Bike Overview: 2023 Low Rider ST

All right, I've got Robert here from Vance & Hines. He brought out one of his bikes to show us all the cool stuff from Vance & Hines, Progressive Suspension, Burly Brand, and Performance Machine. [Music] Robert, welcome! Thanks for coming out and bringing your bike today.

Yeah, pleased to be here at Lifestyle Cycles.

So, you work with Vance & Hines. What's your role over there? What all do you do? What do you make happen?

Well, I've been with the company for about 11 years now. I'm our large accounts manager, so I overlook orders that are coming in from distribution companies worldwide. So whether it be Japan, Europe, South Africa, Brazil, or the US, you know, I'm working with them and coordinating so we can deliver all the great products that we deliver to them, so that way they can be brought here to Lifestyle Cycles and then eventually to the customer.

Well, I really appreciate you taking the time to come out, then, because it sounds like you've got a lot on your plate.

Oh yeah, yeah, but, you know, when you're passionate about the industry, it's great to be able to interact with dealers, customers, and see firsthand what people are interested in, what's new and exciting. And hopefully, we can come out with new, innovative products to help keep pushing that envelope.

Yeah, and that's great because I know we move a ton of all the four brands that you've got on this bike. So let's dive right into it and go over what you've done to your bike.

Yeah, no problem. So, this is my 23 Low Rider ST. I'm going to start from the front to back. First, we have a handlebar bag, part of the Voyager series from Burly Brand. Nice touch! I can put my wallet in there, my cell phone—you know, I don’t have to carry it in my pockets. Then we go into the fat bar riser kit, which is made by Performance Machine. It puts it up a little bit taller and gives it a better stance, so that way you don't get so tired on those long-distance rides. And to complement it, we have these LED contour grips, part of the Vision series through PM.

Yeah, I saw those when we went up and took a tour of the facility a couple of weeks ago. I think they're really cool, and you know, you wire them all up into the stock stuff, and it just gives you that little extra turn signal if you don’t want something big and bulky, like the stock ones hanging off down here.

Yeah, that's exactly what I did. I cleaned up the stock turn signal, and now it's all integrated into the handlebar, which I think makes a really nice touch if you're going for that stealth look.

Oh, absolutely! Nice and bright, so it’s a nice little touch from Performance Machine. Then, as we go further on through the bike, we have the Burly Brand Brawler kit, both front and back, which gives it a nice aggressive club-style look—kind of what I was going for. And then I complement it with the Burly Brand MX Evo pegs. They're nice and grippy, so when you're going through a turn and you're laying on it, your feet are nice and planted.

And then that leads us into the Vance & Hines product. So, I'm a big fan of stainless, so I went with that. It does look sharp on the bike, and it stands out. We have a wide variety of high-performance air intakes, but I just happened to be drawn to the minimalistic look of our Cage Fighter, great performance, nice tie, like I mentioned, with the stainless steel U exhaust system.

All right, so what is the longevity of the air cleaners that you guys sell?

Great thing about our air cleaners is that we use washable, oiled media on the filters themselves. We do sell replacement air filters, but, you know, if you're out on the weekend and you notice it’s a little bit dirty, I’d recommend just getting a recharge kit, where you can oil it down, clean it, and then just put it back on there—it’s like new. So, it'll last the life of the bike, basically.

Pretty much, yeah, as long as you maintain it properly.

Exactly. As with everything, if you're going to beat it up, we don’t expect it to last.

I get that! Yeah, and this bike has been in Sturgis, Daytona Beach, it's been all over the country. I just recently got back from Vegas, where we were riding around for about 3 or 4 days, putting 200+ miles through Drag Specialties. They held an event called the Drag Dealer Ride, which was phenomenal. We had dealers that came out, reps from Drag, and we interacted with them, went out on rides—just a great time overall.

One of these days, I’ll have time to join you on one. I’ve got too much on my plate these days.

So that leads us into what I like most about the bike, and that's our Super Sport 2 into 1. It's brand new! Earlier this year, we launched it for Milwaukee 8 baggers, and that includes the VVT and high output configurations. Then, later this year, in September, we launched it for M8 Softtails. So, you know, it just rounds out the line for M8 Softtail offerings, gives it a nice aggressive tone, and who doesn’t like stainless?

Exactly! I love stainless, and you know, this bike is the hot ticket these days. Everybody’s getting one, so it's great that you're hitting that market for those guys. One thing that makes this one unique is that it's fully heat shielded, so you don’t have that heat issue. And it also has a nice, radical design on the header profile, so it gives it that nice little touch. It's complemented with our '90s-inspired sports can. If you notice, it has a snout back over here at the end. So, anyone who rode sport bikes in the late '80s and '90s will love this little touch.

And then, last but not least, we have a Progressive Suspension 465 Monoshock, which comes in four different configurations. Like I said, I like to travel all over the country. When I’m here at home, I like to go through the canyons, whether it be with my dad on a nice weekend ride or riding around with co-workers. Nothing better than being able to be aggressive on those turns with this suspension.

Right, and I know all of your suspension looks great, especially when it’s on baggers and stuff. So it’s unfortunate that you had to cover that shock up, but you did with a nice little pair of seat covers, which I know are comfortable and great. So, you must be enjoying that as well.

Oh yeah, you know, whether I'm riding solo or two-up, it adds a nice little touch to carry through the theme of my bike. I mean, overall, it's kind of dialed into what I like. And then, one thing I forgot to mention, just like the Progressive Suspension that you don't see on here, is our FP4. I mean, it's one thing to put all the components on here to get better performance, to sound better, and be more lightweight with stainless, but you need to make sure it’s operating properly. So, the heart of this is the FP4. It's tuned for our exhaust system and intake, so when you're out on the road, you don’t feel any decel popping, any type of lag at the bottom end. It's all pre-programmed. The customer just plugs it in, and it's going to run right every time.

Okay, very cool, because not everybody understands getting into their laptop and tuning a tuner and things like that, or having to go to a dyno guy.

Yeah, exactly.

Well, the bike came out looking sharp! I mean, it looks like a little hot rod. I bet it’s a blast to ride.

Yeah, I can't wait. After work today, I'm probably going to take it out and go cruising for a bit and see what the weekend has for us.

Well, here in Southern California, it’s great year-round, so unfortunately for all you guys out there who have to put your bikes away for the winter, we get to ride year-round, which really makes us want to tweak with our bikes a little bit more than just stock and have some fun with them.

Rob, thanks so much for coming out and spending the time with us today. You've done a great job with your bike. I love all the different products that you do, everything that's on this bike and everything else from the four brands you can get at Lifestyle Cycles’ online mega store, where you get 5% in Mega Bucks towards future purchases and free shipping to your door for anything over $50.

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