Archive by Author

First Year Under Our Belt by: Reine & Jan Knobbe

When Jan told me that he was going to build a drag bike I had my doubts.  Then he told me that our son, Jake was going to race. . . well, I surprised even myself by being completely okay with it!  For our first year out we were very competitive even though we had a short season.  The Chariots of Fire race team was able to keep up with seasoned riders.  Our times and mph were consistent in the classes we competed in.  We had 36 runs and no major breaks.  Our rider, Jake Knobbe, was told by seasoned riders that he did an excellent job his rookie year.  Jake was very focused on race days exceeding our expectations.

The classes we competed in were S/G (super gas), S/E (super eliminator), and E/T (estimated time).  As of the writing of this article, Jake placed 18th in S/G out of 40 competitors and 49th in E/T out of 60 competitors.  S/E was a non point class.  Not bad the first year out huh? Continue Reading →

Safety First by: Jim Childers

As we are in the best time of the year to be riding I hope all of us do the normal things.  Check the tire pressure, tread, check the oil and make sure all the lights work.  A preflight check before every ride.  We have to start out our travels with safety in mind.

Let’s not forget that the sun goes down earlier every night and we should have a few items with us in case we are out later than we planned.   A pair of night glasses, a light jacket or sweatshirt, a pair of gloves, something to put on to keep us warm if the temperature drops down.  We don’t need the distraction of being cold while driving a motorcycle in the early evening with all the other obstacles out there for us to be looking for. Continue Reading →

new engraving

Here’s some pic’s I haven’t posted till now. Engraved by KinG JaKe. To see more go to our services page and click on engraving. Enjoy

Racing 101 – Every Day is a Drag by: King Jake

Ran our Chariots of Fire Customs, LLC drag bike for the first time at the AHDRA May event. We went all the way up to Pennsylvania. This is a long way  from Missouri. I think I watched 10 movies there and back in the truck. When we arrived on Friday it was raining, but Saturday and Sunday it was overcast, so that worked out. First thing Saturday morning we had the bike in tech inspection. It didn’t pass due to the oil tank being too close to the front wheel. So Vreeland’s Harley-Davidson helped us out with a different tire, and we dropped the tubes in the front end as much as possible. We got tech approval. Continue Reading →

Tips for Hot Weather Riding by: Biker Bunny

Happy Fourth of July!  With this holiday has come the usual Missouri hot weather.  Just a few reminders for hot weather riding.  Drink lots of water and wear loose fitting, light colored clothing.  Please do NOT wear thongs (oops, dating myself) I mean flip flops (you can wear a thong if you want to).  Even though boots are hot, they will protect your feet in case you go down.  Long pants will also protect and 100% cotton under your leather or jacket helps prevent sweat from wicking off your skin.  Make sure you wear sun tan lotion.  I also recommend stopping for ice cream.

Jan recommends the following for your beloved motorcycle:  Check Your Tires:  Low tires create heat.  Heat expands tires to possible blow out stages.  Low tires and the heat of the road is a poor combination!  Continue Reading →

New Pic’s up

Finally got up pic’s from our bike show that was on 6/4/11. Check them out in our photo gallery.

Senior vs. Junior

Fathers Day is quickly approaching. Thankfully the Chariots of Fire Customs father-son combo is not even close to comparing to the relationship of the Teutul’s. Have you been watching American Chopper?

Have you seen the 2 part show for the Cadillac bike build-off? Paul Sr. & Paul Jr. both built a bike inspired by the Cadillac CTS-V for charity. You can view parts of the episodes, see pictures of the bikes, vote on your favorite and even track the bidding on the Discovery Channel website. Check it out here >

The Courtesy Wave

By Marie Newell [the daughter]

Ever since I was introduced into the biking life when Dad [Jan] built his chopper and re-joined the motorcycle world years ago, I have been fascinated with the courtesy wave. You know the one, when another rider extends their arm out to you while passing you going the opposite direction. There’s no wave at the wrist or twiddling of the fingers. Its just an extension, an acknowledgment of your mutual love.

The courtesy wave seems to be a tradition. A motion that has been passed down/across between bikers. So, you can understand my disappointment when out riding on Memorial Day I didn’t get it. Out of the dozens of motorcycles my husband and I passed while riding our 2007 V-Star 1100 I’d guess only 30% waved back at us. Now, I’ll be the first to admit we didn’t wave at every bike that was going the other direction either.

Reasons I find to be acceptable not to wave:

  1. Heavy traffic / crazy drivers around you
  2. Bad weather / road conditions
  3. Inexperience or discomfort letting go with one hand
  4. Holding on to your driver because you don’t have a sissy bar
  5. Night time

How do you feel about it? Is the courtesy wave not really a big deal or is it a wonderful tradition that is fading away?

Father’s Day by: Jan Knobbe

Have you checked out the latest pictures of the drag bike on the website?  Not only do they show the progression of the bike from raw frame to a finely tuned machine, but they also tell the story of a shared interest between father and son.  I feel blessed that Jake and I have a common interest.  Something we can share and have solid father/son time together.  A piece missing as I grew up.  My father pushed me to be what I wasn’t and I pushed back.  Life is too short to try to live it through your kids.  Find a common interest and explore that hobby together. Continue Reading →