Hey,
This has been a very strange week and I know a lot of folks are very concerned about the election. I heard that Kamala promised to shut the border down if she’s elected. So, if she let in enough Illegals to get her elected she’ll shut it down. Isn’t that special.
Joe Rogan had a four-hour conversation with JD Vance. I’ve been after Vance to discuss the policies. I sure hope he covered them. I can’t imagine who has time to watch the entire interview, but I’ll give it a shot.
In this report we will have news from the Sturgis Museum, the city of Sturgis, the leaking 5-Ball Emporium and way more. Let’s hit it:
The Bikernet Weekly News is sponsored in part by companies who also dig Freedom including: Cycle Source Magazine, the MRF, Iron Trader News, ChopperTown, BorntoRide.com and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum.
The News was provided by the Bikernet Team including: Wayfarer, the Redhead, Bob T. Sam Burns, Laura, Barry Green, El Waggs, J.J. Solari, Amy White, Jenn and the rest of the crew.
THE CITY OF STURGIS UNDER FIRE
A group of council folk took it upon themselves to attach as member of the council and the mayor.
I was curious for several reasons, so the Redhead and I attended the last meeting. During the meeting another, long-time, city council member resigned. That left five.
If these guys are right about everything, they are now in charge, but there’s more. The city manager was ousted which forced the Mayor to act as the city CEO. This group would not pay the mayor to do the job, so she was forced to be the Mayor and do the job as City Manager for free. She volunteered to take on the position until the general election in April. Evidently, that wasn’t good enough for this group. So, now the city faces a special election in January.
Another city council meeting is coming up this Monday and I have some question.
- Is there a strategic plan, a mission statement for the city, the staff, the council?
- How many staff members need to be replaced?
- How will the council hire a new city manager?
- Is there a hiring procedure?
- Will Kevin work full time for the city for no pay for the next two months?
- Is there an accounting firm analyzing the finances right now?
There also seems to be an issue with finances, but no one knows. The financial officer resigned and an accounting firm isn’t starting until Monday.
I’m hoping for some inspiring answers on Monday. I find myself is a strange situation recently with the Sturgis Museum and the City. I’m devoted to making this a better place for Bikers all over the world.
So, let’s see what happens next and what I can do to improve all the situations for the industry.
–Bandit
KEVIN “TEACH” BASS CLASS PROJECT
My group is building this S&S Cycle, Inc. Knucklehead for the 2025 Dennis Kirk give away bike. I love teaching these kids about the vintage style!
–Kevin Bass
“It’s Vintage Bike Addiction.”
–Rogue
Senior Editor
Bikernet.com™
NEWS FROM THE MOTORCYCLE RIDERS FOUNDATION
It’s Not Just Bikers…
Two recent news stories demonstrate that the issues motorcyclists care about also impact all Americans. Concerns about a pair of items, both parts of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) legislative agenda, are making news… and not in a good way.
First, fears are increasing that guardrails and other safety features will not be able to withstand the increased weight of electric vehicles. Roadways have been designed to account for vehicles weighing 5,000 lbs. However, new electric vehicles can far exceed that weight.
Cody Stolle, a University of Nebraska associate professor studying guardrail performance, said, “Unfortunately, these guardrail systems, which have performed very well with gasoline vehicles historically, do not appear to be containing electric vehicles when impacting [in] similar types of conditions.”
Secondly, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced it would investigate Tesla’s Autopilot system. The research will examine whether the technology can detect and respond effectively to reduced visibility on roadways. NHTSA is concerned the technology is hampered by sun glare, fog and airborne dust. Four recent crashes have shined a light on this problem.
These topics are nothing new to bikers. For the better part of a decade the MRF, along with our partners and champions, have tried to sound the alarm on these issues to government officials. While the mainstream media and the average American might be just waking up to the downside of electric vehicles or self-driving cars, the MRF is not new to the game. We have been and will remain engaged. We are and continue to be the voice of the street rider in Washington, D.C.
Ride Safe and Ride Free!
–MRF
www.MRF.org
HOT DEALS FROM WINDVEST– SALE
Sport Glide Replacement Windshields
50% Off Regular Prices
Sale End Nov 30, 2024
Sport Glide Replacement Windshield
Sale Price
6″ Gun Smoke – $109.50 (reg $219)
8″ Gun Smoke – $114.50 (reg $229)
10″ Gun Smoke – $119.50 (reg $239)
10″ Gun Smoke – $119.50 (reg $239)
Shipping not included
Purchase now!! Visit website by clicking the banner below.
BRAND NEW FROM MORRIS MAGNETO
The MRA is a revolutionary device which aids starting by retarding the timing on fixed-position magnetos, helping to turn the infamous kick-backs and spit-backs into starts.
EZ Install.
When the cap-mounted lever is flipped, the points ‘shift’ 10 degrees, retarding your timing 20 degrees for starting. The lever is then locked in the advanced position by a rare-earth magnet. You’ll love it!
The MRA-G and MRA-R complete kit consists of a new cap and neoprene gasket, a set of points, condenser, and the actuating pieces themselves.
THE BIKERNET CANNIBIS CHRONICLES
Wisconsin pizzeria apologizes after customers get high from pizzas accidentally contaminated with THC.
Chronicles
–from Rogue
Senior Editor
Bikernet.com
TEXAS WEATHER REPORT
We don’t even have a track anymore, glad I got to cover the Division 4 and Spring Nationals for 4 years. And a random inspirational relationship sentiment
–RFR
A2 WIND TUNNEL– ASSAULT WEAPAN THE RETURN
In 2007 the motorcycle named ASSALT WEAPAN Owned by Keith Ball of 5 Ball racing went 161 miles per hour at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah
Photo in Van
On October 14, 2024, the builder of the engine in that motorcycle Berry Wardlaw of ACCURATE ENGINEERING in Dothan Alabama took the motorcycle to A2 WIND TUNNEL in Mooresville North Carolina -https://a2wt.com/
Berry and I met in Mooresville Sunday evening so we would be ready for testing early Monday morning.
When we got to the wind tunnel Michael Beland of A1 Racing and two of his people were there to meet us. Mike was going to be the rider for most of the testing.
Visit https://www.a1cycles.net/racing
The first thing that Geoffrey Eaker the Manager/ Operator told us was that what we were about to do that day was going to change our minds about what we thought we knew about air flow Boy Was He Right.
Photo of wind tunnel
The motorcycle was secured to the floor of the wind tunnel.
Yellow Yarn Tattle-Tails were attached to the motorcycle, these were going to give us a visual of how the air was flowing.
Photo Yellow Yarn
Mike made this statement about being on the motorcycle in the wind tunnel (It’s Easy Don’t Move A Muscle For Three Minutes, LOL What A Core Workout)
While Mike was on the motorcycle multiple things were being recorded in the control room.
After each run some minor temporary changes were made to see what affect they had. The information gained by each change was all recorded and will be reviewed in the future to see what changes can be made to the motorcycle without changing the class it runs in.
I can tell you that we did learn how to make the motorcycle faster, the rest is up to what Berry and Keith want to share prior to making changes and setting a new record.
The plan is to return to Bonneville and set a new record with Berry riding the motorcycle and the wind tunnel testing was going to help that happen.
Berry did not have his racing leathers with him, but he did get a opportunity to do a wind tunnel test. He was Very Pleased.
After the salt flats the motorcycle will be put back to how it was prior to changes.
There is still a lot to do, and it is going to be very interesting.
There will be a lot more to this and I am sure Keith and Berry will keep you updated, well on most of it anyway, still got to keep the racers edge, can’t give all the secrets away.
Let me know what you think…
HOG’S AND HEIFERS SALOON SEMA ACTION
It’s the 16th year of Hogs & Heifers Saloon’s Annual SEMA Kick-Off Party with the Freaks of Nature Car Show, the Mini Truck Hall of Fame and Panel Jam. Monday, November 4th you are ALL INVITED to join us as we shut down 3rd street and party with gear heads from all over.
Walk the street to check out all the different vehicles that will be on display, join us as the next class is inducted into the Mini Truck Hall of Fame and check out some of the best Airbrush and Pinstriping Artists in the industry, paint right out in front of the bar.
We’ll also have lots of pieces created by the artists that will be up for auction, all to benefit the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation. This event is FREE to attend and you don’t want to miss it.
VETERANS DAY
The horses are coming back to Hogs. Join us on Veteran’s Day, Monday, November 11th when some of the horses that will be taking part of the Veteran’s Day Parade in Downtown Las Vegas will then make their way to Hogs & Heifers Saloon. Bring the kids by for photos and help feed the horses some yummy treats. Horses will arrive around 11am and stay outside for a few hours.
201 N. 3rd Street – Downtown Las Vegas
The STREET that HOGS BUILT
No Cover – 21+ w/ID
LIFESTYLE CYCLES DEAL OF THE WEEK
2024 Harley-Davidson FLI – Hydra-Glide Revival
Stock# 14369
2024 HARLEY DAVIDSON HYDRA GLIDE
This 2024 Harley Hydra Glide sells at the dealership MSRP 24,999.00, and we all know Harley is Infamous on dealer mark-up. Which should be all the reason to run into Lifestyle Cycle’s and ride this beauty home before it’s gone!
With wartime utilitarianism in the rearview mirror, Harley-Davidson entered the 1950s with the 74-cubic-inch Panhead powertrain, the Hydra-Glide telescopic front end, and refreshing color schemes that brought new energy to the only surviving American motorcycle manufacturer. One of the most beloved models was the 1956 FLH, which featured a red base color with a white stripe, known as the “slash? two-tone color scheme.
Now, 75 years after the 1949 introduction of the Hydra-Glide front end, Harley-Davidson is reviving this icon of the Panhead era in serialized limited production.
Only $21,995.00
Plus license, $85.00 documentation fee, and local sales tax. NO HIDDEN FEES like some dealers. And we have no reconditioning or prep fees.
This bike has passed Lifestyle Cycles rigorous 92-point safety/mechanical/structural inspection.
This motorcycle has not been refurbished and does not come with any warranty expressed or implied! EXTENDED WARRANTIES are available!
Fill out an online application today. We have EZ FINANCING
Lifestyle Cycles is located at 1510 State College Blvd,Anaheim,CA,92806. Open 7 days a week.
NOT LOCAL? WE HAVE SHIPPING AVAILABLE! Call today (714) 490-0155.
Please visit www.LifestyleCycles.com
or www.facebook.com/LifestyleCyclesUsedHarleys/
45 LAWMAKERS DEMAND ANSWERS
Forty-five GOP lawmakers are demanding answers from the Department of Energy (DOE) after a government watchdog group accused the agency of covering up a key study that would have interfered with one of the Biden-Harris administration’s most aggressive crackdowns on fossil fuels.
The lawmakers wrote to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on Thursday to address a watchdog’s allegations that her agency conducted or drafted — and then quietly buried — a study on the emissions impacts of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports in 2023 before pausing approvals for certain LNG export terminals in January on the grounds that the agency needed to conduct such a review.
Government Accountability and Oversight (GAO), the watchdog making the allegations, is suing the agency under public records law to obtain the thousands of pages DOE concedes may fit GAO’s specific request searching for the 2023 study that the agency allegedly buried because it was producing politically inconvenient conclusions, as first reported by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“The Biden-Harris Administration’s attempt to conceal its findings on liquefied natural gas impacts is troubling.
Despite evidence that U.S. LNG benefits both the economy and global energy security, the Department of Energy has imposed an indefinite ban on LNG exports to non-free trade agreement countries without legal justification,” Republican Texas Rep. August Pfluger, who led the letter, said in a statement shared with the DCNF. “The lack of transparency from DOE on existing studies, as well as the motivation behind the ongoing study, is unacceptable. The American people deserve accountability on the decision-making process surrounding our energy future.”
(RELATED: Qatar Expanding Natural Gas Export Capacity After Biden Admin Paused New Hub Approvals)
–Nick Pope
Contributor
WUWT
FLATHEAD HARLEYS OF THE WEEK
–RFR and Sam Burns
BANDIT’S 5-BALL EMPORIUM NEWS
It snowed for the first time this week and our old 1880s roof leaked. I need to crawl the monster ladder to the top and check it out.
Here’s something new I created out of parts and piece for the Emporium. It’s an old rusting cheapo iron bed frame and I score the legs from Mike the Picker in Whitewood. I made the bed frame and created the brass legs with solid brass tubes from an old door bell.
Nikki, the Sturgis wood cabinet restore and wood craftsman, made, stained and finished the wooden bench seat. I brazed the pieces then rubbed everything down with boiled linseed oil. It’s now available in the Emporium.
Inspiration hit the other day as we grappled to handle snow prep for the winter. I’ve moved fences, shut off outside water sources and exercised the ’58 Bel Air according to Chubb’s recommendations. “Gotta exercise old rollers.”
I finally got it running sweet and have made trips from Sturgis to Spearfish and into Deadwood several times. Then we faced storage. With the help of Panhead John in Deadwood we cleared a wall out of the small garage behind the Emporium. At first it was a hideaway from extreme weather, but then the thought sparkled. We could stash the Chevy for the winter. New measurement and the deed was accomplished with more reorganization. Done deal.
We have a couple of classic steel Harley tool boxes. Brown one has no hinge pin or lock price $195.
Metal one has the lock and key and u wired the hinge, $225.
These could ship in med. Priority mail according to the Redhead
–Bandit
NEW BIKERNET DEPARTMENT INITIATED IN THE CANTINA
Hang on for this. We were one of the only motorcycle websites to question Climate Doom. We still do until the truth is important again and we can ride free forever.
Bill May has been a longtime contributor to Bikernet and he made a confession the other day. For 30 years he’s followed reports and studies regarding UFOs. Just this last year the government admitted to real findings of life from other planets stepping on earth. With billions of galaxies and planet spinning around millions of suns, there’s bound to be another biker out there somewhere.
Bill is connected and informed about the subject and will reveal the latest news right here in Bandit’s Cantina, with teasers in the news.
Hang on!
–Bandit
FROM ENGINEERING NEWS
The energy transition in its current form, as a grid-scale build out of wind and solar with the goal to replace oil, coal and gas, is probably one of the greatest mistakes that humanity has ever made,” said German-listed commodity company HMS Bergbau Group shareholder Dr. Lars Schernikau, at nonprofit organization FFF Carbon’s 2024 Middelburg Coal Conference in Mpumalanga, on October 17.
“It’s a very uncomfortable and unpopular thing to say,” he admitted, highlighting numerous often ignored challenges posed by the ongoing energy transition.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST SUPREME COURT RULINGS OF THE YEAR
Chevron Deference
Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that by a 6-3 vote it had overturned a 40-year-old legal standard known as Chevron deference. The verdict involves a 1984 court case between the Chevron Corporation and the National Resources Defense Council which created this legal precedent.
Chevron deference compels federal courts to defer to a federal agency’s interpretation of an ambiguous or unclear statute that Congress delegated to the agency to administer. In other words, executive agencies like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are given wide latitude to shape policy on issues that Congress has not specifically mandated, and the court system is limited in stopping them.
The outcome this ruling is vast. However, three obvious results will likely happen:
- Changes to Lawmaking
- The court decision will also force lawmakers to be more detailed in the directives that they put into law. If Congress wants a specific outcome or policy, they will now need to put that in the language of bills, as opposed to deferring to agencies to “fill in the blanks.” We will likely see more detailed and nuanced language in legislation, so the intent of Congress withstands legals challenges.
- Greater Scrutiny of Agency Actions
- In the past the rulemaking and regulatory process, was at times, viewed as an afterthought. Congressional bills and presidential proclamations gained the headlines, while the nuts and bolts of policy were left to the workings of career government officials. These decisions often could not be challenged in the courts. Now that legal action is possible, the inner workings of government agencies will be under an intense microscope as they roll out new regulations.
- Increased Litigation
- With the ability to interpret ambiguous laws, courts are likely to accept challenges to agency regulations more often. Long standing policies that were decided years ago can now be reexamined through lawsuits that question the fundamental nature of how the policy was created.
Unsurprisingly, these results impact all three branches of the federal government. The legislative branch will now have to alter how it writes and constructs laws. The executive branch will need to rethink how it executes the laws given to it by Congress. And the judicial branch will be allowed to review the actions of Congress and agencies to ensure those actions are legal and in line with the powers each branch is assigned.
Why does this matter to bikers? In recent years we have observed officials at the EPA and NHTSA use the regulatory process to achieve policy goals that impact us. One obvious case is the use of rulemaking that would make the internal combustion engine extinct.
The EPA, through emission standards, and NHTSA, through fuel efficiency benchmarks, have tried to shape transportation policy that favors electric vehicles over those powered by fossil fuels. In this case, the House of Representatives has attempted to push back on this overreach by passing legislation specifically blocking the proposed rules. This is an example of Congress trying to recapture its lawmaking authority. With Chevron deference now in place we will likely see lawsuits that engage the judiciary and reexamine these EPA and NHTSA policies, something that was not possible before the Supreme Court ruling.
The system of checks and balances the Founding Fathers envisioned is foundational to how our government operates. Time will tell, but Chevron deference may be a step back towards strengthening that system and taking us back to a time with more defined roles for each branch of government.
STURGIS TT
Progressive AMA AFT Race group had an internal re-cap with Sturgis City officials yesterday. “A public forum is coming up,” said Cameron Gray from the AMA.
I will report on the dates and times for the forum. The team is excited about the future with Sturgis. We will keep you posted.
–Bandit
Autonomous Autonomy
The expansion of autonomous vehicles is a growing topic in the United States today. Whether you’re a biker out on a Sunday ride, a truck driver pulling a cross-country load, or just headed to pick up groceries at the store, this new technology will impact your life.
Any effective advocate for motorcyclists’ rights should have a basic understanding of this new technology and the capabilities involved. As such, below is a basic outline of the six levels of driving automation. All have key distinct features which also shape how they are governed by laws and regulations for their deployment.
Level 0: No Driving Automation
The vehicle possesses no automated driving features. However, it may have technologies that provide momentary assistance to the driver like:
• Antilock Braking
• Automated Emergency Braking
• Blind Spot Warning
• Cruise Control
• Lane Departure Warning
Despite these features, the driver must drive the vehicle and monitor any possible warnings or safety activities, and thus the driver is responsible for braking, steering, accelerating etc.
Level 1: Driver Assistance
Vehicles at this level are equipped with systems that supply constant assistance during acceleration and braking or during steering. Examples of this include:
• Adaptive cruise control
or
• Lane Centering
While this technology aids the driver, the driver must always play an active role in operating the vehicle.
Level 2: Partial Driving Automation
This level applies to a large share of vehicles with driving automation that are on the market today. Examples include Tesla Autopilot, Ford BlueCruise and General Motors Super Cruise.
This technology provides continual assistance both regarding acceleration/braking and in steering. Importantly the driver still must remain attentive and involved.
Level 3: Conditional Driving Automation
The jump to Level 3 is dramatic. At this level the automated system handles all aspects of driving under certain conditions while the driver remains available to take over the driving if the system can no longer operate and requests the driver take over.
Currently only Mercedes-Benz is certified to sell Level 3 vehicles in the U.S. The Mercedes-Benz DRIVE PILOT system is certified to perform on major freeways in California and parts of Nevada and drivers can only engage the Level 3 automation at slower speeds and only while following another vehicle.
Aurora Innovation is currently using level 3 autonomy on Semi Trucks in Texas with the intent to be level 4 in 2027.
Level 4: High Driving Automation
When engaged, the system is fully responsible for driving tasks and a human driver is not needed to operate the vehicle within specific areas/conditions. Waymo (Google) and Cruise (General Motors) currently operate this technology in limited jurisdictions. Robotaxis operating with no driver in cities like San Francisco are examples of Level 4 automation.
Most Level 4 systems are subject to geofencing, where the autonomy is restricted to a specific geographic area. This is due to level 4 driving automation not being capable of operating on all roads and conditions that human drivers can.
Communications with these vehicles are highly dependent on cell networks, radio frequency, and satellite to communicate with other Level 4 vehicles, and remote operators who intervene when these vehicles experience an error or experience a failure in their Level 4 system.
Level 5: Full Driving Automation
This final level requires no driver interaction whatsoever and the range and conditions of its use are unrestricted. At this level, steering wheels and pedals may be absent from the cabin of the vehicle. Currently there are no Level 5 vehicles available to the public.
What Does This All Mean?
While nearly every vehicle on the road today falls into one of the first three categories, the push to make the jump to automated systems where the driver is not fully in control is strong. For nearly a decade the U.S. Congress has tried and failed to provide a framework for how to regulate these differing levels of automation. This has left regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and state motor vehicle departments playing catch up.
Another concerning trend is the lack of knowledge from consumers about these levels of automation. Advertising campaigns and a casual approach leads drivers to assume their vehicles can do things they are not intended to do.
It is thus vital that we, as bikers and activists, understand the technology, educate others and be prepared to champion regulations that will protect us on the roadways. The future is here, let’s get smart so we can help shape that future.
Learn to Rock
The Strider 2-in-1 Rocking Bike introduces babies to their bike while developing core strength and stability. The main goal of practicing together is to associate their Strider Bike with fun!
STURGIS MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM ACTION–It’s non-stop.
If you’re a local AMCA member, Hamster or enthusiasts, you need to stop by for one or all of these events.
I will try to make them all. We can always walk across the street and I’ll sign a book and show you around the Emporium.
Don’t miss an opportunity to hang out and study Sturgis History.
–Bandit
MRF DEMANDS TRANSPARENCY
A resolution by the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (3 million strong), motorcycle and automotive groups to Congress to demand scientific transparency and truth for every motoring individual in the world.
Whereas Truth and Free Speech are the cornerstones of our society, motorcyclists all over the country want our rights and the truth to be respected
Whereas Critical Thinking is the backbone of science it needs to be held high for kids all over the world. America always endeavored to be the bastion of truth and free speech.
Whereas science is never settled and the public requires nothing but the truth as it affects their very existence.
Whereas children deserve to know the truth and scientific transparency. No matter who tries to hide the truth, it will surface and the real deniers will be exposed.
Whereas every law in this country that effects the lives, livelihoods, homes, businesses and transportation must be based on truth or they are meaningless.
Whereas criminal governments throughout history restricted free speech. We cannot allow any attack on free speech to infiltrate our government
WAIT THERE’S MORE
Man, today was a test. I’m learning this new program and getting my ass kicked along the way. So, worked all day, but the program didn’t like what I posted and wouldn’t save. So, at the end of the day I lost most of it.
Mr. Wayfarer saved some of the text, while I hit the road down the canyon to Vinnie’s for a Halloween party. Vinnie owns the original Pappy Hoels pad on Junction in Sturgis. He’s done a tremendous rehab of the place, but his new wife, Lori has major plans. Hang on.
I should be depressed, but what the hell. I hung with good friends for a couple of hours, then returned to the battle lines for whiskey and rebuilding the news. We’re almost there.
I decided to give myself a treat in the form of a new knife. Brother Stoney suggest several manufacturers including Elishiwitz Knives. I need something tough and shapely. It needs to fit in my back pocket and not be a monster. These have titanium handles and brass fasteners. They run about $400.
Gearhead sent me this piece of history, a V-8 Curtis. It’s a reprint from a magazine story. I may share it with you, if I can sort out these program issues.
We might attend a fund raiser for Deadwood tomorrow night. This original David Mann will be auctioned off.
Bill May, our extra terrestrial editor is about to build a classic chopper for himself. He’s built bikes, cars and trucks for customers for 50 years.
It’s about time. He has most of the major pieces.
We may see it come together on Bikernet. Hang on.
In the meantime ride fast and free forever!
–Bandit
