
Check out The Disciple built by ChopCult contributor Josh Allison here.

Article and photos by Josh Hawks - The beautiful thing about custom motorcycles is that as divisive as building bikes can be, it can also bring people together. This is the case with Chris Edwards, a friend of mine. Had it not been for custom motorcycles, I probably wouldn’t have met him. What’s shocking is that we’ve known each other since elementary school, but I would have never known the guy if not for meeting him a few years back at a local ice cream joint. Read more.

Zachary and Kristin Shipwash own and operate The Rebel Spirit in Thomasville, NC. You have probably seen them set up at numerous events on the East Coast, showcasing their custom-builds and motorcycle parts. Zachary handles the welding, fabrication, and mechanics, while Kristin handles the accounting, social media, shipping, and everything else they need to do to keep The Rebel Spirit alive. When they aren’t working in the shop, you can find them spending time with their beautiful children and hosting local bike nights at Down Home Harley-Davidson. We’ve been huge fans of their builds and when we got the opportunity to showcase Boogie Nights in our Mama Tried video, we knew it deserved a bike feature here. Enjoy!
Before 1936, Harley-Davidson motors operated using a “total loss” oiling system. This meant that the oil was never recirculated back to the oil tank and instead it just ended up on the ground after going through the motor. It does pass through the primary to keep the primary chain lubed on the way out, but every ounce of oil you pour into the tank eventually ends up as a trail of drops and drips that leave a greasy trail back to your motorcycle.
Even with oil constantly belching out of the motor, the factory service manual recommends that you change the oil about every 750 miles. In my experience you never reach 750 miles between oil changes, especially if you are using modern oil control rings on your pistons. While using oil control rings sounds like a good improvement, it allows oil to build up in the crankcase which you then must drain more frequently since too much oil creates extra drag on the flywheels. Knowing that changing the oil would be a constant maintenance headache, Harley’s engineers did have the foresight to design the crankcase with a built-in drain to make this a quick and easy job. Located on the left rear side of the engine, a spring-loaded oil valve allows you to drain the oil with just the push of a button. Read more.

Big thanks to Derek Sikes, Peter Kappen, and Nic Dellow for putting this awesome feature together. Click here to get to know Mike Muller, the man behind Olive Street Specials.