About

74 ci bored & stroked Ironhead Sportster – circa 1968

I’m D. William Denish. Although my professional career is rooted in Fortune 100 high-tech corporations as a software engineer, project manager, marketing manager and trainer, a longtime passion of mine is firmly rooted in two wheels, beginning with Schwinn bicycles as a preteen, followed by five-horsepower Lambretta and Cushman motor scooters as a 14-year old. Next came a ten-horsepower Mustang motorcycle at 16 and finally twin-cylinder Harley-Davidsons at age 21.

As an early teen, who by law was limited to riding 5-horsepower motor scooters, inspiration for modifying motorcycles came from my scooter buddy’s older brother who’s hobby was building chopped and channeled ’32 Ford 5-window coupes and lowered James Dean-style ’49 Mercs. Besides getting in the way during Friday night wrenching sessions, my friend and I helped his older brother clean parts while sometimes acting as a third hand…..and we learned the basics of wrenching on motors, hot rods and motorcycles.

On late Saturday nights, hot rodders and bikers alike would congregate at the local drive-in burger joint, jamming to the wild ’50s rock ’n’ roll sounds of Little Richard, Elvis, Chuck Berry and the Everly Brothers. Racing hot rod power windows up and down was a common pastime, with a Bob’s Big Boy double-decker and milkshake hanging in the balance for the winner with the fastest window. Raked and extended springer Panhead choppers, full-dressed Shovelhead baggers, stroked XLCH Sportsters, and dual-carb Triumph Bonnevilles ruled the streets along with chopped ’32 Ford flatheads and late ’40s lead-sled Mercs. Those memorable times along with working as a teenager at my neighbor’s metal fabricating and machine shop ignited my interests in fast motorcycles, cool hot rods, and even vintage WWII Warbirds.

By the time I was 35, I owned three Quarter Horse mares trained for barrel racing, pole bending and some calf roping. Owning horses programmed me to be up before dawn every morning to feed the animals, muck the stalls and clean the waterers. Over the years, I’ve been tossed onto the unforgiving corral dirt by a frisky Quarter Horse filly and thrown over handlebars by an ornery kickstart Harley stroker. I remember one infamous stroker-motor kickback that severely sprained my ankle, placing me in the embarrassing position of having to beg my friends to kickstart my Sporty stroker for several months. Nevertheless, being an early riser, I love morning rides, whether it be on a fire-breathing V-Twin or an energetic Quarter Horse.

My passion for Harley V-Twins eventually led me to authoring and publishing the popular and authoritative Performance Pro Series of books, which includes The Big Twin High-Performance Guide along with The V-Twin Tuner’s Handbook, Volumes One and Two. You may have heard of them.

The V-Twin Report (TVR) is a merging and evolution of my two-wheel passions as a kid and my professional Fortune 100 corporate background. TVR connects readers to the pulse of all things V-Twin enthusiasts and performance buffs consider newsy, noteworthy and interesting. It is a primary source of late-breaking V-Twin news and insights for motorcycle aficionados as well as an online resource of valuable and interesting information that goes well beyond just new hardware and bolt-on parts.

If you want to stay informed with V-Twin insights, tips, events and news that you can use, check us out daily and don’t forget to take us along on the road.

Enjoy the Ride,

D. William Denish