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EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS FROM AUSTRALIA’S BIKE WEEK–Here’s a couple of snaps of some of the stuff at bike week. This should keep you going until I deliver the Burt Munro coverage of the tribute beach race in New Zealand. Hang on.
–Nicole
Battistinis Floorboards for Touring Models–Style comes full circle in the form of an even more radical departure from traditional floorboard style. Battistinis Custom Cycles shatters the mold with front and rear floorboards in a brand-new style that will be setting future trends. As the first product to launch Battistinis new B2 product line, the new ?Semi-Curcular? floorboard design incorporates traditional style from the ?old school? with a radical, definitive and contemporary edge.
Machined from 6061-T6 billet aluminum for strength, drilled for lightness and style and show-chromed for lasting good looks. MADE in the USA. A true ?remove and replace? installation easily installs Battistinis floorboards in the place of the OEM Harley-Davidson floorboards.
Knock-out style that?s easy to install, brought to you by Battistinis, of course.
For more information please contact
Rikki Battistini
Battistinis Custom Cycles LLC
San Ramon CA 94582
925.270.4211
Rikki@battistinisUSA.com
WWW.battistinisUSA.com
An Iowa woodpecker and an Arizona woodpecker were arguing about which state had the toughest trees– The Iowa woodpecker said Iowa had a tree that no woodpecker could peck. The Arizona woodpecker accepted his challenge and promptly pecked a hole in the tree with no problem. The Iowa woodpecker was amazed.
The Arizona woodpecker then challenged the Iowa woodpecker to peck a tree in Arizona that was absolutely im-peckable (a term woodpeckers like to use). The Iowa woodpecker expressed confidence, said he could do it and accepted the challenge. So the two flew to Arizona where the Iowa woodpecker successfully pecked the so-called impeckable tree with no problem.
Both woodpeckers were terribly confused. How is it that the Arizona woodpecker was able to peck the Iowa tree and the Iowa woodpecker was able to peck the Arizona tree, yet neither was able to peck the tree in their own state? Huh?
After much woodpecker pondering, they both came to the same conclusion: Apparently your pecker gets harder when you’re away from home
–from Copey
Pirelli Night Dragon ‘Performance Tour’ from Anchorage, AK to Miami, FL–Rome, GA: With three Harley-Davidson motorcycles fitted with Pirelli’s new Night Dragon tires, Salvo Pennisi, Vincenzo Frisina and Domenico Oliveri of the Pirelli Motorcycle Testing operation based at Giarre, Sicily, left the city of Anchorage, Alaska this weekend, beginning a test ride of over 6,000 miles (10,000 km) from corner to corner across the North American Continent. This unique testing team has journeyed to the Last Frontier, demonstrating the motivation to test the new Night Dragon on Canadian and American roads, further perfecting the product for the V-Twin market in North America.
Ice, the Rocky Mountains, the Great Lakes, deserts, cities; a demanding test of 17 stages will push the tires – the radial version – to the limit in all kinds of climates and road conditions of the United States and Canada, in line with the development philosophy of Pirelli’s Moto Business Unit. This run will conclude the testing process, releasing the product into the market for which it is designed and destined. The Night Dragon is the tire that Pirelli intends to conquer the North American V-twin market, by far the biggest street market and one that demands grip, style and performance.
Special equipment aboard these Harley-Davidson motorcycles will measure all the values of the tires? dynamics, gathering indispensable data for making the final touches to the product.
Accompanying the Pirelli team will be Alfredo Speranzoni, a doctor by profession, who has already been a fellow traveler with Pirelli Motorcycle Tire testers in the 2005 North Cape – Dakar event. It is his job to gather clinical data on the riders in relation to research already begun with the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Siena for the study of the relationship between hormones and positive stress.
On several motorcycle blogs and Internet websites, the most significant stages of this undertaking will be highlighted with photographs and feedback from the test riders during each period. In Canada, the Night Dragon Performance Tour will stop at Parts Canada, one of Pirelli’s Canadian distributors, and at Calgary Harley-Davidson, the largest Harley-Davidson store in western Canada. In the States, the tour will stop by the aftermath of Sturgis Bike Week by visiting Black Hills Harley-Davidson, then on to Hal’s Harley Davidson, who has participated in Moto-ST and Buell racing for years on Pirelli product.
The next two stops bring Salvo and his testing team to Janesville, WI, the home of Drag Specialties, Pirelli’s largest replacement customer in the United States. Harley-Davidson Motor Company in Milwaukee, WI follows, barely minutes after celebrating its 105th birthday party. Before the trip comes to an end, the test riders will arrive at Pirelli Tire’s headquarters in Rome, GA, where the company has an MIRS production line for automobile tires. And no transcontinental motorcycle tour is complete without a visit to Bruce Rossmeyer’s Destination Daytona, the largest Harley-Davidson dealership in North America.
Pirelli thanks and congratulates those who helped make the Performance Tour possible, including Barry Matteson, Frank Earwood and Mike Rink of Anchorage Harley-Davidson for selling and servicing the motorcycles. The test riders are using three 2008 Harley-Davidson Fat Boys for complete testing of the radial version of Night Dragon tires, and one 2008 Ultra Classic Electra Glide for feedback regarding the use of bias-ply tires with the Brembo ABS system featured on this model.
Saddlebags & luggage were provided by Saddlemen (www.saddlemen.com The team will rest on the 14th of September, where they will recap their entire journey with the staff of Peterson’s Harley-Davidson of Miami, FL. Meanwhile, good luck to these Pioneers as they begin this journey from the Frontier to Sunshine. For more information please visit: www.us.pirelli.com Brass Balls Bobbers announced that N.A.D.A. —is listing their motorcycles. In a surprise to no one, these motorbikes retain there value in large part due to the quality workmanship and the market?s enthusiasm for the design. Darwin Motorcycles, manufacturer of Brass Balls Bobbers & Choppers, is a registered & licensed NHTSA Manufaturer and listed with Kelley Blue Book and N.A.D.A. services. Our bikes are easy to finance and insure. Call 405.285.0808 for more details. Global Motorsport Group hires industry veteran Kurt Peterson–Global Motorsport Group (GMG) has announced the appointment of Kurt Peterson as Media & Events Manager at Custom Chrome. Peterson’s initial focus will be on GMG and Custom Chrome public and media relations, advertising, event/market presence and market research. With over 14 years of V-twin experience, Peterson has been with S&S Cycle since 2004, and he previously held positions with American IronHorse, Drag Specialties and at the retail level in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Custom Chrome Sales & Marketing VP Steve Veltri tells AMD: “CEO Holger Mohr and I are determined to assemble a small but highly experienced and knowledgeable management team at Custom Chrome. The appointment of an industry insider such as Kurt to this important role is significant. It shows that we mean business and it shows that serious industry professionals are coming to realize and acknowledge that”. As an avid V-Twin enthusiast, Peterson has designed and built several one-off customs and participated in this year’s AMD Official World Championship of Custom Bike Building with ‘Lil Evil’. Kurt was also an AHDRA member in the late 90’s, racing in the ‘G’ class.www.customchrome.com Motorcyclist Dies At Bonneville Salt Flats–A record-setting motorcyclist, traveling at speeds over 200 mph, died Wednesday when he lost control of his bike and crashed at the Bonneville Salt Flats, according to officials. The accident happened around 4 p.m. Tuesday when the man was trying to qualify during time trials. Cliff Gullett, 47, was traveling at speeds over 200 mph when he lost control and flipped his motorcycle. Paramedics? attempts to revive Gullett were unsuccessful. Gullett is from Bozeman, Mont. He set two land speed records with his streamliner during this year?s Speed Week at the Salt Flats and was aiming to set the record for the fastest two-stroke, two cylinder motorcycle in history. NEW SLIMMER RIDER BACKREST KITS FOR TOURING MODELS–New Shape Provides More Room for a Passenger. MILWAUKEE (August 8, 2008) ? The new Comfort Stitch Style Rider Backrest Kit (P/N 52572-09, $189.95) is one of seven new Rider Backrest Kits from Harley-Davidson Genuine Motor Accessories. Styled to match the cover of various Touring seats, the new backrests have a slimmer profile and a new contour that provides a few more inches of room for a passenger seated behind the backrest. Each pad is shaped to provide full lower back support without pushing the rider forward. An adjustable support bracket with four mounting locations accommodates different seats and riding positions. The backrest pad angle can be adjusted for maximum comfort. These backrest kits fit 1988-later Touring models equipped with a one-piece slotted seat. Installation requires separate purchase of model-specific Rider Backrest Hardware Kit ($29.95). For additional information on Harley-Davidson Genuine Motor Accessories, see your local Harley-Davidson dealer or visit the Harley-Davidson Web site at www.harley-davidson.com. To find a dealer near you, call toll free 1-800-443-2153 in the U.S.A. or Canada. THE HORSE Backstreet ChoppersSecond Annual Sturgis Show2008 Award winners–When it comes to garage bikes, a little rust is something of a badge of courage, an indication that the machine is well used in addition to being well loved. In judging a show full of garage bikes, beauty is definitely in the eye of the owner.With this in mind, THE HORSE Backstreet Choppers Second Annual Sturgis Show did not award first place prizes to any of the entrants; there wasn?t even a Best In Show. Instead, eleven well-known and well-respected custom bike builders were asked to pick a personal favorite. These ?judges? looked long and hard at every entry. For the winners, being recognized by some of the best in the biz was even better than the trophy that he received. Christian Clayton chose Dave Price of Piedmont, SD. As of the largest events for 2008, THE HORSE Backstreet Choppers Second Annual Sturgis Show also rewarded entrants with a plethora of prizes including a Baker 6 speed drive train, Evil Engineering belt drive, Custom Chrome gift certificates, hand grips, head lights, fenders, license plate assembly, custom kicker pedal, and more. Custom Chrome winners were Rick Strand from Sioux Falls SD, Logan Boland of Svenmeister Hardcore Kustoms in Westminister CO, and Michael Crome of Endicott NE THE HORSE Backstreet Choppers Sturgis Show is held in the Thunderdome at Thunder Road. Contests and giveaways all day, along with live music and three packed bars, and a wide variety of custom bikes kept the audience entertained. Sponsors include: Bikernet.com, Custom Chrome, Evil Engineering, Stevensons Cycles, Sucker Punch Sally?s, Baker Drivetrain, Bare Knuckle Choppers, Kustom Werks, Biker’s Choice, and Fabricator Kevin. Sucker Punch Sally’s Takes Sturgis by Storm–SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ – September 3, 2008 – With two locations and almost their entire staff dispatched to Sturgis, Sucker Punch Sally’s showed that the motorcycle industry is anything but dead. The SPS crew had booths at both the Legendary Buffalo Chip and Thunder Road and was host to some of the hottest events in Sturgis. SPS kicked off bike week with the launch of their newest venture – a beverage line. During the Kid Rock concert at the Legendary Buffalo Chip, SPS hosted a launch party to debut their Original Octane energy drink and Sucker Punch Shine, a refined version of moonshine that packs a punch at 120 proof. All the industry notables were present to get the first taste of the new drinks, and everyone had a great time. By the end of the week, SPS had given away over 450 cases of Original Octane and over 20,000 people gave the drink their mark of approval. And to give fans another reason to stop by the SPS booth for free samples, the crew did what they do best – built a custom motorcycle. Fans registered to win the Original Octane bobber throughout bike week, and on Thursday, Arthur James, a huge SPS fan from Arizona, was randomly selected and announced live on stage as the proud owner of this signature custom. At Thunder Road, Progressive Insurance teamed up with SPS to give away t-shirts and registered people to win a Progressive Insurance custom Sucker Punch Sally’s motorcycle. “This was the most successful motorcycle promotion that we have had to date and we look forward to doing a lot more with Sucker Punch Sally’s.” Said Amanda Jones of Progressive Insurance. Sucker Punch Sally’s sold bikes alongside Destination Daytona at Thunder Road and unveiled another one of their latest customs, the SPS Hard Rock Bike hand painted by notable hot rod artist Sara Ray. SPS also posted record t-shirt sales at both of their booths, proving that fans just can’t get enough of SPS’s old-school style. “Sturgis was a huge success for us this year,” said SPS President Christian Clayton. “The positive response to Original Octane and Sucker Punch Shine at the Legendary Buffalo Chip was great, and we’re excited to know that our fans will stand behind us as Sucker Punch branches out. Of course, our priority is still building old-school bikes people love to ride, but by adding new products to the SPS mix, we’ll be able to continue on our upward trend.” In addition to getting the word out about their newest bikes and beverages, SPS also did some behind-the-scenes work. SPS sponsored the Legends Ride, and SPS front men Christian Clayton and Jeff Cochran joined in on the action cruising with other motorcyclists on the 50-mile ride through the “Hills of Dakota.” The SPS crew also built the Destination Duo bike, which was auctioned off for charity. Sucker Punch Sally’s made their presence know at Sturgis 2008, and you can bet the crew is already working on more exciting things for next year’s rally. You can catch SPS in Dayton at The Doghouse Saloon on Mainstreet, out at Bruce Rossmeyer’s Destination Daytona and at Willie’s Tropical Tattoo. To keep up with the latest SPS happenings, visit them on the web at www.suckerpunchsallys.com and you can also visit Progressive Insurance at http://motorcycle.progressive.com. THAT’S A WRAP FOR A SUNNY AFTERNOON–But there’s a raft of hot material coming you’re way, even a Girl of Bikernet feature from the Viking in Europe. I’ve got to sneak outta here. So here’s a tease of features to come. 
Jeff Cochran chose Mark Stevens, Rollin? Bones, Binghamton, NY.
Paul Cox chose Kyle Shorey, Shade Tree Fabrications, Southline, TX.
Bill Dodge chose Dan ?Bacon? Carr of Lancaster, Ontario, Canada.
Eric Gorges chose Jason Ferguson, Texas BikeWorks, Granbury, TX.
Gard Hollinger chose Johnny Gil, Johnny?s Custom Shop, McAllen, TX.
Billy Lane chose David ?Shoe? Shoemaker of North Vernon, IN.
Russell Mitchell chose Blaine Weiman, Daelick Customs, Bruno, Sask., Canada.
Athena Ransom chose Copper Mike, Street Smart Cycles, East North Port Long Island, NY.
Keino Sasaki chose Arlo Ventre of Ocala, FL.
Kurt Taylor chose Eric Maurer, Todd?s Cycle, Kenmore, WA.
Here’s a couple shots of the new U.S. Chopper Boardtrack configuration built by Paughco–53 Panhead with Rocker Covers courtesy of Custom Cycle Engineering (Rick Whitehead). Four-Speed OEM trans with OEM PRIMARY and controls. Vintage 1915 Boardtrack tanks… OEM floorboards etc….
This is one of the sharpest Triumph customs around, built by a Sinner for his wife. Even Earl, the Triumph would approve. Watch for the feature.
Never a dull moment around Bikernet. Hang on!
Ride Forever,
–Bandit
