Do you have a comment, question, complaint, or something you need to get off your chest? Then write us at: Speak Up, HOT BIKE, 2570 E. Cerritos Ave., Anaheim, CA 92806, or drop us a line at [email protected].

Dear Hot Bike,
I was recently hospitalized in a motorcycle accident and I’ve been laid up for the past five weeks. I hate to beg, but I’ve been a subscriber for the past four years until last year. Right now money has gotten tight for myself and my fiance–I lost my job the Monday before Christmas and had only been working at another job for a month when this a-hole in his pickup truck hit me, severing my ankle, breaking my femur, three ribs, fracturing my pelvis, chipping my left shoulder bone, dislocating both shoulders and lacerating my spleen. I am still bedridden and will not be returning to work for a while. I can send you pics of my scoot and myself if you would like to see before and after pics. I had a nice 2005 FXST with apes, custom paint, seven grand worth of motor work etc. Now it’s just a pile of rubble. Well, it’s getting boring watching “Saved by the Bell” and the “Cosby Show” every day so I was hoping you could send me some back issues to read. I was also wondering if you had a MySpace page because I do and it would be easier for me to send pics of my bike, etc. Well thanks for your time and I hope to hear back from you soon.
Thanks,
Mike Falls, via email

Mike, we are really sorry to hear about your situation. The good thing is you’re still here. We hope you make a strong recovery. We’ll send you a care package with some mags to keep you entertained. And yes we have a MySpace page; it’s myspace.com/hotbikeweb. Also enjoy these new shades from Liquid Eyewear; you’ll probably need them once you get back out into the natural light again.

Hey guys,
I’m a longtime subscriber and dig your mag. I just want to comment on your Vol. 41, No. 5 issue and the article about the Boneshaker that started out as a Sportster and was a budget bike. It said the original bike was a `99 with 3,400, bought for $3200, and looked brand new. With that being said and I give all kudos to that guy Steve for what he did; however, if this was to be a low cost budget bike, why not leave it at that for the $3,200. That was a fantastic deal. Why spend over twice the cost to build a bike with no rear suspension, a stiff front suspension, no front brake, and no turn signals? I could see if the bike he bought was wrecked or was a basket case, etc. But it just seems odd to me to take a perfectly good, new looking Sportster to do that with. I understand the concept of a custom bike but if it’s a budget thing then this made absolutely no business sense whatsoever. I think he should have left the bike alone and rode it for all it was worth.
Just my opinion,
Goose, via email

Hey Goose, thanks for sharing your thoughts. We think the best way to explain it is that Steve had an idea as to what he wanted to build and wanted to see if he could do it on limited funds, just a challenge, you know. Would it help make more business sense if we told you the bike was sold for quite a bit more than eight grand? By the way, why does anyone take a perfectly stock H-D and modify it? To make it their own.

Hey Guys,
In Vol. 41, No. 5 issue, you had a story on painting Real Fire. I just wanted to share my Real Fire story with you. I met with Dennis Price out of Chico, California who I had selected to paint my 2006 Road Glide. I told Dennis that I wanted a black base color with some clean and subtle graphics, and gold leaf incorporated into the scheme. Dennis suggested Real Fire, never having seen any Real Fire that I felt looked good, or that I liked, I didn’t say no, but HELL NO! Dennis recommended we attend the Sacramento Autorama together, so he could get a better idea of what I liked, and so I could check out more of his work, as he had a bike and a couple of cars he had painted in the show. The first car I saw as I walked in the door was a black Prowler with Real Fire that Dennis had painted. After circling the car four times staring at the fire, I snapped a photo with my throwaway camera. My decision to have Dennis Price paint my Road Glide was strengthened as I viewed his other work, and the winning results were posted. Every one of his paint jobs won awards. Looking at the photos I took was like I was looking into a fireplace. Needless to say, I gave Dennis the go-ahead on the fire, and the whole scheme. The finished product was a work of art; the fire was and still is the first comment I get whenever I stop. Even people who ride with me regularly have repeatedly expressed their approval.
Paul Aliotti, via email