Hey,
It’s another goddamn holiday, but a good one. I grabbed this image out of my e-mail file, because I thought it was cool. I’ll see if we can’t get an image of Rick’s flat tracker. We just shot it for a feature. Killer bike and Rick at US Choppers is building full blown rollers to sell to the public. I would love to build one.
Yesterday, some brothers stopped by then I worked on three Peanut Tank lamps to be painted by Jim Murillo. They’re sharp. We made one for the Run For Breath Best of Show trophy, but they came out so killer we wanted one for ourselves. If only I can weld the bastards straight. Let’s hit the news:
Our V-Twin TV series starts on SPEED Channel this Tuesday, Nov. 29th at 7pm Pacific time. The more shows that air, the better it is for our entire industry. Hold on.
–Dave Nichols
Editor Easyriders & V-Twin Magazine
Paisano Publications, LLC
We just posted a cool Truck Stop Girl Huze bobber in our feature area. The bike features many of Cyril’s latest products including his springer. Check it out. Here’s some of the products he used.
Check out the feature in our Bike Barn or Bike Feature area: http://www.bikernet.com/bikebarn/PageViewer.asp?PageID=573. And for more information on Cyril Huze products click on the banner below. He’s a perfectionist, and I’ve use his products on several Bikernet Project Bikes.
–Bandit
Do you know any thing about Louis or Preston Stewart owners of ironhorsechoppers. Sent them 20000.00 to become a dealer in Lousiana. Can`t get them to give me a call toll free # disconnect, won`t call from other #. Do you know if shop still running? Any info would be helpfull.
Thanks Alan Detroit (AP) – A seven-year-old boy was at the center of a Detroit, MI courtroom drama yesterday when he challenged a court ruling over who should have custody of him. The boy has a history of being beaten by his parents and the judge initially awarded custody to his aunt, in keeping with child custody law and regulations requiring that family unity be maintained to the degree possible. The boy surprised the court when he proclaimed that his aunt beat him more than his parents and he adamantly refused to live with her. When the judge then suggested that he live with his grandparents, the boy cried out that they also beat him. After considering the remainder of the immediate family and learning that domestic violence was apparently a way of life among them, the judge took the unprecedented step of allowing the boy to propose who should have custody of him. After two recesses to check legal references and confer with child welfare officials, the judge granted temporary custody to the Detroit Lions, whom the boy firmly believes are not capable of beating anyone. –from CarlR In looking for legislative update sites, esp re MCs, I found a blog by a Philadelphia, PA law firm (Stark & Stark) which highlighted the prposed law (HB 406 by Tom Patton). Stark & Stark is a Plaintiffs’ firm which represents people with traumatic brain injuries (TBI). They have some FAQs and other articles about TBI , but none of them mention MC brain injuries, mostly about car accident injuries (even whiplash – from EVERY car accident- can cause TBI) and sports injuries. However, it was interesting to me that this proposed law is being watched WELL outside of Columbus and how important it is for Ohio bikers, who so choose (This being the operative word and issue), to act on this law ASAP. See http://www.braininjurylawblog.com –from Custer Harley is looking out for Harley. I do not blame them for that. Everyone Needs To Look Out For themselves. I just want people to know that it will affect them in some way if they do not ride a stock motorcycle. This EPA thing has been in the works for some time and the motorcycle riders have been saying, “Oh that doesn’t apply to me, I have a new bike not building one. They (the EPA) will never be able to do that. There are motorcycle groups that will not let that happen. They will never be able to enforce that.” Well Guess What? While the motorcyclist of this country have been out enjoying life the Federal Government has been hard at work and now it’s Biting Bikers On The Ass. There are states that have Yearly Mandatory Motorcycle Inspections before the motorcycle can be registered. Changes are being made in the inspection stations and more states will be required to have them. Possible Fines of up to $10,000.00 per day are possible for those that tamper with these systems. No I do not think they will start off with fines that high but it will open the door to all kinds of other things. Parts of the EPA regulation state the obvious about changing Exhaust, Carburetion and Ignition. But there is also a section about changing tire size and gearing. Yes that does apply to the brand new or even most of the used bikes on the market. Hopefully I will be able to bring you some good information about what is going on so that you as Bikers and Motorcyclist can decide how it will affect you and hopefully what you can do about it. –Rogue THE EPA IS NOT PERFECT, CLAUSE 1 OF THE EPA CREED. THEY PUT A NOISE STANDARD ON LAWNMOWERS THEN COMPLETELY REMOVED IT BECAUSE IT WAS RIDICULOUS. THEY PUBLISHED AN ANPRM ON MOTOR CYCLES. ONLY HARLEY AND A FEW PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT IT AND THE EPA THOUGHT NO ONE WAS INTERESTED AND PASSED THE RULE ON KITS AND POLLUTION PREVENTION. –Rogue Revolution Manufacturing, the world leader in carbon fiber technology for the v-twin, has recently unveiled new wheels made from carbon fiber. Sizes currently include 18×3.5, 19×3, and 21×2.15 for the front and 18×3.5, 18×5.5, and 18×8.5 for the rear. A 21×3 and 23×3 fronts are in the works as is an 18×9 and 18×10.5 for the rear. Applications include all current v-twin bikes including the V-rod. Special applications can be ordered. The front sizes weight a mere 6 lbs with hubs and bearings with the rears weighing 8 lbs for the 18×5.5 and 9 lbs for the 18×8.5. This can equate to a substantial weight savings over billet and even spoke wheels. 10-15 hp gains are guaranteed. Also with the savings in weight in the most crucial area of the bike, the bikes, in turn, will handle better, steer faster and more responsive, accelerate faster, and stop better. All this is due to the substantial savings in rotating mass. “Most people don’t realize the effect that current heavy billet wheels have on performance” states Michael Kamalian, CEO of Revolution Manufacturing. “By lowering the rotating mass and moving what is left inward to the hub, all aspects of vehicle dynamics are improved”. Our test riders remarked that “there was such an improved feel in all areas of the bike. I thought they repainted a different bike to look like mine because this is definitely a different motorcycle”. Revolution Manufacturing is currently taking orders for Jan/Feb delivery as well as looking for dealers/distributors. Retail pricing starts at $3,600 per pair. Revolution Manufacturing stunned the v-twin market back in January 2005 with the release of the only carbon fiber frame for the v-twin. It has received many awards including Hot Bike’s most innovative product award and the first annual Teresi V-Twin award. Revolution Manufacturing is located at 1435 Field Park Circle Bldg 100 Marietta Georgia 30066. Michael and his team can be contacted at 770-420-9191 or via the web at www.RevolutionSpeed.com . Check on the link in this letter from MRF. EPA officials recently informed the Motorcycle Riders Foundation of a new interpretation of the “Control of Emissions From Highway Motorcycles” document. The latest document contains the new 2006 Emissions Regulations for Highway Motorcycles and the new interpretation includes the effective date of two essential provisions in the document. We have been notified that the effective date for the “one per lifetime” EPA exempt kit motorcycle and the provision for a shop to build 24 EPA exempt custom motorcycles per year was actually March 15, 2004, not January 1, 2006 as originally verified by EPA. The “EPA for the Layman” paper on the MRF website has been updated to reflect the EPA’s changes and can be found at http://www.mrf.org/pdf/EPA-for-the-layman-rev2.pdf I am going to contact my congressman and ask how I go about getting a copy of the EPA regulations so I can go over the whole thing instead of just bits and pieces from articles and organizations. I will keep you informed. –ROGUE In September 1960, I woke up one morning with six hungry babies and just 75 cents in my pocket. Their father was gone. The boys ranged from three months to seven years; their sister was two. Their Dad had never been much more than a presence they feared. Whenever they heard his tires crunch on the gravel driveway they would scramble to hide under their beds. He did manage to leave $15 a week to buy groceries. Now that he had decided to leave, there would be no more beatings, but no food either. If there was a welfare system in effect in southern Indiana at that time I did not know about it. I scrubbed the kids until they looked brand new and then put on my best homemade dress loaded them into the rusty old 51 Chevy and drove off to find a job. The seven of us went to every factory, store and restaurant in our small town. No luck. The kids stayed crammed into the car and tried to be quiet while I tried to convince whomever would listen that I was willing to learn or do anything. I had to have a job. Still no luck. The last place we went to, just a few miles out of town, was an old Root Beer Barrel drive-in that had been converted to a truck stop. It was called the Big Wheel. An old lady named Granny owned the place and she peeked out of the window from time to time at all those kids. She needed someone on the graveyard shift, 11 at night until seven in the morning. She paid 65 cents an hour and I could start that night. I raced home and called the teenager down the street that baby-sat for people. I bargained with her to come and sleep on my sofa for a dollar a night. She could arrive with her pajamas on and the kids would already be asleep. This seemed like a good arrangement to her, so we made a deal. That night when the little ones and I knelt to say our prayers, we all thanked God for finding Mommy a job. And so I started at the Big Wheel. When I got home in the mornings I woke the baby-sitter up and sent her home with one dollar of my tip money–fully half of what I averaged every night. As the weeks went by, heating bills added a strain to my meager wage. The tires on the old Chevy had the consistency of penny balloons and began to leak. I had to fill them with air on the way to work and again every morning before I could go home. One bleak fall morning, I dragged myself to the car to go home and found four tires in the back seat. New tires! There was no note, no nothing, just those beautiful brand new tires. Had angels taken up residence in Indiana ? I wondered. I made a deal with the local service station. In exchange for his mounting the new tires, I would clean up his office. I remember it took me a lot longer to scrub his floor than it did for him to do the tires. I was now working six nights instead of five and it still wasn’t enough. Christmas was coming and I knew there would be no money for toys for the kids. I found a can of red paint and started repairing and painting some old toys. Then hid them in the basement so there would be something for Santa to deliver on Christmas morning. Clothes were a worry too. I was sewing patches on top of patches on the boy’s pants and soon they would be too far gone to repair. On Christmas Eve the usual customers were drinking coffee in the Big Wheel. These were the truckers, Les, Frank, and Jim, and a state trooper named Joe. A few musicians were hanging around after a gig at the Legion and were dropping nickels in the pinball machine. The regulars all just sat around and talked through the wee hours of the morning and then left to get home before the sun came up. When it was time for me to go home at seven o’clock on Christmas morning to my amazement. My old battered Chevy was filled full to the top with boxes of all shapes and sizes. I quickly opened the driver’s side door, crawled inside and kneeled in the front facing the back seat. Reaching back, I pulled off the lid of the top box. Inside was a whole case of little blue jeans, sizes 2-10! I looked inside another box: It was full of shirts to go with the jeans. Then I peeked inside some of the other boxes. There was candy and nuts and bananas and bags of groceries. There was an enormous ham for baking, and canned vegetables and potatoes. There was pudding and Jell-O and cookies, pie filling and flour. There was a whole bag of laundry supplies and cleaning items. And there were five toy trucks and one small baby doll. As I drove back through empty streets, the sun slowly rose on the most amazing Christmas Day of my life, I was sobbing with gratitude. And I will never forget the joy on the faces of my little ones that precious morning. Yes, there were angels in Indiana that long-ago December. And they all hung out at the Big Wheel truck stop…. –Author Unknown I pray your Thanksgiving is joyful and that you get some much needed rest. I also pray that this Thanksgiving and Christmas opens all of our eyes to those who truly need a miracle. A special blessing on all the miracle givers too. Love…Tammy and Big Dave –from Weasel Dave There is No Doubt that the Bikers Decided the Election in Myrtle Beach. This should be a message to Elected Officials Everywhere. — ROGUE MYRTLE BEACH, S.C., Nov. 17 /U.S. Newswire/ — Mayor Mark McBride lost his bid for a third term as Mayor of Myrtle Beach to political newcomer, John Rhodes. McBride lost by 576 votes. “Mayor McBride’s reckless comments made last month in which he revealed his desire to “nudge” bikers, presumably with his car, for wearing t-shirts that McBride deemed offensive set off a firestorm of Anti-McBride activity within the biker community in Horry County and beyond. McBride lost virtually every motorcyclist vote,” says Fred Ruddock, state coordinator of ABATE of South Carolina. “Blatant biker basher, Cynthia Powell lost her bid for Myrtle Beach Town Council. Her campaign centered on her desire to eliminate the two motorcycle rallies held in May each year in Myrtle Beach. Powell’s brazen distain for all things two-wheeled fueled her delusional desire to prohibit approximately five hundred thousand motorcyclists from assembling in Myrtle Beach during the month of May,” continues Ruddock. “Both McBride and Powell lost their bids for election in large part because they decided the biker vote wasn’t important. Both could have won if they would have reached out to the members of motorcycle rights organizations such as ABATE, to work together in solving some of the issues related to the motorcycle rallies, rather than opting for derogatory statements and the proposal of prohibitionist-style government,” explains Ruddock. “ABATE of South Carolina along with our local chapters in Horry County are always available to work with our elected officials. That’s what we do and why we are organized. ABATE members look forward to working with Myrtle Beach Town Council and Mayor-elect Rhodes in the near future to solve some of the issues associated with the May motorcycle rallies as well as other motorcycle-related topics,” concludes Ruddock. IT’S A HOLIDAY WRAP–It’s slow over the weekend, so we have a break, but there’s more EPA news coming this week. Rogue is on the case and digging hard. The EPA needs to leave custom motorcycles alone. There’s not enough of us to make a difference. Besides, if more people ride bikes that means less gas consumption and less emissions. Simple. A strange week is coming. I have three bike features in the works, hoping for a tech and I’m editing a killer chunk of fiction. We’re hitting the first of December and you know what that entails. Gifts. John Van finally researched our Bikernet Christmas gift to contributors and sponsors, just in the nick of time. Thanks to two artists, Chris Kallas and George Fleming, we’re printing new Bikernet T-shirts next week. John is making a difference in the gift area and soon we’ll have an entire Bikernet product line. The other Hot News is that we amassed a complete team to launch the Girls of Bikernet. It might take until March to peel it on line, but in the meantime we’re looking for girls and photographers to contribute. The editor is John Gilbert, who worked on Easyriders, Tailgate, Hot Rod Bikes and Bike Works Magazines. He’s the man when it comes to humor and being a lifetime David Mann fan and biker. You will be able to contact him at JohnGilbert@Bikernet.com. That’s it. Ride Forever, –Bandit
