Making Milwaukee
Words by Robin Bradley
Great Again Pictures by Sara Viney
After many years at the Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center " between the lakes " in downtown Madison , Wisconsin , LeMans finally completed a move for its summer NVP Product Expo to the newly refurbished and extended Baird Center in Milwaukee . Some two years in the planning , the move brought Parts Unlimited and Drag Specialties ' vendors , reps and dealers into an expanded space with no end of potential for future development . Rallies aside , along with its Louisville , January event , the show is now firmly established as the most important business opportunity of the year for the V- twin sector . Although AIMExpo ( Las Vegas , February
2025 ) is now making better thought-through efforts to attract custom parts and accessory action , ' Milwaukee ' looks set to remain the primary V-twin nexus for many years to come . It ' s no secret that market sentiment in this U . S . election year has been cautious in 2024 . With continuing market softening , the general expectation as we head into the Fall , provided U . S . interest rates do start to follow the downward inflation trajectory in the coming months , then regardless of what happens at Harley-Davidson in the next six months , there is every reason to expect the coming season to be ' robust ', if not exactly a ' tree puller '…
S & S Cycle : Following the positive reception received for its 2,220 cc ' ready-to-install ' Black Edition 49- state MK136 Touring model engine earlier this year ( for stock 2017-2023 oil cooled M-8 frames ), S & S has now gone a stage further . Its new MK- Series B crankcases for M-8 Softail models gives it a basis for complete S & S M-8 Softail engines . " Designed specifically for the big power that the lighter and more agile M-8 Softail chassis are being asked to handle , these Softail-specific B series crankcases are engineered for the requirements of the latest generation of ' built ' engines . They allow for the installation of larger bore kits , scrape more oil and offer improved reliability , all while still fitting into the stock Softail frame . These beefed-up cases feature a machined stock deck height , close-fitting oil scraper ( stock is as cast ) and large volume sump "; www . sscycle . com www . AMDmag . com AFTERMARKET MOTO DESIGN - OCTOBER 2024 21