Hey,
It’s Laughlin River Run Weekend and the girls are out. I never know how sexy the Cantina will be on any given weekend, but this weekend came alive thanks to the wandering River Rat and Crawdaddy. They are ducking sand storms and chilly desert weather with a hand full of German riders on a tour of the Southwest on Harley-Davidsons. You’ll see a report on Bikernet, but in the meantime check the River Run action:
BEST BILLBOARD OF THE YEAR– This is on the French Riviera, just outside Monte Carlo . One of the best advertisements … ever!!!
–from Chris T.
RIVER RAT SUNDAY RANT– Was scrolling through last week’s Sunday Post and started reminiscing about a good buddy of mine. His take on religion always makes me grin and I felt an urge to tell you about him. I flash back on our time together frequently, and raise a glass in salute to his special place in my heart whenever he pops into my mind.
Good Buddy (or GB as he’ll be known here) resented his wasted youth where he was forced into worship each Sunday at the local Baptist church. Mom owned a bar and spent her time slinging and slurping booze, and felt his butt was better off implanted in a pew (both so she could claim to know where he was at least once a week while, at the same time, have the locals thinking she actually cared about her son). As a result, her stock would go up in the tiny NorCal coastal community where she ministered to the local drunks while the pious people watched his grimacing face as he received grace.
He was a smallish man, with a bum leg that was left over from his battle with polio as a child. His gnarled leg and irregular gait was invisible to those who knew him, since the charismatic personality of the redheaded Irishman was much more obvious to us all. GB was a charmer, muscular and lean, and he never let his physical limitations restrict his outward perspectives.
GB, however, never got over the fire-n-brimstone sermons and wasted childhood days, so as a “hell bent on revenge” adult, he devoted his Sunday mornings to the extensive collection of porn he’d amassed. It was his ritual, and his religion, and if I ever made the mistake of wandering over to his place before noon on Sundays, I knew what to expect. He knew all the actors, their dimensions, and their “special talents” (like the gal who could put her legs behind her head or the guy who could lick his own eyebrows) and would spout the stats like an auctioneer at a hog sale. He’d even met some of the stars. He knew the names of the producers, writers, and directors and who did the distribution. Most of his collection came from his club buddies, as a lot of the porn then was club produced and very illegal.
In addition to the devotion to his “titties n’ tang” observance, GB also chose Sundays to clean the sawed off shotgun that he kept in a vintage violin case stashed under his bed, as well as the machine gun that lived in his closet. Since he was a man who lived for his job, (he was a NorCal farmer whose acres-huge, tucked-in-among-the-redwoods crop was wacky weed), he just never knew when a well-oiled weapon would be called into service.
He’d been a “hang around” as a younger man. He told me once about the time the next-door club members had an all-night party and started piercing member’s ears by hammering 16-penny nails into each other’s ear lobes. One member freaked at the pain and jerked his head up off the workbench, thereby ripping off a chunk of his ear, which remained nailed to the wooden plank. GB expressed a tremendous relief that his turn was delayed by the guy’s bloody accident, so bright and early Sunday morning, while others nursed their hangovers, GB moseyed on down to the local mall and got a spiffy diamond stud installed before the club could do the handy work themselves. He still sports that stud today, in addition to the ruby gem he put right next to it when his youngest daughter was born in July of ’65.
After 36 years of marriage, Gb’s woman finally got tired of the seclusion of life on the woodland farm and wandered off a few years ago. His commitment to the Sunday porn took on a different patina, and I made a point of not showing up unannounced anymore. He also added NASAR to his list of addictions, and the idiot box was never turned off. In the wee hours of an inopportune Sunday morn, GB awoke to the smell of smoke. His television had shorted out while one of his videos played and his single-wide home-on-wheels burned to the ground as he stood out in the yard, naked, and watched. Unfortunately, he’d neglected to follow the forest service’s advice about keeping a 100′ clearance around his home and the forest also caught fire…as well as his crop. By the time the forest rangers showed up to snuff out the embers after dawn, his crop, and all he owned in the world, had literally “gone up in smoke.”
Let’s not feel too bad for GB, however. Being the ever resilient guy that he is, last I saw him he’d traveled up to Wyoming and found himself a new woman. Some 34 years his junior, the diminutive gal was excited to be headed to the California coast to live on the “ranch,” as she called it. Apparently he’d painted quite a picture for her and she was anxious to wake up in his beautiful forest and to smell the ocean. I wasn’t sure if he’d told her that they’d be living in the 27′ travel trailer I’d lent him, or if she knew she’d be tending the irrigation systems and fending off DEA agents, but she was anxious to meet a new adventure head on. GB did tell me, however, that she was probably going to be really impressed with his vast, newly acquired, video library.
Happy Sunday…
–River Rat
2010 FREEDOM FIGHTER ANNOUNCED– April 2010 – – The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame is proud to announce the 2010 Freedom Fighters Hall of Fame Inductee, Gordon ?Sonny? Bridges from Maine.
The Freedom Fighters Hall of Fame recognizes the commitment and sacrifices individuals across the nation, and world, have made to protect the rights of motorcyclists. In their honor the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame established the nation?s first and only Freedom Fighters Hall of Fame.
Gordon ?Sonny? Bridges spearheaded a group of bikers in the early 1970s to repeal the state?s mandatory helmet laws. Eventually, this group became the United Bikers of Maine. Sonny was elected its first President and worked tirelessly gathering support and members. Thanks to the efforts of Sonny and others, the helmet law was repealed in 1976. Still, even 35 years later, the issue continues to rise and Sonny continues to battle.
The mandatory helmet law repeal was just the beginning for Sonny. While he stepped down as President of United Bikers of Maine after the repeal, Sonny continued to work tirelessly for bikers rights in the Maine Statehouse. By spending time at the capital and making friends with legislators, Sonny has been there to fight for bikers rights any time legislation dealing with motorcycles has been introduced. Just this last year, Sonny fought a noise ordinance that would have required that all motorcycles in the state have stock pipes.
Sonny is a lifetime member of United Bikers of Maine and continues to speak about motorcycle awareness. He was a speaker at this year?s Governor?s Tea ? which each year kicks off May as Motorcycle Awareness Month. Many years, he has participated in UBM?s Toy Run ? the state?s largest single day charity event.
Although Sonny claims to be slowing down, he is currently developing a program to go to schools throughout the state of Maine and speak to driver?s education courses to encourage new drivers to pay attention and watch for motorcyclists. Bridges will be honored at the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Breakfast, Wednesday, August 11th, at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Breakfast tickets are available for a $35.00 donation, tables of eight for $300.00. Tickets can be purchased through the Museum 605.347.2001 or on line www.sturgismuseum.com .
–from Rogue
Sturgis Freedom Fighters Motorcycle Hall Of Fame Member 2005
www.bikerrogue.com
BIKERNET ILLUSTRATOR CHECKS IN– …oh yeah, I did forget to mention the second drawing I’ve done since Christmas. It’s the FLH featured in the most recent issue (#95) of The Horse. I sent the drawing to The Horse along with a compliment to Nelson Kanno (aka Gennaro) regarding his feature in the mag entitled “Alonzo’s ’58 Chrome Pig.”
I think the story (pics & words) is just right at the top of the heap of the finest pieces of motorcycle journalism I’ve ever come across. I’m not a big fan of bikes with long fishtails but the presentation of this one, along with it’s pretty cool looking owner, wound up my happiness crank to the breaking point. Just excellent shit!
“Constant vigilance is the price of Freedom”
–DA
My kind of girl… An Alabama teacher asks a redneck girl to use “handsome” in a sentence.
The girl says, “When I’m suckin’ dick and my jaw gets sore I use my handsome.”
Kinda brings a tear to yer eye, don’t it?
–Robin Hartfiel
REVTECH DELIVERS 125-INCH AMERICAN-MADE V-TWIN POWER AT A GREAT PRICE– RevTech is known for its extreme attention to detail and it?s evident in this engines special styling, amazing reliability and unreal ?seat of the pants? torque.RevTech has increased fin area on the cylinders and heads and state-of-the-art internal piston oilers, creating maximum temperature control and increased engine life. The traditional breather system with gear has a long proven track record, specially designed ?D?-shaped intake and manifold ports provide exceptional controlled air flow and the 45mm Mikuni carburetor provides the 125″ monster all the fuel it needs.
Earning a position in the RevTech? line of engines is no easy task. Only after rigorous testing can an engine take its place among a legacy of motors proven over two decades of service. Before putting the new 125″ into production, RevTech subjected it to durability testing by Optimum Power Technology in Bridgeville, PA., where the engine withstood a brutal non-stop 100-hour beating. During testing varying loads were placed on the engine from a 950 rpm idle up to 5,000 rpm?s for various lengths of time with brief rest periods in between to cool off and go again. The average duration of each cycle was 33 minutes and this cycle was performed more then 180 times during the 100-hour test period. We go to these lengths to ensure that each and every RevTech? engine has earned its place among the finest engines available today, says the manufacturer.
These new engine assemblies will replace 84-99 Evolution? style engines.
Each engine is assembled with Pride in the U.S.A. and features the following:
Crankcases:
Cast from 356-T6 aluminum with wall thickness optimized for maximum strength.
Blind case bolts for cleaner appearance.
Smooth crankcase deck to cylinder base profile for cleaner appearance.
7/16″ threaded cylinder studs proven in drag racing applications.
Flywheels:
Flywheels forged from 4140. Pinion and sprocket shaft are pressed in and keyed from 8620 gear material ground and hardened.
Connecting rods forged from 4340 chromemoly steel.
Larger, straight 1 1/2″-diameter pressed-in crankpin using 8620 gear material.
Oiling System:
Same reliable Evolution style oil system with the addition of internal piston oilers for better heat dissipation.
3:1 ratio oil pump drive gears and high volume oil pump enable significantly increased lubrication and cooling.
Cylinders:
4.250″-bore with 4.410?-stroke for ideal high torque/high horsepower output.
More fin area for increased cooling.
Machined fin edges for better appearance.
Forged pistons.
Heads:
New RevTech roller rockers.
More fin area for increased cooling.
Machined fin edges for better appearance.
New compression releases for easy starting.
New ?D?-shaped intake ports and manifold.
Carburetion:
Mikuni HSR 45 from Mikuni American Corp.
Intake manifold matched to heads for ideal flow efficiency.
Low-profile air cleaner design for high performance while providing improved rider comfort.
Ignition:
Self contained solid-state ignition from Daytona Twin Tec
Cam:
Andrews EV72 .560″ lift cam for great performance and easy starting.
2 Year or 20,000 Mile Limited Warranty.
visit www.customchrome.com
NEW PROJECT FROM BRASS BALLS, THE ROCKETEER– Attached are photos for your review of our newest bike for 2011, the Brass Balls Rocketeer.
? Custom sheet metal.
? Gooseneck 40 degree frame. 0″ up 1″ out.
? 16″ x 130mm Front and 16″ x 140mm rear wheels/tires
? Aggressive inverted bars
? mid controls
? and all the usual high quality components that are found on Brass Balls Cycles
I will keep you updated as the bike develops.
— Dar Holdsworth
BIKERNET TRAFFIC UPTICK– Google shows a slight uptick in traffic, nothing big though. Alexa.com shows an 8% rise over the last month and a 45% rise over the last 3 months. That increase is the average traffic over a set period.
–Joe Jorgenson,
MIC: New-unit retail sales fell 23% in first quarter– Even when compared to last year?s dismal start, new-unit retail sales still managed a large decline for the first three months of 2010. The Motorcycle Industry Council reported that dealers retailed 23 percent fewer motorcycles, ATVs and scooters made by the manufacturers that report numbers to the MIC.
But the decline is still less than the 32 percent drop recorded for the first quarter of 2009 ? or the 37 percent drop for the whole year. And retail sales fell only 6 percent in March, indicating that things may be getting better. See tables below for a full rundown.
The MIC posts numbers on a quarterly basis. The data applies only to 19 reporting manufacturers: Aprilia, Arctic Cat, BMW, Buell, Can-Am, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Husaberg, Kawasaki, KTM, Moto Guzzi, Piaggio, Polaris, Suzuki, Triumph, Vespa, Victory and Yamaha.
ATV sales do not include side-by-sides. By: Arlo Redwine
Published courtesy of Dealernews: www.dealernews.com
SHORTEST BOOK REVIEW OF THE WEEK– Good job on the e-mail newsletter! Finished Harbortown and look forward to the next one, keep it up brother!
–pete(fromflorida)
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