BIKERNET NEWS ALERT–GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS AND DAVID MANN WILL BE HONORED IN STURGIS

Continued From Page 2

GRAVES CUSTOMSJerry’s one talented cat ! 32 years old, Originally from Indiana. This guydoes it all. Both of the bikes that I sent you, are mine. On the drop seatbike, He handmade the chassis, fuel tank, fender, shifter, plenum / intakefor the twin 58 MM downdraft carb ( that ain’t no weber ! ) Motor mount,handle bars and on and on.

Why buy something that’s on every other ride intown ? He just builds it ! The only thing he outsources, is chrome & seats.Everything else is done in house. I’ve been fortunate enough to call him myfriend for several years.

I Just had a recent brush with some health issues.He offered up a kidney if I needed it. What more can I say about this guy.Talent out the a$$, but a true brother none the less. It’s my mission tosee that the world knows who the hell Jerry Graves is ! More pictures onthe way.

Were heading to Sturgis in a couple of weeks. Hope we can hook upwith you and enjoy some fine Patrons tequila! Here’s Jerry’s website,http://www.gravescustomcycles.com/ It’s under construction as I write. Newsite should be up around the time we return back from the black hills.

Wheelies are fun !
–Mike Mays
954-494-7680Art work on the second red bike was done by Sonny Depalma. Pictures don’tdo it justice. The whole bike is wrapped in skulls and creepy stuff. It’smind blowing !

?BOB?S BACK WITH DAVID MANN; OLD SCHOOL BIKING RETURNS TO THE JOURNEY? EXHIBITION TO COINCIDE WITH 2004 BLACK HILLS MOTORCYCLE RALLY RAPID CITY, S.D. ? The Journey Museum will mount its fourth annual motorcycle theme exhibition in the Stanford Adelstein Gallery which will coincide with the 2004 Black Hills Motorcycle Rally.

The roots of custom motorcycling inspired this year?s exhibition. ?Bobber? style motorcycles, which reflect a popular custom bike design from the late 1940?s through the early 1960?s, will accompany a retrospective display of 50 original paintings by David Mann, the renowned artist who chronicled motorcycle culture from the 1960?s through recent times.

David Mann first became known from his work in Easyriders Magazine, where his art was reproduced as the magazine?s center spread from 1973 through 2003. Standing at a newsstand or mailbox, readers would open the magazines right to David?s witty interpretations of the biker lifestyle. The images could be based on myth or legend, but most often, you felt they came from the artist?s personal experience. This was David sharing his imagination, his vision and his life with the biker world.

The Mann himself.

Mann?s paintings always touched a nerve in the readers. His illustrations were commonly torn from magazines and tacked to the walls of shops, garages, living rooms and clubhouses across America. To this day, any biker that has been riding for twenty years or more remembers specific images that they can still describe in full detail. David?s most famous image, ?Ghost Rider?, was reproduced on everything from flags to custom gas tanks and was even tattooed across biker?s backs.

The Ghost Rider painting by David Mann currently reproduced as fine art prints by Segal and Associates. Check the banner below.

This exhibition at the Journey Museum will be the largest group of his original paintings to ever be displayed and it coincides with David?s induction into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame. (He was inducted into the National Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame earlier this year.)

To accompany David Mann?s paintings, motorcycling photographer Michael Lichter has put together a group of old school motorcycles that will be showcased in the same gallery. ?Bob?s Back,? as this exhibition of bikes is called, reflects the recent resurgence of the ?Bobber? style motorcycle. The style itself dates back to just after World War II, when GI?s returned from Europe.

The 17 motorcycles that make up ?Bob?s Back? include original and restored old ?bobber?s?, contemporary ?bobbers? built by some of the best builders in the country as well as several antiques that were relevant to the style first developing. A ?jewel? that will be on display to represent traditional ?Bobbers? is Steve McQueen?s original 1946 Indian Chief that was recently purchased by the famous motorcycle customizer Billy Lane of Choppers Inc. Also representing the traditional look is a 1941 Crocker owned by bronze motorcycle themed sculptor Jeff Decker of Utah, the 1941 Indian Scout Bobber that toured for four years with the Guggenheim Museum?s ?Art of the Motorcycle? owned by Cycle World?s Editor, David Edward?s (CA), a 1939 Velocette single also owned by Edwards, a 1928 Indian Sport Scout from Shane Binder (PA) and Brent Mayfield?s 1948 Harley-Davidson Panhead from Ohio.

Contemporary ?Bobbed? bikes, many of which were created just for this show, were built by popular builders like Billy Lane (FL), Chica (Japan/CA), Hank Young (GA), Jerry Covington (OK), Brian Klock (SD), Cole Forster (CA), Donny Loos (OH), Twisted Choppers (SD) and Jose de Miguel (Puerto Rico). One bike that is being built just for this exhibition is a traditional ?bobber? by Paul Teutle, Sr. of Orange County Choppers and the incredibly popular ?American Chopper? series on the Discovery Channel. Some of these bikes could pass for an original ?50?s or ?60?s ?bobber? but others will stretch the idiom to new horizons.

A restored 1948 Harley-Davidson WR flat track racer from the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, IA will be on display to demonstrate where the look of ?Bobbers? is derived. Also on display is George Smith?s original 1953 Panhead, on loan from S&S Cycle, which he used throughout the 1950?s as a test bed for the performance products he was developing for S&S.

In conjunction with the reception, Metzeler Tires has organized its second annual Custom Motorcycle Competition on Tuesday August 10th in the parking lot in front of the museum. Custom motorcycles that use any of Metzeler’s tires, from standard sizes right to their super wide 280, will be checking in until 11am and remain on display until 6pm while judging takes place. The grand prizewinner, who will be announced during the reception, will win a trip to Germany with their motorcycle to attend the EICMA show, the largest motorcycle show in the world.

?Bob?s Back with David Mann? will open to the public on Saturday August 7th and will remain open through Saturday, August 14. The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with extended hours until 6 p.m. during bike week, August 2?9. A reception with live music and refreshments at which many of the motorcycle builders will be present will be held, August 10 from 4:30 ? 8:30pm. The reception is open to the public. The museum is located at 222 New York Street, two blocks east of the Rushmore Plaza Holiday Inn and the Civic Center where Harley-Davidson is headquartered. The normal $6.00 admission has been reduced to $5 (kids 10 and under are free) to welcome motorcyclists during bike week, August 7?14. This also includes admission to the four major prehistoric and historic collections, the Duhamel collection of traditional Sioux artifacts and the museum theatre.

For more information, visit the museum’s web site at www.journeymuseum.org or call the museum at 605 394-6923. Additional information is available on Michael Lichter?s Web site at www.lichterphoto.com and Segal Fine Arts? Web site at www.motorcycleart.com.

MIKE LICHTER TO DISPLAY AT CARLISLE ANTIQUE SHOW THIS WEEKEND–July 23rd – 25th, 2004Carlisle Events.Michael will be in Pennsylvania exhibiting his work at the Carlisle Summer Bike Fest, that is, if he can catch a flight in vast tornado conditions attacking the country. Michael will also be hosting a Q&A session at a time to be announced. He’ll be there with the OCC guys, Borget, Donnie Smith and Eddie Trotta. Don’t Miss it.

STEEDS GIRL OF THE WEEK–London–Here you go, her name is “London”, 21 years old. What a knockout.

John Covington

MAILMAN’S BASICS–The Mailman from Washington has been a Sportster drag racing fanatic for a decade and currently is, I don’t know, in point standings. I better check with him.

“As of July 16th I am 8th in the Western Division and 34th Nationally in Syn3 ET,” Mailman explained. “Only got 10 points for entering Seattle, as I destroyed my entireprimary drive on my 2nd qualifying pass. The clutch blew first, droppingchunks into the primary chain which broke and bunched up taking out chunksof the inner primary, which on Sportsters is part of the engine case.Presently waiting for my welder, Michael Beckler, to work his magic on thecase. My engine builder, Doc Ford, has gone through all the internal partsand is ready to reassemble when the cases are done. He found 2 crackedvalve guides, a spun wrist pin bushing and big end bearings beyond wearlimits. I guess it ran high 10’s because it was so loose. Had around 500dragstrip passes on it since the last rebuild.”

We drank heavy dark ales and discussed the basics of engine performance, so I thought I would pass a couple of learned items along:

I always wondered why the spark fires while the piston is roaming up the cylinder before top dead center. Hell, why doesn’t the bike run backwards? He explained that when the spark fires and lights the fuel it doesn’t explode immediately. As the piston continues north and the flame spreads over the piston it builds pressure to kick it south at a high rate of speed. If you think about this flame creeping over the top of the piston it makes two elements stand out: Flat-top pistons for ease of burn and dual plug heads for more efficient and faster burn (can advance an engine from 35 degrees before TDC to 32 degrees).

Mailman worked with a tuner who had tremendous performance success tuning exhaust systems. The man cut the baffle in half and inserted the cut end into the pipe and fastened it. He tested performance and cut the baffle some more until it ran to his liking. Makes a lot of sense to me. I would like to take the time to test this formula.

So why are domed pistons used? It’s that Hemi Head configuration. Because the shape of the combustion chamber allows for larger valves and more flow, whereas a flat combustion chamber restricts the space available for valves.

A Mailman comment about single fire systems: “The systems is focused on one plug at a time for more efficient firing, and you’re not firing the wrong plug and igniting an incoming charge.”

Here’s a final thought about sparkplugs. The bigger the gap the more voltage it takes to jump the gap. That’s why early bikes, especially with 6 Volt systems needed smaller gaps. Ah, but the wider the gap the larger the spark, the more efficient the burn.

Photo from RFR

THE 11TH ANNUAL BLESSING OF THE CARS SATURDAY, JULY 31, 2004, 9A.M. – 5P.M.HANSEN DAM PARK, LOS ANGELES–ENTER ON DRONFIELD AVE. off of OSBORNE ST. The 11th annual Blessing of the Cars kicks off Saturday, July 31, 2004, 9 A.M. to 5 P.M at Hansen Dam Park in Los Angeles, California. The actual blessing starts promptly at 12:00 noon on the main stage.

In attendance at this year’s show will be an estimated 800 vintage cars, hotrods, customs and motorcycles as well as an approximated 5000-8000 show goers and attendees.

There is, of course, an actual blessing conducted by a real priest. He will go to each car and give them a blessing (blessing, of course, is optional). Giving car owners the added protection for their vehicle and all who ride in it.

The car show at The Blessing of the Cars is open to pre 1968 vehicles of all types. The majority of cars in attendance are custom and hot rod cars, trucks, and motorcycles from the 1950s and earlier. There is also a high attendance of stock and restored classic vehicles that appear to have rolled out of their heyday showrooms and on to the grass at Hansen Dam.

The Blessing of the Cars car show would not be complete without a competition amongst the cars. Awards will be given out in the form of custom-made trophies by an assortment of local artists. At past events some of these extravagant trophies have shot flames from their tip tops and roared tiny engines in celebration of their new owners. Trophies are awarded in the following categories: Best Custom, Best Hot Rod, Best Girl Owned, Best Stock (original or restored), Best Nostalgic, Best Unfinished, Best Flames, Best Truck, Best Hearse, Best Paint, Best Pin striping, Best import, Best Shifter Knob, and more.

What would an awards ceremony be without Trophy Girls? Just plain no fun is what!

The registration and admission fees are as follows:General Admission is $5.00. Children under 12 get in free!Registration the day of the show is: $20.00 for cars, $8.00 for motorcycles.

To register for the show or for more information please contact either Stephanie Baltierra or Gabriel Baltierra of Kingpin Productions at (323)663-1265. The Mailing address is 2027 1/2 Talmadge St., Los Angeles, CA. 90027.

Continued On Page 4

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July 18, 2004

/ Free Departments, Weekly News / July 18, 2004

Coast To Coast Biker News

Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists

LOUISIANA REINSTATES HELMET LAW All motorcyclists will be required by law to wear helmets when traveling Louisiana’s roads beginning August 15, under a bill that won final passage through the state legislature with the backing of Governor Kathleen Blanco, who has said that she will soon sign the measure.

With time running out on this year’s legislative session, the Senate voted 26-12 on June 17 to send the House-passed measure to the governor, despite the bill’s defeat in the House just weeks earlier. With Governor Blanco’s support in reviving the bill, it passed the House by a vote of 57-27 and was sent to the Senate just one week before adjourning.

Backed by the new governor, the bill effectively repeals a 1999 law pushed by former Governor Mike Foster, an avid motorcyclist. The Foster-backed law allowed anyone over 18 to ride without a helmet if they had at least $10,000 of bodily injury insurance. Louisiana has 95,000 registered motorcycle riders.

Foster blasted passage of House Bill 109 by Rep. Clara Baudoin, D-Carencro. “It’s Big Brother rearing its ugly head — or Big Sister,” he told the Baton Rouge Advocate after the Senate vote. Foster said passage puts the state out of line with most of the rest of the nation. “Most states have a choice in their law,” said Foster, referring to the fact that 31 states currently allow adult riders to decide whether to or not to wear a helmet. He also said there are no death or injury statistics to justify the mandatory helmet law.

NORTH CAROLINA INCREASES PENALTIES FOR RIGHT OF WAY VIOLATORS In the waning days of session on July 13, the North Carolina House of Representatives voted 113-3 to concur with the Senate-passed version HB – 965, which increases penalties for people who fail to yield the right-of-way if the violation causes serious bodily injury in a wreck.

“This bill does not have to go to the governor, so it’s now law,” said Sam Nobles, Legislative Coordinator for the Concerned Bikers Association. “It becomes effective December 1st.”

The bill requires a $500 fine and 90-day suspension of a driver’s license if serious bodily injury occurs from wreck where a motorist did not yield the right-of-way.

“We not only scored the first win for the bikers of North Carolina,” said Nobles, “we left a network in place and built relationships that will continue to serve us well.”

BIKERS NOT TO BLAME, SAY INSURERS Two-thirds of motorcycle accidents involving other vehicles in Victoria, Australia are not caused by the motorcyclists, new insurance figures show.

Data from insurance claims showed drivers caused 68 per cent of the multiple-vehicle crashes involving motorcycles in Victoria between 2001 and 2003, according to national motorcycle insurer Swann Insurance.

The figures, reported on July 5, 2004, also showed that during the same period drivers were responsible for more than 70 per cent of the accidents involving motorbikes in New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, South Australia and Western Australia.

Swann Insurance general manager Duncan Brain said: “These figures confirm what motorcycle riders have been saying for some time — that motorcyclists generally are not to blame for multiple-vehicle crashes.

JUST YOUR AVERAGE MOTORCYCLIST According to the Motorcycle Industry Council, a typical motorcyclist is a 38-year-old man with a wife, kids, college degree and $44,250 annual income.

The MIC reports more than 4.3 million women operated motorcycles last year, up 34 percent from 1998.

According to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, one out of every three new riders enrolling in training school is female.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motorcycle fatalities remain a largely male phenomenon. After five years of declining rates, motorcycle deaths began rising again in 1997 along with increased popularity of motorcycles — and 90 percent of the deaths are among men.

NEW POLITICAL PARTY AIMS TO SERVE BIKERS If you believe that the existing political parties don’t reflect your views as a motorcyclist, maybe the ABP is for you! Neenah, Wisconsin businessman Steve “Mad” Erato has formed the American Biker Party to serve as a grassroots alternative to the Republican and Democratic parties.

The American Biker Party will be geared toward motorcyclists, but the party is open to anyone. “If your grandmother wants to come, she is welcome,” said Erato, who owns Eagle Nation Cycles where the party’s organizational meeting was held on June 23rd to shape the party platform and agenda.

Erato told the local newspaper, the Post-Crescent, that the party will emphasize less government than either the Republican or Democratic parties and will fight against laws requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets.

“We believe in freedom of choice,” he said. “We believe there is way too much government involved in everybody’s life. We are the ones paying for all of this government intervention.”

Erato said the American Biker Party would be marketed to motorcycle groups throughout the United States. He said bikers in Wisconsin share many of the same concerns as bikers elsewhere. “We need something to tie it all together,” Erato said. “That’s what we want to be.”

$50 GRAND AWARDED FOR ARIZONA SAFETY CAMPAIGN ABATE of Arizona was recently awarded $50,000 from the Motorcycle Safety Fund to be earmarked for a billboard campaign to heighten the awareness of passenger vehicle operators to be more observant of motorcycles.

“It’s official,” exclaimed Bobbi Hartmann, ABATE Lobbyist, “I signed the contract today (June 15, 2004) and the lobbyists will be meeting with Viacom to determine specific locations for the 35 – 12′ x 24′ billboards in the Phoenix and metropolitan areas.”

According to Viacom, these billboards should be up and running by the end of July for an eight week contract period, though many billboard messages stay visible until the board is sold again and printed over.

NEW YORK AMENDS HANDLEBAR HEIGHT LIMIT Companion bills to modify New York’s current handlebar height limit (A08237 and S1997) have passed through the Senate and Assembly and have been sent to the governor’s desk.

Current law regulates that all handle bars on motorcycles be no higher than fifteen inches above the seat. The new amended law “Prohibits a person from operating on a public highway a motorcycle on which the handle bars or grips are more than the height of the operator’s shoulders.”

REFLECTIVE VESTS REQUIRED FOR MILITARY MOTORCYCLISTS Military safety regulations for motorcycle riders have long been the strictest in the world, requiring such personal protective equipment (PPE) as helmets, eye protection, full-fingered gloves, over the ankle boots, long sleeve shirts and long pants, both on and off base, and for both military and civilians who operate motorcycles on military installations.

Now, according to the military newspaper Stars and Stripes in their July 13th Pacific edition, Pacific Air Force bases (PACAF) have released stricter new rules for motorcyclists set forth in the service’s traffic safety program.

Besides a requirement for motorcycle safety training, and a refresher course every three years, the most noticeable change is the requirement that all motorcycle riders wear an international orange or lime-green safety vest with 90 square inches of reflective material.

The PACAF supplement was released May 17 and already is being enforced at most bases, according to military officials.

The Air Force requires that riders wear a brightly-colored and contrasting long-sleeve shirt or jacket. A spokesman from PACAF’s safety office said that the vest was adopted to “clarify the wide array of possibilities left open” by the Air Force instruction.

“Each installation interpreted this standard differently and enforced it differently,” the spokesman said. “The colors chosen reflect the most internationally recognized safety colors. They are highly visible and signify ‘Safety’ or ‘Attention’ around the globe.”

Most PACAF bases have adopted former Commander General William Begert’s zero-tolerance policy to enforce the vest rule: First-time violators lose motorcycle-driving privileges for 15 days; a second citation within 12 months results in a 30-day suspension; and a third ticket in a year equals no riding for 12 months.

But some motorcyclists feel that it cramps their style since it doesn’t allow them to show off their club colors. Others voiced their concern that the bright vest might make any military member off base a target to would-be terrorists.

“Wearing the vest makes the motorcycle no more safe,” added one rider.

What a bunch of bullshit. –Bandit

ITALIANS OFFER FREE HELMETS TO INCREASE USAGE Officials in a southern Italian town are handing out free motorcycle helmets following a series of accidents in the region in recent months. The initiative is being undertaken in Sant Anastasia under the slogan: “It’s better to wear a helmet, than be a dead man without a helmet.” More than a hundred helmets have been given out so far. Mayor Vincenzo Lervolino said: “As far as we know this campaign is unique.”

HARLEY “U” With the backing of Harley-Davidson Inc., Fort Scott Community College in Kansas will begin offering a degree program this fall that teaches the applied science of motorcycles.

The Milwaukee-based motorcycle manufacturer said it is supporting the formal degree program because it needs people who are trained in both technical and management skills.

The degree program will be the first of its kind at Kansas public colleges, although Butler Community College’s computer-aided design and drafting program works closely with Big Dog Motorcycles.

The city of Frontenac is spending $400,000 to build a training facility modeled after a dealership, and Harley-Davidson will provide 10 motorcycles in the first year.

The college worked with Harley to design the curriculum, which will include technical courses on engines, diagnostics and shop practices. Students will also have to take English, science and public speaking, and serve a paid internship as a dealership technician after their first year.

So far, 40 students have registered for Fort Scott’s Harley classes, and the program has a waiting list. Harley-Davidson Motor Co. has more than 650 dealerships in the United States.

WEIRD NEWS: STRETCHED AND RAKED Rick Dozier of Georgetown, Kentucky, and three friends have broken the record for the longest motorcycle in the world, stretching 29 feet 11 inches, and built from scratch. The previous record was held by an Australian man whose motorcycle was 24 feet 11 inches long.

QUOTABLE QUOTES: “We have given away far too many freedoms in order to be free. Now it’s time to take some back.”John le Carre (1931- ), English novelist, author of “The Spy Who Came In From The Cold”

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July 22, 2004 Part 3

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