Hey, Ho, Ho, Ho,
This is amazing. Christmas is sort of a dreamland of elves, Santa, and joy. It’s warm and dreamy inside, when snow piles up outside. For a few moments every day it transports us to somewhere serene.
This analogy might not work, but I feel like we created a chopper wonderland with Bikernet, almost 14 years ago. It’s allowed me to escape regular jobs, commuting, and office politics. We can be creative every goddamn day, tinker with bikes, ride and chase girls around the Bikernet headquarters.
I hope some of this metal motorcycle nirvana rubs off on each reader, and you can find some escape from the humdrum on Bikernet every day. That’s our fuckin’ Christmas Wish. Have a blast on Xmas day. Let’s hit the Christmas Eve News:
Last Buell Motorcycle Donated to Barber Motorsports Museum–The final Buell motorcycle produced at the company?s East Troy, Wis., factory, a 2010 Buell Lightning XB12Scg, has been donated to the Barber Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Ala., along with several other representative models from the company?s 26-year production history. A total of 12 motorcycles were donated to the collection, including a 1996 S3T Thunderbolt, a 1999 X1 Lightning, several clay model prototype mock-ups, and a pair of modified motorcycles used by stunt riders Craig Jones and Bubba Blackwell.
?We?re very pleased to be able to add to the Barber Museum?s already extensive collection of Buell motorcycles, and hope that the many motorcycle enthusiasts who visit their museum will enjoy seeing these motorcycles along with the rest in their fine collection,? said Jon Flickinger, President and Chief Operating Officer of Buell Motorcycle Company.
Fuck it. We want to help Erik keep Buell alive. But first he needs to untie all the strings to the factory.–Wrench
HOLIDAY WARNING SPONSORED BY THE BIKERNETMETRIC BLOG–Alcohol does not make you FAT
– it makes you LEAN….. against tables, chairs, floors, walls and ugly people.
–from Chris T.
BIKERNET ENGLISH CLASS WORD FOR 2010 SPONSORED BY AEROMACH– intrepid in-TREP-id, adjective:
Fearless; bold; brave; undaunted; courageous; as, an intrepid soldier; intrepid spirit.
But the stubborn descendants of the twenty-one intrepid people who plowed through the mountains in search of the sea to the west avoided the reefs of the melodic mixup and dancing went on until dawn.
— Gabriel Garcia Marquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude
Not as energetically, certainly, as Walt– who was intrepid, who flung his body into every new circumstance with faith and grace and with temerity.
— John Irving, The World According to Garp
Britain’s World War I-era prime minister, David Lloyd George, whom Jones had once served as an aide, said the intrepid journalist might have been killed because he “knew too much of what was going on.”
— Associated Press, “Diary That Helped Expose Stalin’s Famine Displayed”, New York Times, November 13, 2009
Intrepid comes from Latin intrepidus, “calm,” from in-, “not” + trepidus, “anxious, disturbed.”
BLACK BIKE WHEELS KEEP THE TRADITION ALIVE–Black Bike now offers a custom wheel set that sets the standard for giving your bike the look of class and style while enhancing the vintage tradition that made Harley-Davidson the leading motorcycle company for over a century. We combined our black rim and hub to a wide white wall tire, producing a look like no other in creating the legacy that is Harley Davidson.
All our vintage wheels are direct bolt on and come with tires mounted, so the installation is fast and painless, and allows you to retain your stock wheels and tires if needed.
Starting at about $1000/ set
Blackbikewheels.com
(818) 341-2550
LETTERS TO SANTA– Dear Santa,
I want a new bike, a Playstation, a train, some G.I. Joes, a dog, a drum kit, a pony and a tuba.
Love, Francis
Dear Francis, Who names their kid “Francis” nowadays? I bet you’re gay.
— Santa
Dear Santa, What do you do the other 364 days of the year? Are you busy making toys?
Your friend, Thomas
Dear Thomas, All the toys are made in China. I have a condo in Vegas, where I spend most of my time making low-budget porno films. I unwind by drinking myself silly and squeezing the asses of cocktail waitresses while losing money at the craps table. Hey, you wanted to know.
–Santa
Dear Santa,
Do you see us when we’re sleeping, do you really know when we’re awake, like in the song?
Love, Jessica
Dear Jessica, Are you really that gullible? Good luck in whatever you do. I’m skipping your house.
–Santa
Dear Santa,
I really really want a puppy this year. Please please please PLEASE PLEASE could I have one?
Timmy
Timmy, That whiney begging shit may work with your folks, but that crap doesn’t work with me. You’re getting a sweater again.
–Santa
–from Chris T.
BIG RIG DEAL OF THE CENTURY–Merry Christmas ! Let’s drop the price to 65,000.00 OBO. This is a one of a kind rig. Cost almost 200,000.00 to build. Ready to roll! Call anyTIME to talk or for info.
A vendors dream all set up right down to the cash registers.
–Seth Doulton
805-896-1548
Sethhpp@yahoo.com
Harley-Davidson Unveils New Part Number System–On Dec. 15, 2009, Harley-Davidson launched a new part number format that will be used for all newly created Original Equipment and Genuine Parts & Accessory part numbers, replacing the current part numbering system that dates back to the early 1960s.
The new part number format change was driven by several factors, with a primary reason being that after decades of new part introductions, unused base part numbers were running out. The new part number system replaces the legacy format of a five-digit base part number and a two-digit model year code (e.g., 12345-09) with a three-digit part type and a five-digit index number (e.g., 34500008). The model year of introduction will no longer be embedded in the part number but it will be readily available on part labels, parts books and other systems. Alphabetical suffixes will be added as needed to indicate retrofit and color options, along with other information.
Legacy parts introduced prior to the adoption of the new system will continue to be stocked under the old format, but all newly created parts will be assigned the new format.
60th GRAND NATIONAL ROADSTER SHOWConstructs the Build-A-Rod On Stage–Pomona, CA?The Grand National Roadster Show celebrates the 75th anniversary of the 1933-34 roadster with the construction of ?Build-A-Rod,? a Speed 33 roadster, on stage all three days of the show, January 23-25, 2009, at the Pomona Fairplex.In celebration of the 1933-?34 Ford?s 75th anniversary, the Grand National Roadster Show (GNRS) will feature the construction of the Build-A-Rod Speed 33 roadster on stage starting opening day Friday, January 23, 2009.
Emceed by Muscle Car TV host Lou Santiago, the 1933 Roadster will be built by Extreme Automotive of Corona, California, and features some of the top hot rod builders in the United States helping assembly on stage including Bob Bauder, Zane Cullen, Troy Ladd, Dave Lane, Chuck Lombardo, Steve Strope, Scott Sullivan, and more.
Manufacturers of components used in the Build-A-Rod roadster will be on hand all three days to discuss their products in a seminar-type format backed by big-screen videos with product info, instruction, manufacturing and design lowdown.
Build-a-RodCustom upholsterers Ron Mangus of Rialto Ca & Eric Thorsen of Agoura Hills Ca. will team up on the red leather interior and will also appear to answer questions about their work on the Build-A-Rod project and present other examples of their work.
The roadster features components from top manufacturers like American Speed Company?s all-steel 1933 roadster body. A TCI chassis features a Speedway Engineering quick-change rear end with Wilwood brakes. Power comes from a Roush 347 fuel-injected engine hooked to a B&M AOD transmission, Lokar shifter, cables and dipsticks, Sanderson headers, Dan Fink grille, US Radiator radiator, Ididit steering column, American Autowire wiring, Autometer gauges, Billet Specialties wheels, Vintage Air air conditioning, Sacramento Vintage Ford reproduction parts, Glide seat, Unisteer rack and pinion steering, Edelbrock shocks, and Paint by Planet Color.
The tradition of building a hot rod on stage at the GNRS started with the 1958 show, and once more in 1990. 2009 marks only the third time in the history of the show a hot rod will be built before the public.
Email: info@rodshows.com
Web: www.rodshows.com
Phone: 1-877-ROD-SHOWS
K and G Cycles is pleased to announce PEEL BACK PRICING!Each Thursday, K and G Cycles will announce the Peel Back Pricing sale of the week. The deals will be spectacular and will only last a short time. To see these great deals, go to the K and G Cycles website (www.kandgcycles.com) and “peel back” the upper right hand corner of the front page.
You’ll see it when you get there and it will be as simple as moving your mouse over to the peel back corner of the page and clicking. From there, just click on the revealed peel back graphic and you’ll go straight to some of the best deals ever!
This week is all about battery chargers. How about a BikeMaster Chargemaster 365TD. Retail on this advanced charging system is $89.95 but the Peel Back price at K and G is only $62.99! That’s 30% off!
Come see the rest of the Peel Back Pricing items of the week at www.kandgcycles.com. Run by bikers just for bikers.
THE FATBOB FIND OF THE WEEK–I guess I’m not the first, at least I used a Briggs+Stratton, made in Milwaukee. Shows what the racers thought about Indians.
–FB
THE PAN CODE OF THE WEST–If you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much room.
–Tony Sanfelipo
397 MAGAZINES CLOSED IN 2009–Mediafinder.com, via Crains NY Business, shows that The Reaper is actually slowing down and may find some vacation time soon: 367 magazines closed so far in 2009, and that’s down from 573 in 2007.Prize under-statement goes to Trish Hagood, president of Oxbridge Communications, parent company of MediaFinder: “This is not a propitious time to launch a magazine.”
Biker?s Choice FAT RISE DRAG BARS– Biker?s Choice offers a wide variety of handlebars for all your bike needs. The two shown are just a sample of what?s available.
Both proudly made in the United States, they are predrilled and dimpled for wiring and work with all standard controls, grips and risers. Risers are polished and chrome finished and measure 3-1/2? at the center.
Priced between $169.95 and $225.95 depending on application, they?re easy on your pocket.
For more information, visit www.bikerschoice.com We here at Biker?s Choice would like to wish all of you a Very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year. It has been a rough one for most everyone, so let?s look upon 2010 as a rebuilding year. Remember what and who matters this season, your family and friends. Looking forward to seeing many of you at the shows this year!! Happy Riding!! –Carmen 
WELCOME TO THE SECRET WORLD OF UNDERGROUND CHOPPERS–Some folks were asking for a pre-registration for the Long Road. That is up on the website now and available now under ?Merchandise? and registration will be $ 40.
NOTE: We do not make any money on your registration. You can ride the Long Road or any portion of the Long Road WITHOUT being registered. If you want to ride the Long Road and not register? PLEASE DO. (However, we want to recognize the people that complete the entire Long Road and we can only do that for people who are registered.)
What registration gets you: A wristband that will get you into as many of the events along the way as I can arrange with no cover (or as little cover) as I can arrange. This gets you out of almost all of the fees and cover charges during the week.
The idea is to get the Long Road riders out of those type cost. Another sponsor is considering giving free T-shirts for all the registered Long Road riders.
We minted a silver pendant in actual .925 silver. It looks awesome and it cost us a bunch o? money. That will be presented (free) to all registered riders that complete the Long Road. The registration fee helps us with some of that cost also.
Finally, the registration will helps us know how many people to plan for? and I can say that it will be well worth the $40.
Thanks, Edge
Official Laconia 2009 shirts now available only at HotLeathers.com– Get yours while they last! These 100% cotton tees are available in short or long sleeve in your choice of black, white, grey, blue, green or orange shirt. Short sleeve shirts are available in sizes small through 3XL. Long sleeve tees are available in small through XXL. What a great way to remember the 86th Laconia Motorcycle Week!
Laconia Motorcycle Week will be June 13-21 for the upcoming year and takes place in picturesque Laconia, New Hampshire. Hot Leathers has been setting up shop at the rally for over 20 years! Laconia boasts the largest motorcycle gathering in the Northeast with over 300,00 bikers in attendance! There’s lots of great riding on New Hampshire’s scenic byways…from mountains to seacoast, the state’s beauty is sure to leave a lasting impression. Make sure you swing by Hot Leathers at the Lobster Pound at Weirs Beach and get your official motorcycle week shirt during your stay!
SHOVELHEAD DEAL OF THE WEEK FROM HARDBALL INK TATTOO–This bike is selling for 4500.00. Shovelhead looks like a good deal.
–Frank Ball
hardballink@hotmail.com
MOTORCYCLE RESTORATION GUIDE BOOK NEW FROM MOTORBOOKS TECH LIBRARY–The market for used motorcycles is vast and deep, with many popular motorcycles available for a fraction of what they cost when new even a few years ago. With a little hard work and know-how, a restored used bike can become a reliable and stylish commuter vehicle. But restoring an older motorcycle can be challenging. Often you’re dealing with old technology, parts that are hard to replace, rusty and stubborn bolts, etc. How to Restore Your Motorcycle walks the reader through the process of tearing down an old motorcycle and building it back up again. This revised edition adds color photography throughout, as well as new information covering bikes and technologies new to the collector realm.
Authors, poets, and songwriters like Tom Waits, Arlo Guthrie, Hunter Thompson, and Robert Pirsig have written about the motorcycle, that icon for outlaws, rebels, thieves, and beat poets. This collection of motorcycle tales features the best of the vast collection of motorcycle writing created since old Gottlieb Daimler first bolted a crude internal-combustion engine to his wooden two-wheeled Einspur in 1876.
In addition to essays from writers like Thompson and Pirsig, The Devil Can Ride features writers like Peter Egan, Fred Hafele, Patrick Symmes, Ewan McGregor, and Jim Rogers. Photographs, old posters, tickets, and other appropriate art and memorabilia illustrate this literary collection.
The book features:
Peter Egan
Fred Hafele, Rebuilding the Indian
Patrick Symmes, Chasing Che
Ted Simon
Ewan McGregor, Long Way Round
Robert E. Fulton Jr, One Man Caravan
Dave Barr, Riding the Edge
Werner Bausenhar, Africa: Against the Clock on a Motorcycle; Into the Den of the Bear and the Lair of the Dragon on a Motorcycle
Ron Ayres, Against the Wind
Michael Fong, A Tankful of Time
Rik K. Haffar, Away From My Desk
Flash Gordon MD, Blood, Sweat & Gears
Steve Krzystyniak, Bitten by the Bullet
Jonathan Gregson, Bullet Up the Grand Turk Road
Chris Scott, Desert Travels
Maxwell Gardiner, Four Legs, Two Wheels and Half a Brain
Tom Cunliffe, Good Vibrations
Ann Ferrar, Hear Me Roar
Hunter S. Thompson, Hells Angels, Revenge of the Sausage Monster
Richard La Plante, Hog Fever
Tom Smith, In the Long Run
Sam Manicom, Into Africa
Jim Rogers, Investment Biker
Jerry Smith, Into the Heart of Africa
Owen L. Riess, La Ropa Sucia: A Motorcycle Adventure Through Mexico
Daniel Meyer, Life is a Road
Al Culler, Motorcycle Travels and Travails
Robert Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Hall of Fame Custom Car Designer Gene Winfield’s “Maybellene” To Be Offered at Auction– Listening to Chuck Berry’s hit song “Maybellene,” with lyrics about a wayward girlfriend in a fast Cadillac Coupe DeVille, legendary custom car builder and designer Gene Winfield decided he would build his own custom Cadillac that would be worthy of the name “Maybellene” and to serve as his personal drive-around custom.
When Gene finished his dream car, he had created a masterpiece, a showstopper and a jawdropper, a unique Cadillac that is signature Gene Winfield. And now this masterpiece will cross the auction block at the Russo Steele auction in Scottsdale January 20-24, 2010.
Winfield is well known in the custom car and hot rod community. Winfield has been profiled in a newly released book titled The Legendary Custom Cars and Hot Rods of Gene Winfield. Gene has been inducted into Darryl Starbird’s Custom Car and Hot Rod Hall of Fame and in 2008, Winfield was honored as “Builder of the Year” at the prestigious Detroit Autorama. At the Autorama, classic examples of Winfield’s custom car genius were displayed from his breakthrough “Jade Idol” to his Hollywood creations for productions such as Bladerunner, Star Trek, and Back to the Future II along with his Bonneville racecar and many more. Among the array of history making customs, Winfield proudly displayed his wild Caddy ?Maybellene? and autographed photos of the Caddy for countless fans.
When Gene started imagining Maybellene, Gene knew what he wanted, something long and low and Genechose a finned 1961 Cadillac as the starting point. To achieve the long low look, Gene chopped off the stock Cadillac roof and grafted on a sleeker roof from a 1959 Olds lowering the roofline four inches. Gene resculpted the body, smoothing out the lines, extending and remolding the tailfins, and adding features like hidden pop-up door mounted rear view mirrors. Winfield built an air bag suspension that adjusted the ride height from street ride height to a dropped down ground-hugging ride. Winfield labored over every detail even constructing a hand made golden translucent steering wheel with embedded 14kt gold flakes. Winfield installed a modern drive train powered by a Cadillac Northstar engine. Winfield topped it off with one of his signature ?fadeaway? paint creations in shades of cream and butterscotch.
Winfield will be on hand at the Russo Steele auction and will proudly drive Maybellene onto the auction stage. And although Winfield will say goodbye to his personal custom Cadillac, he can be expected to return to his custom shop in the Mojave, California and continue customizing as he has done since first opening his shop in 1946.
Auction Contacts:
Russo and Steele
5230 S. 39th Street
Phoenix, AZ. 85040
Phone: 602.252.2697
Fax: 602.252.6260
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