We want to thank everyone for all their patience as we transition and want to extend an open invitation to come see our new place. Unfortunately we weren’t able to get a true open house together just yet, but we are very excited for everybody to see what we have been doing. We even have an all new customer lounge fully equipped with television, coffee, popcorn and pop machines. So come on down and take a tour, then kick back in the comfy lounge before riding home. (Or you can leave your bike there and have it stored over the winter!)

For people that might not be familiar with the location here are some directions that will hopefully help you out. In relation to the old shop on Lovers Lane, you would want to travel south on Lovers Lane until you come to Centre Ave, make a left (east) and take that until Portage Rd. Make a right (south) on Portage Rd. and follow road around West Lake until you arrive at 9820 Portage Road. Shop will be on your right hand side. It is approximately 2 miles south of Centre Ave. If you’re coming from the south and heading north on Portage, the shop will be shortly after Bacon Rd. on your left hand side.

For further directions feel free to call the shop. Our hours have changed this winter, and starting Monday, October 24th we will be open 10am – 6pm Monday through Friday. Hope to see everyone soon!

I’m still trying to come up with ideas on how I’m going to utilize all of the extra space that I have over at the new place. This parking lot is so huge that I guess I’m going to have a lot more events. This new shop will also have a lounge for guests to relax while they are waiting for their service. I’m also excited about being next to the road. For so long now we’ve been stuck back behind everybody, it will be nice for people to be able to notice us from the road.

Probably the thing I’m most excited about is that I’m going to have my own fab shop, separate from the store and service garage. So this will allow me to spend more time away from the business and focus on being creative which will lead to many more blogs and projects.

I guess you can call me old fashioned, but I like to be able to physically modify the carburetor to suit my needs with tools like a screwdriver and my hands. There are no wires involved with a carburetor, and overall you can make a bike run great with a nice carburetor for about $500.

What is the first thing that people want to do when buying a new bike? They want to change their exhaust. There are hundreds of styles of pipes and retuning can be very expensive for fuel injection. For a carburetor it is simply a little bit of time and a few dollars in jets. I personally think that carburetors also bring you closer to the motor. You pay more attention to how your bike reacts to the environment (temperature and humidity) and how it affects the performance of the motorcycle, allowing you to become one with the bike and its surroundings. Basically, carburetors have quicker throttle response and perform better than fuel injection.

Unfortunately, fuel injection is probably here to stay. Everyone always complains about government intrusion and the way I look at it, fuel injection is just the government’s (EPA) way of controlling emissions. But rest assured, there will always be a way to rebel and override the man, and make your Harley run as good as it can. Even though it doesn’t have a carburetor on it.

On Saturday, July 9th at 11:00am we will meet at Kalamazoo Choppers, 6740 Lovers Lane, Portage, MI, 49002. Cost to ride is $20 per person. Ride will go through Portage and surrounding areas, ending up at Playtime Billiards, located at 7141 South Westnedge, Portage, MI 49002. After arriving at Playtime, we will have a pig roast along with great music and raffle prizes.

Any questions or for more information on how to donate to the family, please contact Kalamazoo Choppers at (269) 321-0257.

The open house is always our way to say thank you to all of our loyal customers that come in throughout the year. But, even if you have never been to the shop, it is the perfect time to check everything out and have a great time in the process!

If you missed the open house this year, don’t worry. Kalamazoo Choppers is moving locations this fall to 9820 Portage Rd, Portage, MI 49002, and we will need your help to celebrate once we’re settled in. We plan to be up and running in the new facilities October 1, 2011. Stay tuned for details!

That’s what we do here at Kalamazoo Choppers. Make your bike fit you and your riding style. Unfortunately Harley-Davidson does not make a perfect bike for everyone and thats where we come in.