Hey,
What the hell? Here’s the last report from Ray Wheeler, Bikernet Performance editor, on the condition of the salt in Bonneville, for the Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials August 29th to September 3, “The salt looks like a go.”
Actually the team is dragging the course today. It rained again Friday. The mud is gone and the salt looks good, but they need a track capable of sustaining 200 mph runs, and they need an area for pits. We will know more later today.
This has been a strange season. See the report below from our leaders at the front around August 10. I will have another update tomorrow morning.
Our Performance editor needs his racing helmet shipped out…
BONNEVILLE MOTORCYCLE SPEED TRIALS 2015 UPDATE FROM AUGUST 10TH– Salt Course Conditions Update
Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials 2015
AMA Land Speed Grand Championship
Presented by NGrained Inc.
We are still running.
The season continues and motorcycles will be heading to the salt to break AMA national and FIM world records August 29-September 3rd.
Last year and again this year, we are facing a particularly challenging environment for beginning course development. All of the community and fellow LSR race organizations want to see us run and we are all sharing information and resources to enable that to happen.
First Assessment
Based on conditions, we are cautiously optimistic. At this time we are still planning on racing because we have identified potential course locations that will support breaking records. As many saw last year, our team was able to take our decades of combined experience to find and island of salt to race on. We adapt to the conditions to provide the best experience for participants and we will do this again.
Salt Conditions
Conditions are assessed every year to find the optimal locations for courses. This weekend was the first onsite assessment by members of our course management team. Our course management team consists of experienced racers and track officials with decades of experience on the salt. Based on their assessment which included discussions with other race organizations and with resources in the area, we are cautiously optimistic that we will be able to build courses and hold the event as planned.
Where is the Salt?
There is still salt at the Bonneville Salt Flats. In this dynamic environment, the salt has moved. There is more salt in the western area than in the eastern section of the typical courses. What our team has found is that a considerable amount of the salt appears to have migrated. The conditions they described are similar to when a sand bar moves. This just means that, based on the salt location, we are adjusting course configurations.
What about rain?
We are 3 weeks out and no more appreciable rain fall will result in the conditions we need to race.
Didn’t it rain last week?
Conditions were great up until Friday Aug 7th and a course was being developed for another organization. However, on Friday, the area received about an inch of rain. The resulting build up of water on the salt flats is expected to be absorbed/evaporated within 11 days. This is still within our timeline for dragging and developing the course.
As we get closer and as we get updates, we will be sharing information on bonnevillespeedtrials.com and our social media. We will be in contact and sharing updates as conditions improve.
We are all looking forward to a great event.
See you on the Salt!
–Delvene Manning
Event Manager/Owner
Deliciate Promotions LLC
Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials presented by NGRAINED Inc.
Special Thanks to our Sponsors:
NGRAINED Inc. XS Energy, Bikernet.com, Sodium Distortion. S&S Cycle, Hunter Sills Racing, Buell Bros Racing Team, NRHS V-Twin Performance, Big Bad Nitro Daddy, KillerFish Engineering. Brought to you by Deliciate Promotions LLC, Officiated by American Motorcyclist Assoc. & The FIM. Special Thanks to: Montego bay Casino and Resort, ERC Racing Fuels.
CANTINA DEAL OF THE WEEK– 1979 Harley-Davidson FX- Shovel, Used Cruiser Motorcycle in London, KY 40741
Additional Details
Harley-Davidson Financial Services
Fuel Your Passion. Apply For Financing Today!
Condition: Used
Year: 1979
Make: Harley-Davidson
Model: FX- shovel
Type: Cruiser
Class: Motorcycle
Location: London, KY
Stock Number: 5e37056h9
Primary Color: red
See More Info: View Website
Description & Comments
1979 Harley-Davidson FX- shovel, Shed Finds Every gear-head and grease-monkey has a fantasy about finding an old bike in a shed. Maybe it s covered by a ragged tarp and 9 pounds of chicken crap. But with a little love, a little sweat, a little duct tape, and your mechanical know-how, it becomes a specimen of bad assery. Well, gear-head, your project motorcycle just might be in our Shed. Shed Finds are Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson s diamonds in the rough. These are not showroom bikes, but they may be perfect for a character like you. Sold as-is, our Shed Finds are bikes with character. So we price them to sell, and we offer them to gear-heads and grease-monkeys with no warranty, no limits, and no questions asked. Come poke around. You could find exactly what you re looking for.
Message from Wildcat Harley-Davidson:
Shane Richmond, General Manager welcomes you to one of the largest showrooms in Kentucky. When you walk into the dealership you are warmly welcomed into the 3000 sq. ft. showroom with hardwood maple floors that came from an old warehouse in Milwaukee, WI, filled with wood shavings, oil, and a lot of character. We are open 7 days a week, including our service department and we give you plenty of excuses to come out and ride with us.
$7,300
BIKER MOVIE SUNDAY DEALS FROM CHOPPERTOWN– We got the original Choppertown: the Sinners on sale this weekend so you can introduce a buddy to it! But since a lot of you already have it, we put all of our One World Studios movies in some crazy bundles to say thanks for all the support you give us every day. Thanks guys, have a great weekend.
“Quite simply the best documentary ever made about custom bikes.”
~Back Street Heroes Magazine
“Forget the so-called ‘reality’ chopper shows on TV. This is the real thing.” ~Cycle World
“Choppertown is up there with the giants as a potentially life-changing classic.” ~American V-twin Magazine
“KICK ASS! An inspirational portrayal of today’s true chopper heroes.” ~The Horse Backstreet Choppers
“This film captures the true reality of motorcycling.” ~Hot Bike
NO DUI SHORTCUTS– You may have seen this video of an attorney using a novel approach to navigate his way through a DUI roadblock. Essentially he refuses to have any personal contact with the officers by putting his papers in a plastic bag and hanging them out a mostly rolled-up car window. The officers wave him through without saying a word in what seems to be a staged event.
We question if most officers would react this way. Why take the chance of escalating a traffic stop into a full-blown confrontation—with potentially tragic consequences—by literally zipping up? Your best protection is a reasoned interaction with the police supported by a full understanding of your rights during such a stop.
On the NMA website, we’ve posted lots of information about how to conduct yourself during traffic stops. The following is a condensed version of our article “How To Protect Your Rights During A DUI Traffic Stop.”
First, always keep documents like your registration and insurance card in a readily accessible location. When the blue lights go on, find a safe place to pull over, always on the right side of the road whenever possible. Next, turn your dome light on and place both your hands on the steering wheel where the police officer can see them. This makes him more comfortable about his safety. If you can, roll down your window and vent the passenger compartment of accumulated odors prior to actually stopping.
Be courteous, but admit to nothing. During the stress of a traffic stop, many motorists become nervous and chatty. Resist the urge. You are under no obligation to provide the officer with any information beyond that on your driver’s license, vehicle registration or proof of insurance.
Any admission, however inconsequential, will be used against you. Even admitting to having “one drink with dinner” provides the officer with cause to investigate the matter further. Without that admission he must base his decision to pursue a DUI arrest on your driving or mannerisms after that stop.
If the officer asks if you have been drinking, return his question with a question such as, “Would you like to see my license?” A burned-out headlight is not an indication of impairment and neither is a refusal to chitchat about your night’s events. “I have nothing to say on that,” is a good neutral response.
The officer may ask you to step out of your vehicle, which the courts say is permissible. He may ask you to perform certain physical tests, “just to prove you’re capable of driving safely.” Politely decline. The sole purpose of these test is to provide justification for a chemical test (breath, blood or urine) to determine your BAC. Few ever “pass” one of these roadside sobriety tests, not even the most sober of drivers. You are not required to perform these tests and there is no penalty for refusal.
However, thanks to implied consent laws, most states do require you to submit to a chemical test, or face severe penalties including a driver’s license suspension and even potential jail time for multiple instances of refusal. Many now allow a refusal to be used as evidence against you in a trial. Check the NMA site for an overview of implied consent laws and DUI laws by state.
DUI attorneys are divided on whether to provide consent for a chemical test. On one hand, refusal can lead to an automatic administrative suspension of your license and even a criminal charge with penalties approaching those of a DUI charge. On the other, the lack of test results makes the DUI case against you more difficult to prove.
In some cases police can get a roadside warrant to administer a chemical BAC test without your approval. While you may have no choice in that circumstance, always be aware of the actions of the officer and careful of what you say. If the officer has not informed you of what may happen if you refuse to take the test or has not produced a warrant authorizing the test, the subsequent results could be ruled as inadmissible in court.
If you are not impaired, it is usually advantageous to have the traffic stop video recorded. Many police cars now have dash cams for this purpose. If you believe it would be helpful to your defense, ask the officer to turn the camera on to record the stop.
This also says you are not afraid to have your mannerisms and demeanor judged in court. It’s very difficult for a police officer to claim your “speech was slurred” or that you were “staggering” when a video shows a composed articulate defendant being interrogated by a uniformed, gun-toting agent of the law.
If you notice that the officer is intent on sticking a flashlight in your face or in your car, the flashlight may be equipped with an electronic alcohol sensor that detects the presence of alcohol. You do not have to accept this “probing.” You can instruct the officer to keep the device away from your face and out of your vehicle. He is free to look into your vehicle, but only from the exterior, unless he requests to search inside. Never voluntarily permit a search of your vehicle.
To search your car, an officer must have probable cause or at least reasonable suspicion, depending on the jurisdiction. He must be able to describe what he is looking for and why he believes he will find this specific illegal item in your vehicle.
If the officer decides a chemical test is justified you typically have three choices: breathalyzer, urine test, or blood test. Frequently, the police will use a breathalyzer test for the initial screening. However, you sometimes have the option of taking one of the other two tests, at your request.
A breathalyzer test is the most inaccurate means of measuring your BAC. Without going into detail, it should be understood that the error factor can be very high. Some states have agreed that breathalyzer tests are not trustworthy and therefore limit their use in court. That said, if a breathalyzer test generates a reading that confirms your BAC is less than 0.08, you should be free to leave. If the reading is higher, and you believe it is in error, consider requesting a chemical test (even if you have to pay for it yourself), which will be more accurate and will demonstrate your confidence in your sobriety.
A legitimate police stop for a suspected drunk-driving incident should not have to rely on trick questions, sensing devices, or gimmicks to justify a chemical test of the driver. The driver’s lack of control of the vehicle, his inability to reasonably react to questions and requests, and his physical reactions will be a dead giveaway of his impaired condition. Unfortunately, in today’s MADD world, you cannot expect to get fair treatment alongside the road or in the courtroom. All the more reason to never drive drunk and to practice good self-control if you are pulled over.
–from Rogue and the NMA
AND IF YOU DIDN’T THINK THE LAST ONE WAS BAD, HERE’S ANOTHER QUOTE FROM OUR PAST SECRETARY OF STATE–
“Come on Bill, put your dick up! You can’t fuck her here!!”
From the book “Inside the White House” by Ronald Kessler, p. 243; Hillary to Gov. Bill Clinton when she spots him talking with an attractive female.
He started thinking, “What am I doing up here feeling sorry for myself? I still have one good arm to do things with.” He thought, “There goes a man with no arms skipping down the sidewalk so happy, and going on with his life.”
He hurried down to the sidewalk and caught up with the man with no arms. He told him how glad he was to see him because he lost one of his arms and felt useless and was going to kill himself. He thanked him for saving his life and said he knew he could make it with one arm if the guy could go on with no arms.
The man with no arms began dancing and whooping and kicking up his heels again. He asked, “Why are you so happy anyway?”
He said, “I’m NOT happy. My balls itch.”
–from Rogue and Jerry
There’s more from the course:
After a long day on the golf course, I stopped in at Hooter’s to see some friends and have some hot
Wings and ice tea. After being there for a while, one of my friends asked me which waitress I would
like to be stuck in an elevator with.
I told him “The one who knows how to fix elevators. I’m old, I’m tired, and I pee a lot.”
AEROMACH Releases Solo Rack For 2015 Indian Scout– Aeromach USA, LLC, a motorcycle parts manufacturer located in Charlotte, N.C., is now shipping its Solo Rack for 2015 Indian Scout Motorcycles. The Solo Rack, item number CI-4011, is available in gloss black, flat black, chrome or “frame silver” to match the Scout.
“The demand for Indian parts is very strong and the Scout has been very well received which drives development of new parts here at Aeromach,” says Paul Aiken, Owner of Aeromach.
The Solo Rack is laser cut and formed from sheet steel then powder coated or chrome plated. All the required hardware is supplied in stainless steel.
Retail price is $149.95 and it can be ordered at many Indian Motorcycle dealers, online at www.ChromeIndian.com, or by calling 800-990-9392.
Aeromach is also the North America representative for Highway Hawk motorcycle accessories from Motolux, BV based in Barneveld, The Netherlands.
Aeromach USA LLC
Paul E. Aiken, 800-990-9392
LAS VEGAS BIKEFEST DEALS, CAGELESS IN VEGAS SWEEPS–
Includes 2 VIP Tickets to Las Vegas BikeFest, 3 Day Motorcycle Rental from EagleRider, 3 Night Stay at the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino and Roundtrip Airfare from Anywhere in the U.S.
CLICK HERE to enter today.
Hurry winner will be chosen September 1.
CHANGING TIMES FOR THE STURGIS MUSEUM– For anyone who may not have heard, my final day as Executive Director of the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame will be next Friday, August 21.
I’m currently looking for new adventures, and excited to open a new chapter in my life. The last nearly 8 years have been great, and I’m proud of the work I’ve done at the museum. I wish only the very best for the future of this great place.
–Christine Paige Diers
–from Rogue
QUOTE FROM THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS MOTORCYCLE COMPANY ARCHIVES– There are things which cannot be learned quickly, and time, which is all we have, must be paid heavily for their acquiring. They are the very simplest
things, and because it takes a man’s life to know them, the little new that each man gets from life is very costly and the only heritage he has to
leave.
– Ernest Hemingway
THE HUMBLE ONE RETURNS– I was going to submit a small offering for BIKERNET about the 08′ Dyna with H-D 110-inch engine, just a quick blurb.
Here are a few pics from my ride this morning, (my 41st birthday). The bike is extremely smooth considering it has been bored and stroked from the original 96-inch engine.
I read your Indian article and it makes me smile to see you riding a bike you truly enjoy…trust me, I know the feeling. While a new Road Glide may enter my garage in a few years, I do not think I will ever be able to get rid of this little screamer.
I only average about 40 mpg, but I have a heavy throttle hand. I recently raced my old V-Rod crew, and surprisingly was faster than them up to 100 mph. This bike is more quick than fast, but the power range is set up for a rider. I have no issues accelerating past an issue no matter the speed of traffic.
The bike had just over 4k miles on it when I bought it a year ago. She is sitting at just over 12k miles now, and the only maintenance I have had to perform is fluids and a battery. The bike has automatic compression releases, but I am thinking a heavy duty starter might be in order as this battery already seems to be struggling after 6 months.
I read a lot of negatives in the forums about the H-D 110-inch, but I haven’t had any issues associated with common problems like the rear cylinder leaking. I do spray the engine with de-greaser every 3 months to really keep my eyes on the cylinder bases, but haven’t had any evidence of leaking yet.
Overall, it’s just a great bike to ride. It seems everyone and their brother is setting up their Dynas into the West Coast club style, but I am staying away from that. I really want this bike to keep the classic lines and be hard to distinguish my 2008 from a 1978.
I think it looks great the way it is, but am slowly adding chrome details as I can scratch up the money. The biggest purchase so far was the wheel exchange and the Le Pera seat.
I used Willy Shiny from your neck of the woods and would recommend him in a heartbeat. Great service, great wheels, and a very good price. The chrome wheels make the bike pop.
The Le Pera Cherokee pleated seat looks like a flashback and is fairly comfortable. It gives great back support and a decent amount of cushion. The looks are second to none.
I can send more pics and info on the bike as I make more changes.
Until next time,
Johnny Humble
aw-RAWR-uh l, aw-ROHR-, uh-RAWR-, uh-ROHR-
adjective
1. of or like the dawn.
2. pertaining to the aurora borealis or aurora australis.
Quotes
There was not in all that vanished October one day that did not come in with auroral splendour and go out attended by a fair galaxy of evening stars—not a day when there were not golden lights in the wide pastures and purple hazes in the ripened distances.
— Lucy Maud Montgomery, The Golden Road, 1913
Origin
Auroral comes from the Latin aurora meaning “dawn; dawn goddess; east.” It entered English in the mid-1500s.
THE MCQUISTON CHOPPER– Ryan keeps getting better as a builder, and he’s non-stop, lives in his shop, and never stops learning. He’s hoping for a feature in Easyriders, and we hooked him up. Let’s see what they decide.
–Bandit
THE AUSTRALIAN CLUB REPORT– Anti-biker laws close down clubs.
Comanchero, Rebels club rooms closed as anti-bikie laws come into effect in South Australia
Anti-bikie legislation passes South Australian South Australia’s new anti-bikie legislation has already forced the closure of two motorcycle gang club rooms, according to Police Commissioner Grant Stevens.
State Parliament passed the legislation last week and it came into effect today.
The laws declared 10 gangs as criminal organizations, meaning it is an offence for members to meet or wear club colors in public.
Mr. Stevens said the organized crime gangs’ task force had been speaking to outlaw groups in the lead-up to enforcement of the new laws.
“Two of the club rooms that were proscribed have already been vacated and the other eight which are subject to the legislation are in varying stages of being vacated or being shut down,” he said.
“It’s the decision of the clubs themselves to abandon the premises.
The list of declared organizations:
Bandidos
Comanchero
Descendants
Finks
Gypsy Joker
Hells Angles
Mongols
Nomads
Rebels
Red Devils
The Commissioner said he expected clubs would set up elsewhere, but if that happened he planned to have those premises added to the legislation.
“We’ll continue to do what we normally do in terms of monitoring criminal behaviour and we’ll be identifying those premises and then we’ll go back with a submission that further premises are subject to the regulation,” he said.
The State Government passed similar laws in 2008 but they were struck down in a High Court challenge.
Attorney-General John Rau said he would not be surprised if other challenges were attempted, but added they would be “very unlikely to succeed”.
“This legislation does represent a significant threat to the behavior and lifestyle of these affected people,” he said.
“Unlike the previous methods, we have considered and in fact legislated for the declaration of these groups.
“The method we have used here is one that has received acknowledgment from the High Court that it is a legitimate exercise of legislative power.”
The crime gangs’ task force will enforce the laws under the banner of Operation Vanguard.
BIKERNET EDITOR RETURNS FROM STURGIS AND RIDES QUICKLY TO MEXICO– Crossing the border into Mexico.
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Crossing the border out…
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Lunch at Caesars home of original Caesar salad
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Table made for ten.
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Revolution Avenue Main Street, Tijuana. “It’s a far cry from when I stumbled, drunk through dirt streets in 1966,” said Bandit.
–Art Hall
Supreme Bikernet International Editor
WEEKEND GUN NUT REPORT– Social Security Update: Agency Backpedals as NRA and Pro-Gun Officials Press for Answers.
Last month, we reported on a story by the L.A. Times that indicated the Obama White House is eyeing ways to use the Social Security Administration (SSA) as a source of records for NICS, which includes a federal database of persons prohibited from possessing or receiving firearms. One option the story discussed was SSA’s adoption of a model employed by the Veteran’s Administration, which reports to NICS as “adjudicated as a mental defective” beneficiaries who have been assigned a “fiduciary” to manage their benefits.
This has resulted in some 177,000 VA beneficiaries being reported as prohibited persons to NICS, without the necessity of any judicial finding whatsoever as to their propensity for dangerous or violent behavior. According to the L.A. Times, a similar move by the SSA would have far broader reach, involving as many as 4.2 million beneficiaries with “representative payees.”
We also noted that Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Tex), Chairman of the Social Security Subcommittee of the House Committee on Ways and Means, spearheaded a letter joined by 19 members of Congress to Carolyn Colvin, Acting Commissioner of Social Security. The letter cautioned that using the assignment of representative payees as a basis for reporting SSA beneficiaries to NICS “would be a dangerous overreach.” Accordingly, the letter urged the agency “to abandon any such plan.” It also asked Ms. Colvin to specify whether or not SSA intended to pursue such a policy.
Ms. Colvin responded to Rep. Johnson’s inquiry in a letter dated Aug. 7. According to that letter, “SSA has not provided any names of beneficiaries to the NICS and is not considering sending names based solely on the beneficiaries having representative payees.” Ms. Colvin did acknowledge, however, that “we are currently determining how we must comply with our NICS reporting obligations under Federal law” and “are looking at possible implementation scenarios.” None of those scenarios, according to Ms. Colvin, “would refer all SSA beneficiaries with representative payees to the NICS.”
A careful parsing of Ms. Colvin’s language, however, still leaves ample room for concern. For example, it does not rule out assignment of a representative payee as factor in reporting beneficiaries to NICS. Rather, it merely states that it will not be use as the “sole” determinant and that not “all” such persons will be reported. This could mean, for example, that SSA would not report beneficiaries who are assigned representative payees solely because they are minors. It also raises the question of what other possible pretext SSA might use to strip its clients of their Second Amendment rights.
Given these ongoing concerns, your NRA continues to work with pro-gun members of Congress to ensure one of America’s largest entitlement programs is not transformed into the Obama administration gun ban dream machine.
Also on Aug. 7, Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) led a coalition of 27 senators in another letter to Acting Commissioner Colvin. Once again, the letter expressed concern about SSA’s apparent intention to report beneficiaries with representative payees to NICS. “It is not at all clear,” the letter stated, “how this misguided intention is intended to be carried out or how SSA will serve as adjudicator of risks posed by beneficiaries utilizing its representative payee system.” It also asked for a report “on the basis for SSA’s intention to develop such a plan.” Further, the letter admonished, “Old age or a disability does not make someone a threat to society,” and closed by urging SSA “to halt any steps to provide information on Social Security beneficiaries or Supplemental Security Income recipients to the NICS.”
Meanwhile, your NRA has been actively engaged with members of Congress on ways to statutorily preempt use of the nation’s entitlement programs as a basis for stripping Americans of the right to keep and bear arms. As we reported last week, Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) has introduced S. 2002, a bill that would halt the VA and SSA, or any other agency for that matter, from forwarding individuals to NICS without proper adjudications which find an individual a danger to themselves or others. Law-abiding recipients of benefits for which they are legally eligible should not have to worry about choosing between monies or services they are due under the law and their fundamental constitutional rights. All options remain on the table to prevent such abuses.
In the meantime, if you have not already registered your concern, your senator and representative needs to hear from you NOW that you will not tolerate use of the Social Security Administration to strip Americans of their Second Amendment rights. You can use the “Write Your Lawmakers” feature at NRAILA.org or call the Congressional Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
SUPER CYCLE DEALS OF THE WEEK FROM BANDIT’S CANTINA— We are on a push to come up with additional services for Cantina Members. Let us know if something jumps out at you.
Here’s our latest hair-brained notion. Jack McIntyre is going to scour used bike ads from Lifestyle Cycles, Cycle Trader, Walnecks, Craig’s list, etc. and bring you the top 10 each week exclusively in the Cantina. What do you think?
This could save you hours of searching, let you know the ever-changing price structures of the motorcycle market, help you in your search for a vintage deal, or drive you nuts.
Let me know what you think.
–Bandit
NEXT WEEK WILL BE NUTS— The Redhead of Redheads is moving in. Bonneville is still up in the Air. I will edit Prince Najar’s piece on Sturgis and post it tomorrow. We are planning to hit the new Las Vegas Bike Fest on Freemont Street, and we’re making plans for the 5-Ball Leathers display.
The Prince wants to talk about an Industry party in December at the Bikernet Headquarters around the Long Beach Ultimate Builder show. Markus and I need to shoot the 5-Ball Racing 2014 Indian for Cycle Source Magazine.
I will write the next Salt Torpedo story and Kent promised to start bending tubing for our frame. Hang on to the next piece about Mr. and Mrs. Atomic, and our trike concept drawing.
There’s more. We may start on our Mural project, install the deck, and start to finish my next book. Hang on.
Ride Free Forever,
–Bandit
