Merry Merry,
Holy shit, we’re running hard at the news today. Southern California is covered in rain and snow, a very rare occurrence and it’s keeping my fingers chilled in the shop as I hammer out the news.
We shipped out Xmas cards in the rain yesterday and book shipping is taking place this morning. Yesterday elves stuffed Christmas presents and the dogs slept in the gym.
I had a meeting with the boss of the Motorcycle Industry Council this week regarding our efforts to create a Motorcycle Action group under the SEMA (Hot Rod Aftermarket Association) umbrella. I was surprised at the competive spirit in an era of severe restrictions and bad economy. You would think that any effort to help our guys would be supported.
We are planning another meeting with the MIC and SEMA representatives at the Cincy V-Twin trade show in February. Try to make it so you can make up your own mind whether SEMA can help our industry or the MIC can handle it. More of this effort will be touched on in the news, but the bottom line is that we must step up to make anything happen. Let’s hit it:
ACCOLADES FOR ROLLIN’ SIXES/BIKERNET/BIKERS CHOICE XMAS T-SHIRT DRIVE FOR THE TROOPS– Bandit, just wanted to drop a line to say happy holidays to Bikernet staff, plus I can’t tell you how blown away I am with the t-shirt drive Rollin’ sixes and you have put together.All those people coming to help wrap is just great man. That is true Christmas spirit. Things like this make me a proud American! My nephew did two tours in Iraq.
Presents help boost morale for the soldiers. Thanks again to Rollin’ Sixes, Bikers Choice and Bikernet for supporting our troops!
–Eric F. ironworkers
local 424,CT.
Wire Plus Introduces their New Old School Seat Post Mounted System for ?09–Winfield, KS- Wire Plus Powersports Electronics is proud to introduce their new ?Old School? seat post mounted system. This new state-of-the-art system features a CNC machined old school ball-milled look on its tear drop shaped chromed billet housing that mounts the power control module and ignition switch.
This assembly plugs into a pre-assembled harness that will be selected by the style of handlebar switches and turn signals used in your application. Exclusive to Wire Plus is a unique feature found on this seat posted mounted module that shuts off just the front lighting when starting and leaves the taillights on for safety during nighttime starting. This puts less of a strain on the battery while starting and still provides the rider with ?rear light? protection.
Anyone stuck on the side of the road at night will be seen by other drivers while trying to start their bike due to this new safety feature. This power control module has 4-15 amp breakers, isolated compression release circuit, replaceable start relay and diagnostic LED?s which can be viewed through holes in the face of the housing.
The housing mounts to the seat post coil bracket on Big Twins from 1941 thru 1984 and custom frames using the same style coil mount. Available for stock style handlebar controls and includes integrated load sensing, auto-canceling, lighting control module to run rear turn signals as running lights, brake lights and turn signals.
Also available as chopper style with automotive start switch and pre-assembled harness for minimal system switches. (Can be used with or without turn signals).
Available in black anodized or luxurious chrome finishes?Suggested Retail: $499.00 for chopper style wiring system and 599.00 for lighting control integrated wiring system. Reliability?Ease of Installation?and Quality all in One?Wire Plus!
For those interested in obtaining more information on Wire Plus, you can reach them at (620) 221-2417 or check them out online at www.wire-plus.com or email them at sales@wire-plus.com.
THE BIKER’S BIKE FROM THE CHOPPERFEST–Here’s the wildest bike I shot at the David Mann Chopperfest in Ventura, California last Sunday. More
–from Peter Linney
Watch for more features on Bikernet from Peter Linney.
MEETING OF THE MINDS DELIVERS– One of the original principles the Meeting of the Minds was founded upon was the concept of bringing motorcyclists from across the country together to share experiences, legislative successes, initiatives underway, problematic issues being faced, and ideas related to all of this, the very definition of the Meeting of the Minds.
The Thursday night Meet the States Opening session has become a real highlight of the Meeting of the Minds. This is where various representatives from the State Motorcycle Rights Organizations (SMRO?s) present what is going on in their states and this year certainly delivered on the original concept of a meeting of the minds. I counted 36 states in all that presented and below is a list of the nearly 50 subjects that were covered.
It would be hard to find something going on in motorcycling that wasn?t discussed this year and it is somewhat amazing to stop for a moment and consider all the subjects being covered and dealt with by bikers? rights activists throughout our nation. This is a genuine value of having SMRO?s attend the Meeting of the Minds, after hearing the presentations the attendees are highly encouraged to get together and discuss similar issues being faced or worked on back in their own states, one could certainly find common ground in this room.
This session also proves extremely valuable to the MRF as it is our intent to come out of the Meeting of the Minds with our Legislative and Strategic Agenda for the coming year. If something here interests you and you weren?t able to make it to Denver this year please contact your MRF SSMRO Reps., MRF State Program Reps., or your MRF Member Reps., one of these departments representatives can hook you up with a contact with the various information and we look forward to seeing you in Bloomington Minnesota for next years 25th Anniversary of the Meeting of the Minds.
?SMRO Conferences, State meetings, Officers trainings
?PAC activity
?On-Line memberships and program registrations
?Share the Road programs
?Rider Education
?Motorcycle Safety and Awareness programs (both for motorcycles and other motor vehicles
?The impact of International issues
?Muffler bills, sound testing and related equipment
?Vulnerable user bills
?Helmet bills, City helmet bills, freedom of choice bill updates
?Local ordinance issues, private property use issues
?ATV bills
?Public Service announcements (PSA?s)
?Veterans license plate, license plate size bills
?501C3/501C4 issues, grants
?Red light bills
?Use of statistics, impacts of statistics
?Battles with the press
?Skill rated maps for challenging roads
?Bike week bans, overzealous law enforcement initiatives
?Comparative fault bills
?Motorcycle confiscation bills
?Mandatory rider education
?Civil disobedience experiences
?Suing a Governor for misappropriating motorcycle safety fund monies
?Right of Way (ROW) bills
?Participating in Motorcycle Safety Advisory councils
?Auxiliary lighting bills
?Motorcycle registration funds, attached fees, specific fees
?Lobby day, lobby day training
?Dial a ride programs for motorcycles, event specific bike trailers made available
?Impaired riding/ride straight campaigns
?Motorcycle CDL?s, lower BAC for motorcyclists efforts
?Mopeds/scooters-regulations, licensing, training or lack thereof
?Impact of moped and scooter crashes when considered motorcycles on reports
?Political relationships
?Discrimination issues, ?no colors? issues
?Sound based bans
?Partnerships with military bases for motorcycle training (both use and program delivery)
?Custom bike registration and titling issues
?Rider education councils
?Roadway conditions, 1-800 hazard report phone numbers
?2010 fund uses, issues
?Membership programs
?Motivation
?Youth and sport bike rider involvement
?Newsletters
?Successful events
?Accident scene management, first aid care at crash scenes
This is a most recent Leaders report, example of the type of dialogue used 50-60 times per year to reach the 250,000 SMRO members that belong to the MRF through Sustaining Memberships.
–KRW
MRF E-MAIL NEWS Motorcycle Riders Foundation
236 Massachusetts Ave. NE
Suite 510
Washington, DC 20002-4980
202-546-0983 (voice)
202-546-0986 (fax)
http://www.mrf.org (website)
TORKSTER PLUS 883-1250 EFI ENGINE KIT —The Torkster Plus is similar to our original Torkster 883-1200 kit, but with a twist ? an additional 50cc with the inclusion of our exclusive 3-9/16? bore cylinders! These extremely rigid aluminum cylinders are cast around ductile iron liners and fit right into the case opening without any machining. The Torkster Plus includes our highly refined cylinder, head and engine management package that promotes big gains in power and torque.
Also included is the blueprinting of your cylinder heads. After cleaning, new Step-Lock guides are hand-fit to new, high-flow stainless steel valves. Next, the bowl in the port is aligned to the center of the valve using a special form tool that promotes high velocity for optimum air to fuel atomization ratios. The result is increased fuel efficiency, and in layman?s terms, a big, fat, long torque curve!
The heads are delivered assembled with Viton? seals and a performance valve spring set; Zipper?s aluminum cylinders are precisely fitted with lightweight, reverse-dome forged pistons. To provide proper fuel and ignition curves, the factory ECM is replaced with the versatile ThunderMax ECM with AutoTune, supplied with maps that ensure quick and accurate automatic AFR tuning. A Zipper?s high flow air cleaner kit and complete top end gasket set is supplied.
Get that extra edge with the Torkster Plus 1250 kit ? excellent power right where you need it!
Zip Tip: 2004-up 883 Sportsters? have different primary and secondary gearing than the factory 1200?s do (final 4.07 [883] vs. 3.52 [1200]. We recommend lowering the gearing when converting an 883 to 1200 with our kits.
These kits are available from any Zipper?s Performance Products dealer, or you can send your carefully packed parts directly to Zipper?s. The Torkster Plus kit requires modification to your cylinder heads. Your original 883 heads are modified and returned to you with new cylinders and the rest of the kit, ready for installation. In-shop time is generally 1-2 weeks. Please pack your parts carefully!
Torkster Plus 883-1250 kit, 2007-up 883
# 517-203
$ 2289.00
BIKER GONE SAILOR PUBLISHES WET MAGAZINE–Are You Ready? January’s Lats & Atts Seafaring Issue Is Now On-Line! No cost, no registering.
Just click and read the full print issue!To enlarge any page, just place your cursor at the inside upper corner of the page! Click again to reduce it again!
The World’s Favorite Boating Lifestyle Magazine Is Waiting For You! Just Click below! Like Us it’s Free and Easy!
–Bob Bitchin’
STREET WALKER CONTEST STILL ON– Is there still time to enter the Streetwalker Pipes Contest? I wrecked my ’07 Street Glide cuz an asshole ran a stop sign on Sept 1. Traded in my wrecked bike. This time I sent pictures of my girlfriend on my new ’09 Street Glide.
I am recovering and my girlfriend has been giving me warm physical therapy massages. Enjoy the pictures. She even dressed in a Christmas outfit for this. I took it off her after the pictures.
Sorry for the background but I ain’t a professional, but I did clean up the garage a little before the shots.
–GOOTIE
OFFICIAL BIKERNET CAB DRIVER–A man walks out to the street and catches a taxi just going by. He getsinto the taxi, and the cabbie says, “Perfect timing. You’re just likeFrank.”
Passenger: “Who?”
Cabbie: “Frank Feldman. He’s a guy who did everything right all thetime. Like my coming along when you needed a cab, things happened likethat to Frank Feldman every single time.”
Passenger: “There are always a few clouds over everybody.”
Cabbie: “Not Frank Feldman. He was a terrific athlete. He could havewon the Grand-Slam at tennis. He could golf with the pros. He sanglike an opera baritone and danced like a Broadway star and you shouldhave heard him play the piano. He was an amazing guy.”
Passenger: “Sounds like he was something really special.”
Cabbie: “There’s more… He had a memory like a computer. He rememberedeverybody’s birthday. He knew all about wine, which foods to order andwhich fork to eat them with. He could fix anything. Not like me. Ichange a fuse and the whole street blacks out. But Frank Feldman, hecould do everything right.”
Passenger: “Wow, some guy then.”
Cabbie: “He always knew the quickest way to go in traffic and avoidtraffic jams. Not like me, I always seem to get stuck in them. ButFrank, he never made a mistake and he really knew how to treat a womanand make her feel good. He would never answer her back even if she wasin the wrong; and his clothing was always immaculate, shoes highlypolished too. He was the perfect man! He never made a mistake. No onecould ever measure up to Frank Feldman.”
Passenger: “An amazing fellow. How did you meet him?”
Cabbie: “Well, I never actually met Frank. He died. I’m married to hisf**ckin’ widow.”
–from Nick Roberts
RELAUNCHING BIKER BEAUTIES MAGAZINE IN 2009–Biker Beautes Magazine has been doing a makeover and will be re-launching its magazine in February 2009 as a nationwide publication and is seeking motorcycle shops and dealerships who would like to sell the magazine in their stores.
Stores will keep 50% of all monies from Biker Beauties Magazine sales. Biker Beauties Magazine will be a quarterly publication printing in February, May, August, and November. If interested in learning more about carrying this magazine please contact Sam@BikerBeauties.com
Anyone interested in advertising opportunities in the magazine should contact Livia@BikerBeauties.com
On the cover of the February 2009 Issue is popular magazine model and actress Coco (http://cocosworld.com). I went to New York this past weekend to shoot with Coco and her husband Ice-T from the television series Law and Order:SVU. See the photos in the upcoming issue of Biker Beauties Magazine and you can meet Ice-T and Coco at the Timonium Motorcycle Show on Feb 6th as they will be signing posters and magazines at the show for one day only. Show information: http://cycleshow.net
AMA SAYS NYC COUNCIL UNFAIRLY TARGETS MOTORCYCLE SOUND– THE American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) says New York City Council is about to give final approval to a bill that discriminates against motorcyclists and imposes severe, out-of-line penalties.
The AMA also complained that the measure languished in the Council for two years and then, in a surprise move, was revived just a week before the scheduled final vote, allowing little opportunity for public comment.
“This is outrageous. This is no way to operate in a democracy,” said Imre Szauter, AMA government affairs manager. “The Committee on Public Safety considered the bill on Dec. 14, 2006, and then suddenly approves it and sends it to the full Council on Dec. 10, 2008?”
The measure, up for full City Council approval on Thursday, Dec. 18, would make it illegal for any motorcycle to be on city streets unless it has an exhaust system with a stamp that states it is approved by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Essentially that means the bike must have a stock exhaust system.
Motorcyclists caught without an EPA-stamped exhaust system would face fines of up to $1,000 for a first offense and temporary forfeiture of the motorcycle until the fine is paid. A second offense would result in a fine of up to $2,500 and permanent forfeiture of the motorcycle.
City officials apparently believe that requiring motorcyclists to have EPA-approved exhaust systems is easier to enforce than trying to prove a motorcycle exceeds the city’s vaguely defined 80-decibel sound limit.
Szauter stressed that the AMA has long opposed excessive motorcycle sound and has funded information and public relations campaigns in support of quiet motorcycle use.
“The issue is that the New York City Council is unfairly singling out motorcyclists because motorcycles are the only vehicles covered under the bill,” he said. “If New York City officials believe they have a sound problem, then the problem should be handled through the existing noise ordinance and not through piecemeal legislation targeting specific modes of transportation.”
Szauter added that requiring motorcycles–and no other motor vehicles–to have a stock exhaust system is particularly discriminatory. When the muffler wears out or breaks on a car, the car owner can go to a local muffler shop and get an aftermarket system that costs much less than an original equipment system. The proposed New York City law wouldn’t allow a motorcyclist to do that, forcing the motorcyclist to potentially spend hundreds of dollars more for an original equipment system, assuming that system is even still available.
“If a motorcyclist can’t find a stock system, then the rider faces stiff fines and forfeiture of the machine, Szauter said. “These penalties are too severe and out of line when compared with other city laws.”
Szauter urged all New York City motorcyclists to contact their City Council members immediately and ask that they reject this discriminatory measure.
Concerned motorcyclists living outside the area, especially those who work in or frequently visit the city, should contact the Speaker of the City Council, Christine Quinn, at: council.nyc.govwww.ama-cycle.org
Read on, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation report states that the NY ordinance has been pulled.
TITAN CZAR EXECUTED–My local Phoenix source confirms that Don Proudfoot was executed last night. They did not harm Proudfoot?s girlfriend Hope, or steal anything in the house, but he was shot in the head.
The Maricopa County Sheriff?s Homicide Unit is still investigating the shooting in the 300 block of West Irvine Road. The Sheriff?s Office said it was not clear if the incident was a home invasion. At this point, Hope Smith is not a suspect and nobody has been taken into custody.
–John Nasi
CONTRAST CUT FORGED ALUMINUM PULLEYS– Just like the Roland Sands Design aluminum wheels, these forged aluminum pulleys feature RSD’s exclusive Contrast Cut finish. The polished pulley has been black-anodized, then CNC-machined to a contrast cut. The precision-shaped tooth profile is designed to fit the belt perfectly, and teeth are now hard anodized for longer wear. Both the Domino and Judge pulleys are a perfect match to Roland Sands’ Vintage Softail conversion parts. Diesel also comes in a chrome version.
All pulleys (except ’00-’06 Softail pulleys) are interchangeable for all years and come with a special adapter, which allows the pulley to fit 1.95″, 2.22″ and 2.50″ o.d. hub flanges. All applications require mounting bolts to be purchased separately. Proudly made in the U.S.A. by Performance Machine.
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