Hey,
What’s real, what’s hip, what’s it all about? We see it constantly around us. It’s one of the things I liked about being a biker. It was just me and my motorcycle. I wore what I wore for me and nobody else. Most of us looked like hell most of the time. Who cared?
Okay, so what’s it mean for the brotherhood of the future? Will we always be real, riding with the wind and working on our bikes till the end, or is there another reality? I’ll never forget roaming into a Ralph Lauren Vintage Clothing store on Melrose in Los Angeles.
Markus Cuff thought this was the coolest shop on the planet and took great pride is wearing a funky looking plaid shirt made by Ralph Lauren. Unfortunately he could have bought the shirt at Goodwill for five bucks, instead he paid $150.
So, the store had like ordinary Levi denim jackets but they looked worn and splattered with various colors of paint, as if you wore this puppy every time you painted a room. I was lost in this store. What was real? What wasn’t? I wondered if I ran into a guy at a party wearing one of these jackets. Is he wearing a Ralph Lauren exclusive $500 Vintage Jacket or did he just paint his garage? Fuck. I never went back to that store.
Now, the new Easyriders ownership team wants to abandon the base audience and elevate the demographic to something more austere. Hang On. Let’s hit the news:
Let’s hit the news.
The Bikernet Weekly News is sponsored in part by companies who also dig Freedom including: Cycle Source Magazine, the MRF, Las Vegas Bikefest, Iron Trader News, ChopperTown, BorntoRide.com and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum. Most recently the Smoke Out and Quick Throttle Magazine came on board.
SALT TORPEDO UPDATE—
I spoke to Dennis Manning this morning about firewalls. He suggested a drain behind the wall in the engine compartment to allow any fluids to escape and not creep into the pilot’s compartment.
He told me that all the holes for cables need to be above the centerline of the wall. We discussed how to seal it and he pointed out that because of air movement in the stern fumes are often pushed forward into the pilots compartment, which means the seal must be tight.
Dennis had a story to tell about each of his suggestions. He’s had experiences with them all. Hang on!
–Bandit
E-bikes, growing in popularity, befuddle regulators–The NPD Group, a market research company, says the category has shot from being almost nonexistent to raking in $144 million in sales last year. Those sales represented a 72% growth from the previous year.
BAR HARBOR, Maine: Electric-assist bikes represent the fastest-growing bicycle segment in the United States, but regulators are still grappling with how to treat them.
The National Park Service currently considers them motorized vehicles and bans them from most bicycle paths. But 22 states have adopted definitions that treat electric-assist bikes more or less like regular bicycles.
The so-called e-bikes are growing in popularity with cyclists including baby boomers and others who might not otherwise be able to get out on a bicycle.
The NPD Group, a market research company, says the category has shot from being almost nonexistent to raking in $144 million in sales last year. Those sales represented a 72% growth from the previous year.
Sixty-one-year-old e-bike rider Janice Goodwin in Bar Harbor, Maine, said they’re becoming more popular and regulators need to “come to reality.”
NEWS AT: https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/two-wheelers/motorcycles/e-bikes-growing-in-popularity-befuddle-regulators/69956857
–from Ujjwal Dey
International Editor
Bikernet News Desk India
HORROR IN NEW HAMPSHIRE UPDATE–Timeline: Driving history of Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, who is charged in Randolph crash. Zhukovskyy faces seven counts of negligent homicide in case
MANCHESTER, N.H. —
The following is a year-by-year timeline of the driving history of Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, the man charged with seven counts of negligent homicide in connection with a horrific crash in Randolph.
2013
April 25 – Zhukovskyy received a personal driver’s license in Massachusetts.
June 16 – Zhukovskyy received a violation for operating under the influence of liquor. He served suspensions and attended education classes for this violation, including a youth alcohol program, since he was under the age of 21 at the time.
2017
Zhukovskyy pleaded guilty to drug possession in Massachusetts.
2018
Aug. 3 – Zhukovskyy received his commercial driver’s license in Massachusetts.
2019
Feb.11 – Zhukovskyy was arrested in Baytown, Texas. He was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
May 11 – Arrested on OUI charge in Connecticut. He refused a chemical test, which should have led to the suspension of his driver’s licenses in Massachusetts, officials said.
May 29 – Connecticut officials put information about the charge into a state-to-state computer system. Not enough information was entered to automatically trigger the suspension of his driver’s license, said Massachusetts officials, requiring a manual review of his status as a driver in Massachusetts. As of June 23, the review had not yet been done. Connecticut officials reviewed their process and believe all information was input correctly.
June 3 – Zhukovskyy was involved in a crash in Baytown, Texas. Officials said he was driving a Mack truck hauling a trailer with cars on an interstate when it flipped on its side after hitting a guardrail.
Investigators said Zhukovskyy claimed he overcorrected after a car cut him off. He was not cited in the crash.
June 21 – Zhukovskyy was driving a 2016 Dodge pickup truck that crashed into a group of motorcyclists on Route 2 in Randolph, killing seven people and injuring three others.
June 23 – Authorities identified the seven people killed in the crash.
June 24 – Zhukovskyy was charged with seven counts of negligent homicide in connection with the crash.
June 25 – Not-guilty pleas were entered for Zhukovskyy on all seven counts.
In addition, the head of the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, Erin Deveny, resigned after learning Zhukovskyy’s license should have been suspended following the OUI charge in Connecticut.
June 26 – WMUR learned that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials placed a detainer on Zhukovskyy for after the criminal proceedings conclude.
By KC Downey, CNN
©2019, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WMUR-TV. Privacy NoticeYour California Privacy RightsInterest-Based AdsTerms of UseSite Map
I have been in touch Paul daily since this happened. He and some others are going to a safety meeting today.
A lot of people around the country are upset over this and want to see some changes made.
Not sure what can be done on the safety end but more education and awareness is definitely coming into play.
Enforcing some of the current laws is being pushed as well as increasing penalties.
A example is currently in Florida, if there is a collision and no drugs or alcohol involved the fine for the person is usually around $150.00 with maybe driver training thrown in.
We are talking to people to add to that and add a higher penalty, if there is a injury and a even higher on if there is a death.
A lot of details have to be worked out, but changes do have to be made.
Do not know what we can do about DUI or Driving Stoned. We are asking motorcyclist what changes they would like and if they want to be involved.
We bring things before legislators and try to get them to work with us.
Meetings with some of them have happened and will with others as we have more details worked out.
–Rogue
Senior Editor Supreme
Bikernet.com™
Founder
BikerLivesMatter.com
RODDER’S JOURNAL SWAP MEET–
Summer is here, and we’re hosting our first-ever Rodder’s Journal Swap Meet. Rather than posting up in a parking lot somewhere, we’re bringing the sale to you.
As you can imagine, we found a whole lot of rare, strange and long-sold-out stuff while clearing out our old building in South San Francisco. Now that we’ve moved into our Richmond headquarters, we feel that now is the perfect time to give you, our loyal readers, the first crack at our findings.
So, what did we dig up? Collectible issues going all the way back to TRJ #1, classic posters, calendars and much more. To make shopping a little easier, we’ve compiled all the previously sold-out treasures in one place. Supplies are very limited.
When they’re gone, they’re gone.
If that’s not enough, we’re also offering 20% off storewide (including items in the Swap Meet). Just use the code SUMMER20 at checkout online or over the phone. The sale runs until Sunday June 30th at 11:59 p.m. East Coast time.
To place an order, click the box above or give us a call at (800) 750-9550 in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean or (804) 496-6906 internationally.
Cheers!
Your Friends at The Rodder’s Journal
P.S. Have a question? Feel free to call our office or check out our Swap Meet FAQ page.
QUICK, OPEN THE BANDIT’S CANTINA BAD JOKE LIBRARY— A Mafia Godfather finds out that his bookkeeper, Guido, has cheated him out of $10,000,000.00.
His bookkeeper is deaf. That was the reason he got the job in the first place.
It was assumed that Guido would hear nothing so he would not have to testify in court.
When the Godfather goes to confront Guido about his missing $10 million, he takes along his lawyer who knows sign language.
The Godfather tells the lawyer, “Ask him where the money is!”
The lawyer, using sign language, asks Guido , Where’s the money?
Guido signs back, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
The lawyer tells the Godfather, “He says he doesn’t know what you’re talking about.” The Godfather pulls out a pistol, puts it to Guido’s head and says, “Ask him again or I’ll kill him!”
The lawyer signs to Guido , “He’ll kill you if you don’t tell him.”
Guido trembles and signs, “OK! You win! The money is in a brown briefcase, buried behind the shed at my cousin Bruno s house.
The Godfather asks the lawyer,
“What did he say?”
The lawyer replies,
“He says fuck you, you don’t have the balls to pull the trigger.”
Don’t you just love lawyers?
–from El Waggs
GORMAN ART EXHIBIT
Manhattan Athletic Club
277 Park Avenue – 2nd Floor (Enter on 48th and Lexington | NYC
REVIEW OF THE WEEK–
In case you missed this. Just watched it on Amazon. (Or free on CNN with commercials). Phenomenal.
Ride Forever,
–Andreas
https://www.cnncreativemarketing.com/project/apollo11/
Costa Rica Has Banned Styrofoam — A Major Win for the Environment
Fines for using styrofoam range from about $760 to $7,600.
After rolling out a national strategy to drastically reduce plastic use by 2021 last year, Costa Rica is now taking its environmental protection efforts a step further by banning the use of styrofoam containers.
The new legislation, signed on Thursday, prohibits the import, marketing, and distribution of polystyrene containers — commonly referred to as styrofoam — throughout the country.
The legislation will go into effect in 24 months after it is officially published in the government newsletter, La Gaceta. The legislation is now awaiting President Carlos Alvarado’s signature, and then will be sent to the national printer for publication in La Gaceta.
Fines for violations range from $763 (446,200Costa Rican Colon) to $7,629 (4.46 million Costa Rican Colon). The government is required to aid companies in adapting to environmentally friendly containers before the law is fully enforced.
“This initiative is a giant step for public health, the environment, and the economy of the country because styrofoam generates great pollution,” said legislator Paola Vega.
Plastic is a major environmental pollutant in Costa Rica which accounts for only 0.03% of the earth’s surface but contains 6% of the world’s biodiversity. To preserve one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, plastic waste and other forms of pollution have to be controlled and kept in check.
In an effort to significantly reduce plastic pollution, President Alvarado ordered the restriction of the use of plastics in all the country’s public institutions last year. According to the guidelines set by the president, public school cafeterias, health system institutions, and prisons should avoid single-use plastics such as dishes, disposable cups, and cutlery.
Styrofoam, or expanded polystyrene, is one of the most widely used forms of plastic, mostly found in items like cups, take-out containers, and plates. Solid polystyrene is used to make everything from plastic cutlery to yogurt cups to DVD cases.
Although, styrofoam is technically recyclable, it can only be recycled if it is clean, un-dyed, and uncontaminated which is especially difficult since it is widely used to hold food.
Experts believe that it may take styrofoam anywhere between 500 and 1 million years to naturally decompose. Most of the product ultimately ends up in landfills and water bodies. Once consumed by microorganisms such as plankton or smaller fish, these contaminated particles enter the food chain, dangerously affecting our health.
Costa Rica’s Ministry of Health will take the responsibility of regulating the ban on styrofoam in the country and will impose sanctions if required.
White House readies final review of new mpg rules
The administration has rebuffed requests from automakers and some lawmakers to make a last-ditch effort to reach a deal with California to extend national standards after it ended talks in February. The administration plans in the coming months to finalize a dramatic rewrite of fuel efficiency standards through 2026 that would also strip California, the most populous state, which wants stricter rules to fight climate change, of the right to set its own, tougher emissions rules.
The final regulation potentially faces a multi-year legal battle that could leave automakers in limbo about future emissions and fuel efficiency requirements and ultimately decrease the number of U.S. electric vehicles offered by automakers.
At a joint five-hour hearing of two House of Representatives Energy and Commerce subcommittees, Democrats cast the administration plan as a blow against efforts to combat climate change and a boon for oil companies. Republicans said it would reduce vehicle prices and rein in California.
The Trump administration plan aims to roll back emission standards set by former Democratic President Barack Obama. The Obama administration had made a dramatic jump in fuel efficiency requirements a key part of its climate agenda, and said it would save motorists $1.7 trillion in fuel costs over the life of the vehicles, but cost the auto industry about $200 billion over 13 years.
Earlier this month, 17 major automakers including General Motors Co, Volkswagen Group and Toyota Motor Corp. urged the White House to resume talks with California to avoid a lengthy legal battle. Automakers warn that the lack of a deal could lead to “an extended period of litigation and instability.”
The carmakers urged a compromise “midway” between the Obama-era standards that require annual decreases of about 5% in emissions and the Trump administration’s proposal. Reuters reported in April that officials expected the final rule would include a small increase in the yearly fuel efficiency requirements.
Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., whose district is home to many auto plants, implored officials to return to the bargaining table with California. “I am really not interested in a pissing contest between California and this administration,” she said at the hearing.
Deputy National Highway Traffic Safety Administration chief Heidi King was skeptical of Dingell’s idea. “I don’t know whether that would achieve the goal,” she told Dingell.
EPA Assistant Administrator Bill Wehrum said the agency was moving forward to finalize the rules “as soon as possible” after it had engaged in talks with California for about a year.
Trump administration officials argued its plan — which it says will eventually boost U.S. oil consumption by 500,000 barrels of oil daily — will save lives because it will reduce the forecasted cost of new vehicles and prod more people to sell older, less safe models. Environmentalists and others disagree.
Representative Frank Pallone, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, called the Obama standards “our single most important action taken to combat climate change.”
“So, naturally, the Trump administration is trying to gut those standards as part of its reckless anti-climate agenda,” he said.
‘We like big things’
Republicans cast the issue as a divide between rural areas that use more trucks and urban areas where people are more likely to buy electric vehicles.
“We like big things. We like big trucks. We like big engines,” said Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill., whose district covers a heavily rural swath of the eastern part of the state.
The Obama-era rules called for a fleetwide fuel efficiency average of 46.7 miles per gallon by 2026, compared with 37 mpg under the Trump administration’s preferred option.
Mary Nichols, who heads the California Air Resources Board, told lawmakers Thursday the Trump proposal will cost Americans millions in fuel costs, kill jobs, add smog, undermine the auto industry and worsen the climate crisis.
“We have been open to accommodations that would adjust compliance timing and flexibility, that would create new paths to promote innovative technologies and zero emission vehicles, and that would benefit the public,” she said.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a letter to lawmakers on Thursday that California did not negotiate in good faith and said Nichols’s written testimony was “false” — a claim she strongly denied.
NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION AND
FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR
Come watch NIGHT of DESTRUCTION presented by LKQ Pick Your Part featuring Irwindale Speedway’s famous FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS SHOW! Also, LKQ Pick Your Part Late Model TWIN 50’s, Tucker Tire Enduros, Figure 8’s, Skid Plate Racing, a Jet Car Burndown, and the fan favorite Demolition Trailer Race!!
Event ticket sales are currently on record pace, so make sure to pre-order your tickets now while they are still available!!!
[page break]
MONTE MORE ART NEWS–This week I had the opportunity to share my artwork for some worthy causes and that pleased me as I feel it’s important for artists to share their creations when possible to philanthropic endeavors.
It gives me more satisfaction to be able to contribute in this manner rather than just reaching into my pocket to give, as I still get the enjoyment of creating something that brings others joy and that they can purchase, while also providing a donation to a worthy cause.
“The Master” is my newest creation, and was created for the San Diego Comic-Con Museum fundraiser. It will be auctioned off during the event in July to support that organization. Recent purchases of my bronze “King of the Rockies” sculpture have brought me happiness as every sale of that piece also benefits the Alumni Association at my alma mater, Colorado State University.
It doesn’t take much to give…and it certainly shouldn’t matter how much a person can give whether it be their resources or their valuable time…but it always feels good to give when you can. Thank you to all who receive this newsletter to who give of themselves when they can, this is one of the best things we can do for each other.
The Moore we give, the better! – BAM! Monte – #ExpectMoore
Elon Musk foretells future– Tesla boss hints at collapse in human population by 2050
Musk also shared a Wikipedia link to an article titled, “Projections of population growth”.
SAN FRANCISCO: Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s grim forecast of humanity suggests that a “population bomb” would lead to a worldwide collapse in humans in the coming decades and everybody would start to see the evident effects by 2050.
Musk’s prediction was triggered by a tweet from a page called World of Engineering that said: “1950 (historical) world population – 2,556,000,053. Current world population – 7,712,343,478. 2050 (projected) world population – 9,346,399,468.”
Replying to that tweet on Friday Musk wrote: “Real issue will be an ageing and declining world population by 2050, *not* overpopulation.”
Musk also shared a Wikipedia link to an article titled, “Projections of population growth”.
“Yes, demographics, stratified by age, will look like an upside down pyramid with many old people and fewer young,” the multi-billionaire entrepreneur wrote further.
The SpaceX CEO’s theory believes that when an increasingly-elderly global population clashes with declining birth rates around the world in the near future a ‘population bomb’ would go off, web portal Futurism reported.
Musk first broached the topic back in 2017 when Musk replied to a publication saying, “The world’s population is accelerating towards collapse, but few seem to notice or care.”
NEWS AT: https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/elon-musk-foretells-future-tesla-boss-hints-at-collapse-in-human-population-by-2050/69911189
–from Ujjwal Dey
Certified Fortune Teller
Bikernet News Bureau India
IT’S STILL OPEN THE BANDIT’S CANTINA BAD JOKE LIBRARY— LIFE IS SHORT, SO DRINK THE GOOD WINE FIRST
I talked with a homeless man this morning and asked him how he
ended up this way .
He said, “Up until last week, I still had it all.
I had plenty to eat, my clothes were washed and pressed,
I had a roof over my head,
I had HDTV and Internet,
and I went to the gym, the pool, and the library.
I was working on my MBA on-line.
I had no bills and no debt.
I even had full medical coverage.”
I felt sorry for him, so I asked, “What happened? Drugs?
Alcohol? Divorce?”
“Oh no, nothing like that,” he said. “No, no…”
“I was paroled”.
–from Joe Teresi
BRAND New Bikernet Reader Comment!–
SAFETY VS. FREEDOM BIKERNET WEEKLY NEWS for June 20, 2019
https://www.bikernet.com/pages/SAFETY_VS_FREEDOM_BIKERNET_WEEKLY_NEWS_for_June_20_2019.aspx
Easyriders not covering events? Looks like the end is near? Been reading them since ‘75, not as good as they used to be, but I still dig it.. Kinda sad.
–Mike
mikethestealth@hotmail.com
charlotte, nc
Michael Lichter met with one of the partners, while in Los Angeles for Born Free. He didn’t know Mike or his work. Elements started to focus about the partner group and their intentions. Not sure what’s real and what is not, but we’ll keep you posted.–Bandit
NEWS FROM THE DIME BAG HEADQUARTERS— Good morning bro, I sent Jon Towles a message on Facebook few weeks ago to do the logo. I never heard back from him. I believe I sent it to the right Jon.
So, I am working on an idea in my head for a retro pop art with some western flavor into the DimeBag logo.
I completed some hand-tooled leather wallets featuring original Knucklehead and Panhead tank emblems. People really dig them. I stocked my online store www.adamcroftleather.bigcartel.com with plenty to choose from. I am also now getting custom orders for these wallets. Thanks for your help.
More bicycle restorations coming! If you are a vintage collector of American factory made bikes from 1800s to 1979 bicycles and need top notch restoration, original restorations or original restorations with complete polished chrome and mild modifications like this 1969 Schwinn Bantam, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. This one was completed here at Vintage American Cycles.
Follow my work on Instagram @therealadamcroftleather and @vintageamericancycles
Call/text pictures to 309-532-5081 or email extraordinaryartist01@yahoo.com to get quotes for handmade leather motorcycle seats and V.A.C bicycle restorations.
–Adam Croft Leather
Vintage American Cycles
DimeBag Leather Wallets
THE BANDIT’S CANTINA BAD JOKE LIBRARY IS OPEN FOR LUNCH— A man owned a small ranch near Great Falls, Montana. The Montana Labor Department got a tip that he was not paying proper wages to his help and sent an investigator out to interview him.
“I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them,” demanded the investigator.
“Well,” replied the rancher, “there’s my ranch hand who’s been with me for 3 years. I pay him $1200 a week plus free room and board.”
“The cook has been here for 18 months, and I pay her $1000 per week plus free room and board.”
“Then there’s the half-wit. He works about 18 hours every day, with no days off, and does about 90% of all the work around here. He makes about $10 per week and pays his own room and board.”
“But, I buy him a bottle of bourbon every Saturday night, and he also sleeps with my wife occasionally.”
“That’s the guy I want to talk to… the half-wit,” says the investigator.
“You’re talking to him,” replied the rancher.
–from Sam Burns
NEWS FROM 5-BALL LEATHERS—We softened the leather on all of our Jak shirts and added collars to the full sleeve Jak shirts.
We just received a new order and they are already sold out. Check out all of our leathers right here.
Remember the Bandit’s Bedroll? We are thinking about making them out of leather. Hang on for the next report.
–Bandit
LIFESTYLE DEAL OF THE WEEK–
2017 Harley-Davidson FXDLS – Low Rider S
ONLY $20,995.00
See it here: https://www.lifestylecycles.com/default.asp?page=xPreOwnedInventoryDetail&id=7266381
This is a rare and hard to find, very fast, and very beautiful Dyna with some cool extras and low miles. Just 12,384.
If you want to make it tough on your buddies to keep up and look good doing it, this one is for you!
Stripped down, yet stuffed with the largest engine that Haley puts in a motorcycle and a laundry list of features previously reserved for CVO editions, this new dark custom was created for the next generation Harley-Davidson owner. Harley listened to what customers wanted– everything and nothing at the same time. Welcome to the dark side.
With a bigger motor, blackened fork tubes, and anything else that is normally chrome on a Harley, the Low Rider S also gets Vivid Black Ram air treatment, a speed screen and magnum gold painted 5 split-spoke wheels and trim pieces.
ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT INCLUDE:
This one with Vance & Hines 2:1 black exhaust. It also has a short vivid black sissy bar. Vivid Black paint is like new and has a black powder console.
Vivid Black pullback bars on 8″ risers, Memphis quarter fairing, black mirrors, levers, blinkers, switch housings, and daymaker headlamp.
The fork is chrome (also the push-rod tubes) but that is about it. The fork lowers are vivid Black and sit on magnum gold painted 5 split-spoke wheels and trim pieces that really make this bike POP.
It has a beefy Screaming Eagle black 110 motor with the machine cut fin edges. It has ABS braking system. Vivid Black 90* Ram air with cone filter and sock, and battery case with a black powder strap. Black powder trans, rocker covers, and cam with ‘Twin Cam’ cover.
Black powder chain guard, primary and vivid black derby cover. Vivid black exposed adjustable shocks, shift / brake arms and peg mounts. Even the kickstand is black. A solo seat and side license plate with rear LED stop / turn / tail blinkers in red.
This bike has passed Lifestyle Cycles rigorous 101 point safety and mechanical inspection and comes with Lifestyles 90 day/1,000 mile limited warranty. Whether your looking to commute to work, ride the coast or take that dream vacation, this bike is ready to go!!!
BIKERNET UNIVERSITY ENGLISH DEPARTMENT VOCABULARY LESSON–
demur
[dih-mur]
verb (used without object)
1.
to make objection, especially on the grounds of scruples; take exception; object: They wanted to make him the treasurer, but he demurred.
noun
1.
the act of making objection.
— Michael Specter, “Inherit the Wind,” The New Yorker, May 13, 2013
MORE FROM THE HORROR IN NEW HAMPSHIRE-– The pick-up truck driver that killed the seven Jarheads MC members and supporters was finally charged. Drugs were confiscated from his home as well. Rather than focusing on this piece of crap, though, maybe instead support the families that were affected:
https://www.gofundme.com/jarheads-mc-victims-and-families-s…
From Marjorie Kleiman
· Angel Rose Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, 23, of Springfield, is slated to be arraigned Mondaysc in Springfield District Court on charges including seven counts of negligent homicide and being a fugitive from justice, according to a joint press release issued by Deputy Attorney General Jane E. Young, Coos County Attorney John McCormick, and New Hampshire State Police Colonel Christopher J. Wagner.
–Rogue
Senior Editor
Bikernet.com ™
SLINGSHOT TO MAUI–Subject: Polaris Invites You To Maui
Today, Slingshot is kicking off its season-long Summer of Fun with a consumer sweepstakes that encourages consumers to enjoy the summer roads in a Slingshot! As the “official vehicle of summer fun,” Slingshot will award two grand prize winners with a once-in-a-lifetime driving experience on the Road to Hana in Maui, Hawaii.
Running throughout summer, from June 21 until September 22, consumers have three unique and fun ways to enter the sweepstakes. Entrants can test drive a Slingshot, rent a Slingshot, or share their experience in a Slingshot on social media.
To test drive, entrants should go to their favorite Polaris Slingshot dealership. Alternatively, entrants can experience all the fun Slingshot has to offer by renting one through a Polaris Adventures Outfitter, which are located around the country. As an added bonus, Slingshot owners who showcase their Summer of Fun by posting videos and photos to Instagram, Facebook or Twitter and include the hashtag #SlingshotSummerFun will be entered for a chance to win a trip to Maui.
–Filip
SALT TORPEDO UPDATE—Air Tech fiberglass fenders arrived.
I’m not sure what spindles you are using but if they have any mounts on them for a drum backing plate or caliper mounts you can mount them there… I ran a bracket straight down from there to a hoop that went completely around the bottom edge of the glass pants..
I made this hoop out of 1/2 round metal so it gave a nice radius finish at the bottom.. on the outside of the wheel and inside of the pants, I ran another flat strap straight up from that bottom support hoop to the spindle center bearing castle nut… I took an old castle nut and welded a stub of 3/4 tubing on it and then welded a 1/4-20 nut inside the other end of the metal stub, then cranked that assembly onto the remaining threads onto the spindle….
Now, I could drill a hole through the outside of the pants so a support screw would go through the pants, through the flat strap coming up from the bottom edge hoop and thread into the spindle nut stub and keep the outside of the pants from dancing around..
So now, you have supports on the inside at the spindle flange and outside the wheel at the center spindle nut…
Hope you can understand this….
–Kent
Team Airtech
All prices in USD. All parts are made to order.
Current production lead time: 4 weeks.
CHOW HALL OF THE WEEK--We just shot The River Run ride we stopped at a Kick ass burger spot, rode all the way to the Mississippi to The Iron Horse Social Club and then all the way back to a Kick ass fried chicken place.
–BikerDude
[page break]
NEW AMCA MAGAZINE OUT NOW–
If you’re a New Member or a recently renewed member whose membership expired before June 1st, your first (next) printed issue will be the following issue but please enjoy this digital issue this month by joining and going to the AMCA web site.
For those in the U.S. you will receive your printed copy within days, or may have already received it. Members in Canada and Mexico in a week or so and overseas in several weeks. That’s the main reason for this email. Regardless of your postal worker’s speed, everyone gets this version at the same time.
The digital edition is an invaluable tool for members who want to find a story from an old magazine. As new magazines are posted, we are building up an archive of past issues you can refer to anytime, without fumbling through that stack of printed magazines in the corner of your shop.
All you’ll need to take advantage of this wonderful benefit is your AMCA number and your last name. Just fill in that information on the login page and start reading.
In the July / August issue, you’ll get:
A first-person account of the Cherokee Chapter’s National Road Run through the scenic Texas Hill Country.
A closeup look at some of the historic machines on display at the Perkiomen Chapter National Meet in Oley, Pennsylvania.
The story behind a remarkable German motorcycle design from the 1930s that ended up serving as the basis for machines built by Harley-Davidson and BSA.
Plus much more
THE SHANNON REPORT-– Bandit, how ya been doin’, man? I’m slowly getting better after my last operation. Please don’t think I’m complaining, I’m not. I know that it could always be worse!
The movie “Born To Ride”, is that the movie that you started writing back in the ‘90s when you were editor of ‘EASYRIDERS’? Regardless, I think it’s a damn good movie!
How do you like the first issue of the relaunch of ‘CHOPPERS’ magazine? I think it’s a great issue. If Cary can keep the formula of the first issue going he should be successful. That’s all for now.
–Shannon
Hey Shannon, I didn’t write “Born to Ride,” but I did play a roll. It was an amazing experience. Yes, I’ve seen Choppers Magazine and it’s cool. Let’s see how he does with it. I believe he’s trying to keep it real.—Bandit
THE PRESIDENT WRITES TO BEV NESS—He took the time to write Bev about Arlen’s passing.
Alan Alvarez showed me this letter, while we were celebrating JIMS retirement. I thought it was worth sharing.
–Bandit
CLIMATE DEPOT WEATHER REPORT–Now 20 years with no trend in ice breakup dates for Western Hudson Bay polar bears
Now 20 years with no trend in ice breakup dates for Western Hudson Bay polar bears.
Straight from the horse’s mouth: all polar bear females tagged by researchers around Churchill in Western Hudson Bay last year were still on the ice as of 25 June.
With plenty of ice still remaining over the bay, spring breakup will be no earlier this year than it has been since 1999. Contrary to predictions of ever-declining ice cover, the lack of a trend in sea ice breakup dates for Western Hudson Bay is now twenty years long (a hiatus, if you will) and yet these bears are repeatedly claimed to have been seriously harmed in recent years by a loss of sea ice.
In fact, WH bears have faced relatively few ‘early’ years of sea ice breakup and breakup has never come before the 15th of June. The earliest recent spring breakup date did not come in 2012 – when sea ice hit a summer record low – but in 1999, when Hudson Bay sea ice suddenly began to melt by late June rather than mid-July (Cherry et al. 2013; Castro de la Guardia et al. 2017; Lunn et al. 2016). And this year, as has been the case since 1999, breakup looks to be about two weeks later (give or take a week or so, at around 1 July), than was the case in the 1980s and early 1990s.
In other words, there has been no escalation of breakup dates since 1999: there has been no declining trend in breakup dates for Western Hudson Bay polar bears for 20 years (and no trend in fall freeze-up dates either).
UPDATE 26 June 2019: Here is the latest sea ice chart for the week of 24 June 2019 from the Canadian Ice Service (all that dark green is thick first year ice >1 m thick):
Hudson Bay weekly stage of development 2019 June 24
“While it is certainly true that the overall trend in time onshore since 1979 has been decline, the lack of a continued trend since 2001 is not what was expected or predicted, especially given the marked decline in global sea ice levels that occurred from 2007-2015 (Crockford 2017), and the predictions of how devastating such low levels of ice would be to polar bears in areas like Hudson Bay that have only seasonal sea ice.”
Last year, virtually all bears that come off the ice around Churchill had arrived by the third week of July last year (16th-22nd). However, many more would have come ashore later than that in areas further south along the coast and perhaps a dozen came ashore around Arviat to the north as early as late May, long before it was necessary due to ice conditions on the bay.
Most bears leave the ice well after the official ‘breakup’ date, however that is defined. Cherry and colleagues (2013) studied WHB bears between 1991 and 2009 and stated:
“Throughout the study, bears arrived ashore a mean of 28.3 days (S.E. = 1.8) after 30% ice cover…”
That’s important to remember – just because that arbitrary sea ice coverage has been reached, the bears leave the ice when they are good and ready. Sometimes WH bears leave well before they really need to go ashore (as a few did last year in the NW sector as noted above), but on average, they stay about four weeks after the official sea ice ‘breakup’ point is reached. Most of the population leaves the ice well south of Churchill, so the date that Churchill bears come ashore is often earlier than average.
References
Castro de la Guardia, L., Myers, P.G., Derocher, A.E., Lunn, N.J., Terwisscha van Scheltinga, A.D. 2017. Sea ice cycle in western Hudson Bay, Canada, from a polar bear perspective. Marine Ecology Progress Series 564: 225–233. http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v564/p225-233/
Cherry, S.G., Derocher, A.E., Thiemann, G.W., Lunn, N.J. 2013. Migration phenology and seasonal fidelity of an Arctic marine predator in relation to sea ice dynamics. Journal of Animal Ecology 82:912-921. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2656.12050/abstract
Crockford, S.J. 2017. Testing the hypothesis that routine sea ice coverage of 3-5 mkm2 results in a greater than 30% decline in population size of polar bears (Ursus maritimus). PeerJ Preprints 19 January 2017. Doi: 10.7287/peerj.preprints.2737v1 Open access. https://peerj.com/preprints/2737/
Lunn, N.J., Servanty, S., Regehr, E.V., Converse, S.J., Richardson, E. and Stirling, I. 2016. Demography of an apex predator at the edge of its range – impacts of changing sea ice on polar bears in Hudson Bay. Ecological Applications, in press. DOI: 10.1890/15-1256
US cities are joining forces to figure out what the hell to do with all these scooters–
After being caught flat-footed, cities are pushing back against scooter companies
By Andrew J. Hawkins
Scooter sharing caught cities flat-footed. This is not in dispute. But now cities are pushing back and trying to get organized, banding together to form a new coalition to figure out what the hell to do with all these electric doohickeys littered across their streets.
The Open Mobility Foundation, which is what the coalition is called, already has a long list of goals: improving safety; making sure dockless vehicles are equitably distributed across cities; ensuring scooters aren’t blocking the sidewalks or generally effecting the quality of life in cities; analyzing terabytes of data produced by scooters; and guaranteeing the privacy of scooter riders is protected.
That last one is going to be a bit sticky, given the agency spearheading this new foundation is the Los Angeles Department of Transportation.
In case you don’t remember, LADOT created a digital tool called the Mobility Data Specification (MDS), to help cities manage all the scooter and bike-share companies hitting their streets. It uses location data from scooters and bikes to inform transportation policy, such as where to place bike lanes, as well as enforcement actions, like which company’s customers aren’t following the rules of the road. Reportedly, the data would not be shared with police without a warrant, would not contain personal identifiers, and would not be subject to public records requests.
“IT’S GOING TO BE A SCOOTER, IT’S GOING TO BE A POD, IT’S GOING TO BE A JETPACK”
Unsurprisingly, cities love MDS — it has since spread to 50 cities across the US and a dozen around the globe — but the scooter and bike companies weren’t thrilled. Uber, which owns the dockless scooter and bike company Jump, said it would lead to “an unprecedented level of surveillance” and vowed to stop it. (A state bill that would preempt cities from regulating micromobility companies, blocking the use of MDS, is currently being debated in the California state legislature.)
MDS is the brainchild of Seleta Reynolds, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation’s general manager. As more cities adopt MDS as a crucial tool in managing micromobility companies, the foundation can help create some consistency around its use — because today’s scooters can quickly turn into tomorrow’s something-else-entirely.
“That business model, where on-demand mobility is available through your smartphone, the form factor is going to keep changing,” Reynolds told The Verge. “It’s going to be a scooter, it’s going to be a pod, it’s going to be a jetpack, it’s going to be whatever it’s going to be… one of the core pieces of MDS is how do you build something that can work for whatever the next device is, whether it’s something that moves on the ground or in the sky?”
And with huge tech companies lobbying governments to prevent cities from collecting these data points, she realized that “formalizing the governance structure was important to protect it, because it is the seed right now. And we have a vision for where we think it could go.”
The Open Mobility Foundation counts among its founding members Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, Louisville, Miami-Dade County, Minneapolis, New York City (both the Department of Transportation and the Taxi and Limousine Commission), Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Monica, Seattle, and Washington, DC. It is being co-founded by the Rockefeller Foundation, and will be advised by the NewCities Foundation.
Reynolds acknowledged that data collection and privacy will be a “day-one work of the foundation and probably a forever work of the foundation.” LADOT published its own privacy principles as it relates to its collection of scooter location data, and Reynolds says part of the foundation’s efforts will be to hold scooter companies to those same principles.
“We’re going to collect the bare minimum amount of data that we need, we’re going to apply aggregation and minimization techniques to it, we’re not going to store it for longer than we need it,” she said.
Currently, there are a patchwork of rules across the country related to management and operation of dockless scooter companies — and they seem to be changing every week.
Nashville just announced that it was banning electric scooters after a man with twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system was killed while riding a scooter. Uber pulled its Jump bikes and scooters from San Antonio, Texas, recently after the city proposed changes that would cut its fleet in half. One of the last major holdouts, New York state, recently legalized electric scooters, but will allow cities to write their own rules for scooter companies to follow.
As cities get organized, the scooter companies may find themselves subject to more rules and more enforcement. That might be a drag, especially for those who believe that scooters can get more people out of cars and help solve the last mile challenge.
Reynolds sees MDS and the Open Mobility Foundation as an opportunity for cities to share best practices, but also hear from the micromobility companies about their concerns. It’s important to get talking, she says, before the scooters all turn into jetpacks.
BELTS VS. CHAINS—This issue came up a few months ago. Jeremiah wasn’t impressed with his brothers installing chains on their Dynas.
But last week he found himself almost stuck in Hollywood, after his 10-year-old battered belt nearly gave up the ghost. The teeth were crushed under hard-riding abuse and hole-shots. The belt still got him home. He replaced it through J&P.
–Bandit
ABATE of Washington 41st annual Spring Opener, June 27-30–Spring Opener is held at Silver Ridge Ranch in Easton, Washington, which is seventy miles east of Seattle off I-90. Take Exit 70, follow the bikes and you’ll find us just two minutes down the road.
Gates open at Noon on Thursday. There are plenty of places to pitch a tent or park your RV; the campsites range from wooded settings to large open fields. The main hub of activity takes place around a grassy amphitheater referred to as “the bowl” where a variety of vendors will line the upper outer perimeter selling everything from leather, jewelry, t-shirts and airbrushing, to tattooing, pins & patches, sewing & leather repair, and more!
Plus there will be a couple of food vendors on hand offering the biker crowd an assortment of options for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
THAT’S ALL FOLKS—As I often say behind a bottle of whiskey. “Time will tell and shit will smell,” as told to me by a Richmond Hells Angel when I was a prospect.
Life is changing fast and in many respects I don’t like the business formula thrust on us by many companies. I try to keep Bandit’s Cantina and Bikernet simple and to the point, no games.
We just want to ride and write into the future and make it to Bonneville this year. I’m looking for a trailer now, to haul the Salt Torpedo.
I need to get back downstairs and start welding. Let’s hope for starting final assembly Monday. And to paint with the body by the end of next week.
Have a terrific 4th of July!
In the meantime, ride Fast and Free Forever!
–Bandit
