Hey,
I wanted to apologize, if we’ve hit the Bonneville success too hard. A lot of folks put tremendous time and effort into the Assalt Weapan and other racing efforts on the salt. I don’t want it to sound like we’re pounding our chest. It’s good to feel the positive vibe.
I’m like a nut when it comes to projects. Love to see a project come to fruition, then I’m ready to move onto the next project. I’ve been working on the ’56 Shovel for the ride to the Smoke Out West, in a couple of weeks. I changed the oil, installed a 46-took sprocket and a new Oddessey Battery. Kent at Lucky Devil suggested it, for reliability and told me to install a strap to hold it down, or lever to hold it in place. Didn’t have a strap. Then I started to mess with the kicker. The rubber kept slipping off. Next the left foot peg needs a tiny roll bar to keep my boot from dragging against the primary belt pulley.
Plus plans for Alaska are underway and riders are signing up. So the Adventures continue. That’s the Bikernet Mantra, have an Adventure every year, or two, or die trying. One more goal this year. Maybe you have a suggestion or two. Let’s hit the news, then I’ll spill my guts:
BONNEVILLE CONGRATULATIONS– I’ve been meaning to write and congratulate you and the 5 Ball team for kicking some serious ass out on the salt. Almost 162mph on one run. Damn! It’s hardly surprising that you guys also bagged the prize for being best engineered, since from the pictures it looks to be one tight package.
You should be very proud of yourself and your team for putting together such a high level effort. Especially considering it isn’t your everyday paying gig. Kudos to one and all.
To say that your friends out in the world, like me, are very proud of the 5-Ball team, is an understatement to say the least. Way to go.
–Michael Hearle
PROGRESSIVE SUSPENSION 812 VINTAGE SERIES SHOCKS– Progressive Suspension continues to take the market to new places and the 812 VINTAGE Series Shocks are just another example their innovative work. PSI has utilized a multi-stage, velocity sensitive shock and wrapped it in an old school full chrome steel can that looks like it’d be right at home on a 50’s Panhead. In fact, it would also look great on a modern Dyna and it’ll make any of them ride better.
Hidden hardware, billet aluminum end caps, combined with a five position preload adjuster and a heavy duty spring option make for a stylish as well as high performance shock. Check out the PSI web site or contact your local dealer to get a set.
–David Zemla
Progressive Suspension
5572 Fresca Dr.
La Palma, CA 90623
877.690.7411
info@progressivesuspension.com
www.progressivesuspension.com
BIKERNET CONTRIBUTOR KISSES BANDIT’S ASS, WHAT’S HE WANT NOW?– The latest news was fantastic, as usual. Although the praises don’t come easy, you guys really do bad ass with a very thankless job. I am proud to be associated with the site and look for it to continue growing exponentially.
You really inspire me with the way you continuously trudge forward bucking all naysayers and punching the odds right in the kisser. Keep up the work, GD! Have a drink for me, maybe one day soon we can take another ride together followed by dinner and a drink.
Make sure you get out there and ride, remember, that’s what this is all about, right?
–Johnny Humble White
I get it. He wants to come on the ride to Alaska.–Bandit
IIHS PRESS RELEASE DOESN’T TELL WHOLE STORY– I read the (Bikernet) News today, oh boy… The news featured the IIHS press release on motorcycle accidents, noting that sportbikes had the highest death rates and worst overall insurance losses. So, of course, everyone will say, “Yeah, those crotchrockets and their squidly riders are dangerous.”
But you did your readers a disservice by not pointing out something else the IIHS found:
“Alcohol also is a problem in fatal crashes of motorcyclists, although less so than among passenger vehicle drivers. In 2005 it was a factor in the fatal crashes of 19 percent of supersport riders and 23 percent of sport and unclad sport riders.
By comparison, 33 percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers had blood alcohol concentrations at or above 0.08 percent in 2005.”
I don’t wanna come across like a little old lady, but I don’t think most people realize what effect just a drink or two can have. My epiphany came from my own experience. When riding with my club, we used to have a little contest at red lights – who could balance the longest before putting down a foot?
I was as good as anyone in the club at this stunt. Then I tried it after a couple of beers, and could balance for only a fraction of the time I could without the beer. Now, I wasn’t unused to drinking, and I’m well over 200#, so it wasn’t that my BAC was over the limit. But just a little bit of booze will put you off your game. Most of the time it won’t make a difference, particularly if you’re talking only a beer or two. But closing the Bucket o’ Blood on a Saturday night before heading home on your scoot, or having a couple of brews at every stop on a poker run, just isn’t a good idea if you plan on being around for the hangover.
Maybe a recommendation from you to take it easy when puttin’ it in the wind would have a positive effect, and keep your readers around for the next edition.
Otherwise, love the site. I can’t tell you how many hours I waste playing Bandit’s Lineup. It just appeals to my OCD, I guess.
–John Kitzmiller
Yeah, I have a DUI code. I hate DUIs, and I don’t use that term often. I hate Zero tolerance and all the bullshit it stands for. This is suppose to be a free country and moderation is the key, but enough of that. Here’s my mantra. I refuse to get a DUI. I won’t drink and drive or ride. If I do want to drink, I catch a ride, take a cab, sleep it off, find a girl, whatever. I won’t give the bastards a shot at ticketing me. It’s bullshit.–Bandit
PEPPER MASSEY TO CONTINUE AS RALLY DIRECTOR– STURGIS, S.D. – The City of Sturgis has announced that Pepper Massey will continue as Director of the Sturgis Rally Department, moving from interim to permanent beginning October 1, 2007. Pepper joined the Rally Department as Interim Director on June 25, 2007.
Pepper’s background in public relations, communications, event planning and marketing, coupled with her 20 plus years experience in the motorcycle community, has provided her with a strong contact base and unique skill-set that will enable her to develop and enhance relationships between the city and the industry.
“It is a great opportunity for me to make a difference in my community, which I care deeply about, and in the Rally, which I’m passionate about,” said Massey. “I am fortunate to have an exceptional team to work with that can help me take the Rally to the next level while continuing to focus on growth in both attendance and revenue generated by the event for the city.”
WANNA RIDE LIKE A ROCK STAR? ONLY $19,995.00– Fieldy, Korn’s bass player has been a long time friend and customer of LifeStyle Cycles. He purchased this 2005 APC Spirit-S from LifeStyle Cycles and immediately had us personalized it to his specifications.
He wanted a “New Old School” look for his ride, so we added custom modified fenders, chrome ape hangers, grips, custom mirrors, twisted spoke wheels, twisted metal sissy bar (not shown), dual shotgun style chrome exhausts and tons more.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a real piece of Rock and Roll history (before the Hard Rock Cafe gets it) and ride in style like a rock star!
And it’s only available at LifeStyle Cycles!
CALL LIFESTYLE CYCLES BIKE SALES DEPT.
(714) 490-0155
OLD WORLD MEDIA START TO FEEL THE PAIN– Recession or Not, Older Ad Forms Ailing as Marketers Shift to Web and CRM. Chance of recession? Oh, somewhere between 5% and 90%.
That’s The Wall Street Journal’s scratch-your-head-and-wonder-why-they-even-wasted-the newsprint handicapping that the U.S. economy’s funk will continue to deepen into a full-on melancholy in the next 12 months. Too big a spread for your liking? Then here’s a sure bet: Recession or not, traditional media is getting ready to feel the pain.
Last week, TNS found that U.S. ad spending fell for the second quarter in a row, the first time that had happened since 2001. Depressing as it might appear, it’s a trend you might want to get used to, though not for the business-cycle reasons you might expect. Sure, ad expenditure is linked to the overall health of the U.S. economy.
And factors such as the ever-expanding subprime-mortgage mess are sure to play a role, as will the relative health of major mass marketers such as the rather sickly Big Three automakers, whose declining spend is what TNS blamed for the downward slide.
But there’s something else going on that has nothing to do with the natural rhythms of booms and busts or the fortunes of Madison Avenue’s biggest clients. Simply put, American companies are shifting more and more marketing dollars out of paid media. You see it happening every day as marketers-smart ones, at least-talk about things such as word-of-mouth and conversational marketing, the kind of activity that doesn’t feed the coffers of media sellers or traditional ad agencies and hence goes unmeasured in bellwethers such as TNS reports.
Now that long-bubbling discontent, something that was happening before the bottom fell out of the mortgage market, is beginning to show up in macro ways.
Consider a couple:
ROI-conscious marketers from Procter & Gamble to Jim Beam have been loud and proud about their efforts to cut back broadcast budgets and repurpose dollars to the internet and disciplines such as CRM and word-of-mouth, which don’t involve any media outlay. _
Expect that internet growth to continue, even in a recession.
“The economic impact might have a slowdown,” said Bob Davis, managing general partner at the venture-capital firm Highland Capital. “But rather than a decline, its worst-case scenario is slowing growth. Online advertising is destined for many more years of robust growth.”
All this brings us to the moral of our story, which goes something like this:
If your bread is buttered by some form of media or marketing activity depicted on the TV program “Mad Men,” you might want to pour yourself another Manhattan. And make it extra stiff.
Contributing: Abbey Klaassen, Jack Neff, Alice Z. Cuneo, Ira Teinowitz
HARLEY-DAVIDSON YORK OPEN HOUSE JUST AROUND THE CORNER– The 2007 Harley-Davidson York Vehicle Operations in York, Pa., will host its annual Open House Thursday, Sept. 27 through Saturday, Sept. 29. Factory tours of the Softail Facility and Touring Facility will be open to the public each day. The Harley-Davidson Traveling Museum, open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, will make its first appearance in York since its re-design in March 2007 and will feature a piece of the Company’s history for enthusiasts to share.
There will also be a booth at the event to provide visitors with the latest information about the Harley-Davidson Museum, scheduled to open the summer of 2008. The booth will also provide information on how enthusiasts can make their mark on the Museum grounds, as well as hosting a special event at the Museum.
Harley-Davidson and Buell 2008 models will be available for demo rides at the York Open House this year with extended hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. all three days. York Vehicle Operations is also opening its Tour Center and Gift Shop during the event to the public, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
There will be event t-shirts for sale, and the five local-area dealers will have a shopping area on-site from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For those visitors who need a break from the action, food and drink vendors will also be available.
Representatives from the Muscular Dystrophy Association will be at the Open House helping to raise awareness and funds for MDA, as well as selling pins and raffle tickets for chances to win Harley-Davidson merchandise. Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.) members can pick up their event pin on-site between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. all three days.
Harley-Davidson is the presenting sponsor of Bike Night, Friday, September 28 in downtown York. Bike Night includes a motorcycle parade, live entertainment on three stages, food vendors and event memorabilia.
Parking and admission for the York Open House is free.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON DEMOS AT BIKES BLUES & BBQ The Eighth Annual 2007 Bikes Blues and BBQ, October 3-6 in Fayetteville, Ark., will feature Harley-Davidson and Buell motorcycle demo rides of 2008 models. The Harley-Davidson New Product Trailer will also be at the event to offer visitors the chance to saddle up on H-D and Buell motorcycles, try on Genuine Harley-Davidson MotorClothes and view a sampling of Harley-Davidson Genuine Motor Parts & Accessories. Bikes Blues and BBQ is the fastest growing motorcycle rally in the world. In 2006, the event hosted more than 350,000 attendees who enjoyed free live music, mouth-watering barbeque and local cuisine, merchandise from various vendors and beautiful, scenic riding.
BIKER’S PENIS HIT BY LIGHTENING– A Croatian motorbiker’s penis was zapped by lightning as he stopped beside the road to take a leak.
Ante Djindjic, 29, from Zagreb, said: “I don’t remember what happened. One minute I was taking a leak and the next thing I knew I was in hospital.
“Doctors said the lightning went through my body and because I was wearing rubber boots it earthed itself through my penis.”
Djindjic, who suffered light burns to his chest and arms, added: “Thankfully, the doctors said that there would be no lasting effects, and my penis will function normally eventually.”
5-BALL RACING GOES TO ALASKA– Count me in on the Alaska ride in 2008. I’ve been itchin’ for a good excuse to go cross-country again. I only made it half way across in ’07 with my ride from Virginia to Sturgis. ’06 was my ride out to Bikernet HQ from TX. Other years have been TX to Daytona and Milwaukee. A quick gallop from Virginia to SoCal to hook up for another few thousand from SoCal to Alaska would do my soul good. So, don’t forget this ol’ saddle tramp when you’re countin’ the number of riders.
My Fatboy’s pushin’ 4 years old and with 86,000 miles on it, I think it’s good for another 20 or 25K before I have to replace that ol’ stock saddle on it.
–Chuck riddle
BIKERNET UNIVERSITY BIRDS AND BEES STUDY– A father asked his 10-year old son if he knew about the birds and the bees.
“I don’t want to know,” the child said, bursting into tears. “Promise me you won’t tell me.”
Confused, the father asked what was wrong.
The boy sobbed, “When I was six, I got the ‘There’s no Easter Bunny’ speech. At seven, I got the ‘There’s no Tooth Fairy’ speech. When I was eight, you hit me with the ‘There’s no Santa’ speech. If you’re going to tell me that grown-ups don’t really get laid, I’ll have nothing left to live for.”
–from Art Friedman
RACE SHOP PRESENTING SPONSOR– Race Shop is thrilled to announce it is the Presenting Sponsor of the 2008 Daytona Bike Week Sweepstakes. The Grand Prize is an all expense paid trip for two to Daytona Bike Week 2008. The prize package includes: Airfare, Hotel, Ground Transportation, Spending Money, Tickets to Special Events and much, much more. The sweepstakes runs from September 15th, 2007 through January 15th, 2008 with the winners being announced on January 18th, 2008.
All entrants will also receive FREE subscriptions to “CHAMPION” a brand new magazine offering the finest PowerSports has to offer and the Feature Product E-Newsletter.
Enter today by going to www.race-shop-usa.com For official rules or any questions you may have you can contact us at info@simmsbikewerks.com.
5-BALL RACING PLATNIMUM SPONSOR RECEIVES SPECIAL GIFT– I know it’s not a great pic, but after recieving the banner I knew where it belonged. Thank you again for a piece of the pie.
Respectfully,
–Jester
HOW TO CARRY A BEER IN STURGIS–This shot just in from Michael. All I can say is, “Incredible.” If I say anything else, I’ll be in trouble for a week. Fuck it, “Knock-out Tits!” I could go on? Thanks Mike.
–Bandit
BIKERNET.COM CONTEST WINNER THANKS–I just wanted to say thanks again for my prizes. They came in last week. They were more than I expected. The hooded zip-up sweatshirt fits great plus a beanie and stickers.
That is the best gift I ever got. Some more good news to share. You know my job situation already. I applied to get in the Connecticut Iron Workers Union. I just received a letter stating I was accepted for the apprenticeship program. I can finally have a job with security. Iron workers make a good living. Plus I’ve wanted this job all my life, but was unable in the past with my criminal record.
So thanks again for the prizes and most of all your support when a brother was down on his luck.
sincerely,
–Eric F.
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