talked about books and all things mechanical for over ten minutes. Some of the additional topics included: how I started out in this crazy business, some of the interesting people I’ve worked with, and a little PR about our upcoming books. Though the show is live, they archive each week’s show, and you can tune in for a little taste of Open Road Radio at www.openroadradio.com The J Bird No big progress here, and while the nearby picture might look much like the ones we ran last time, a closer inspection will reveal that the new tunnel is a near fit, and that with just a little more trimming the lower edge will be flush with the floor and ready to be welded in place by master welder and super salesman, Rick Thompson. |
 The new tunnel, the work of Rob Roehl, almost fits the floor. All I need is the kick panels and the cover for the bell housing and… |
More from Wolfgang
Back in the days when I made a living of sorts as a free-lance journalist, I produced a book for Motorbooks titled, How To Chop Tops in 301 Photos. The book sold reasonably well and I received my 12% royalty checks twice-per-year for four or five years.
Fast-forward twelve years. I now make my living as a publisher, producing books that I may or may not write myself, with the help of four employees. The other day I’m trying to stretch my brain and find a relatively easy way to add more hot rod titles to our little catalog of mostly motorcycle and custom paint books. There in the bookshelf, in the little archive area with the other books I’ve written over the years is the Top Chopping book. As I looked over the book I started thinking, Motorbooks published the book and it’s now out of print. Once it’s out of print the publishing rights revert to the author.
ChopTop:
Good information is always good
information. We've decided to publish a new
version of this top chopping manual.
Look for finished books by late June.
To make a long story short, Motorbooks did give me back the rights and we are in the process of reproducing the book. Even though my desk looks like a disaster at any given time, I’ve been pretty good about saving and labeling the raw materials needed to produce any of our books. The little envelopes of black and white prints, organized by chapter, were all right there in the bottom of a large Rubbermaid container in the warehouse.