Mama Tried is a world renowned motorcycle show that happens once a year in Milwaukee, Wisconsin the birth place of the iconic Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Company. For one weekend the city turns into a motorcycle mecca filled with incredible motorcycles from all walks of life, motorcycle racing and some really fun shenanigans. It's a party you don't ever want to miss. This year we asked the crew from Geared Science to interview some of the best of the best in the show and at Flat out Friday and give everyone some in depth looks at their bikes.
First up, from the wild mind of Christian Newman comes this incredible, out of this world Born Free 12 winning custom motorcycle build. He's calling it a 1939 Harley-Davidson ULH, but its far from it. This twin turbo 8 valve motor is housed by some 39 ULH cases, Knucklehead fly wheels, custom connecting rods, Evo pistons, Panhead cylinders, and from the head gasket up a completely custom open rocker head set up. WTF. And thats only the beginning of the madness. Everything is polished stainless, offset transmission, custom springer front end that looks like a girder, and so much more. Really just a mind blowing machine.
WATCH THE VIDEO OVERVIEW OF CHRISTIAN NEWMAN'S TWIN TURBO, 8-VALVE 1939 HARLEY
Just look at that freakin motor, wow.
The rockers are self lubricating system and not a total loss even though they are open.
Christian the mad man himself!
Foot clutch, hand shift.
4 speed transmission case redone in a way you would never believe, watch the video to learn more about it!
"Weld your exhaust at each point fully before moving to the next bend to get the tightest fit."
It's not a girder, though it looks like one, its a springer.Flat Out Friday
Every year before the Mama Tried Motorcycle Show comes a wild and fun time called Flat Out Friday. A race in an arena that goes in a circle on a sticky floor (it's soda pop syrup.. no joke!) going hard as you can left.
There are tons of different motorcycle classes, something for everyone. A real crowd pleaser year after year is the "Goofball" Class. From ridiculous costumes to the most insane wild motorcycles, it is a different kind of race. From the bike in the movie Purple Rain with a guy dressed as Prince flying around the track, to having Larry Enticer on one of his iconic "Send It" snowmobiles ripping around and shotgunning beers. This class is always a surprise and you never know what you are going to get.
Next up, Geared Science gives you an in depth look at Mike Casto's Port-O-Boonie racer and really dives in head first. Don't mind the smell or the view, and get in there deep with this thing. It will make ya laugh, cry and give you a challenge to come up with something better for next year's "Goofball" or "Inappropriate" Class at Flat Out Friday. Life's too short not to have some fun!
WATCH MIKE CASTO'S PORT-O-BOONIE RACER FROM MAMA TRIED / FLAT OUT FRIDAY IN ACTION!
This year Mike Casto shocked the Flat Out Friday race fans in a big way with his vehicle. It is not really a motorcycle but somehow still made the cut. Oh, because it was a freakin port-o-potty on wheels! HA! This barstool racer converted to a Port-O-Boonie racer came out of the tunnel and the crowd just erupted in laughter with hundreds of people in shock and awe pointing at this wild contraption flying around the race track.
Here are some photos from the video to give ya a little taste. Maybe we shouldn't say taste, we are talking about a porto-potty here.
Flat Out Friday happens every year the night before the Mama Tried Motorcycle show
"It was one of those drunk ideas that never happens, but this one actually happened!" Mike says in the video.
Mike had a very limiting view. Pretty sure most other racers thought to stay away from that thing.
Though not a motorcycle, this barstool racer converted into the Port-O-Boonie is one hell of an engineering feet.
To really spice up the place.
Mike talking about how he had to hoist the porto-potty over the frame multiple times till he got it right.
Just look at the crowd pointing, smiling, and having a ball watching that thing scoot around the track.
The thing was pretty damn fast too, very competitive for not being able to see but straight in front of you.
In the lead of Woody and Groot.
Man what a riot. Ok now that the smell has elapsed a little, let's jump back into something a little more serious. This next vid is a 3-for-1 kind of deal. It starts off with the incredible builder Hawke Lawshe from Vintage Technologies. Hawke took a 1981 Shovelhead and did something absolutely insane with it. Not only chopping it up and making a super ridiculously long bike out of it, but he actually made a running cutaway engine and transmission to boot. All while painting the damn thing Bud Light blue.
Who thinks up this shit? Hawke does, thats who. Yet another bike feature you are going to have to try and keep the drool off of your keyboard while watching!
What the hell is a Boatercycle?
The second part of this vid we rip back over to Flat Out Friday to get back to the crazy stuff. What the hell is a boatercycle? Marko Lazarevic walks you through his crazy inappropriate class winning Honda Pacific Coast 800 jet ski hybrid. This bike was a real crowd pleaser and fast as hell too. With the no wake rule lifted Marko slid into victory and took home 1st place all while rocking a pink wetsuit, hulk stache and gnarly mullet.
Last but especially not least taking you back to the Mama Tried show, Randy "Detroit" Hayward gives you an in depth look at his incredible 1929 Indian 4 electric conversion motorcycle. Thats right we said it's electric... "Boogie woogie woogie" Randy said he was possessed by the idea and couldn't sleep till he made it happen. Using a 5 foot rule, he was able to carefully and creatively convert this Indian 4 into an electric motorcycle with out taking the spirit out of it. From 5 feet away you would never even know this bike ran fully on electric power.
WATCH THIS 3 PART BUILDER SPOTLIGHT WITH: HAWKE LAWSHE, MARK LAZAREVIC, AND RANDY "DETROIT" HAYWARD
Photos of Hawke Lawshe, Marko Lazarevic and Randy "Detroit" Haywards motorcycles from Mama Tried and Flat Out Friday 2021:
Just look at that motor, are you kidding me.
If it ain't long it's wrong. Hawke Lawshe's 1981 Shovelhead.
The man himself Hawke Lawshe.
An interesting perspective looking at the pushrods going up and through the rocker boxes.
The closed captions say it all.
Marko taking out the eyeball for the win.
Look at that 'stache. Man thats a good mustache.
The Boatercycle even ended up in the show.
Victory lap and giving the announcer a ride!
Kenny Powers eat your heart out.
5 feet and you sure can't tell this is a full converted electric motorcycle.
Gott have the nickname on there.
The man, Randy "Detroit" Hayward
You can hook a computer up to program the motor to run certain RPM etc.
The batteries are incognito and stored in the saddle bags.
WATCH THIS 2 PART BUILDER SPOTLIGHT WITH: MIKE LANGE AND CABANA DAN ROGNSVOOG
Photos of Mike Lange and Cabana Dan's motorcycles from Mama Tried 2021:
Mike Lange's 1948 Harley-Davidson UL Flathead Chopper he has owned for over 50 years.
This Flathead powered by a magneto.
Mike's first rendition of the chopper after he bought it at age 15.
Mike had a handful of different versions of this chopper.
At 17 Mike took his flathead cross country.
The windshield on this bike is so freekin rad!
Mike's wedding day on the chopper, looking very close to the way it is now.
Cabana Dan Rognsvoog's 1928 Harley-Davidson Peashooter
Not the original paint scheme from the 1928, more of a 30's style but Dan loves that era of pain and they way it looked. Many racers would repaint bikes as the years went on as well.
30 horsepower and one gear, its throttle and goooo!
Aggressive bars for laying low and going as fast as you can.
Its just so damn pretty!
Related Products
