Photo from Frank Kaisler–Ventura Antique Meet
That’s right. Everyone’s is rolling into Sturgis as we speak, except me. At a bike shop recently the brothers cheered at the mention of not attending Sturgis this year, as if rebels against mass marketing. We’ll see how they respond to Milwaukee?
The stock tip is that Cooper is growing by leaps and tread patterns, whereas Goodyear lost a billion last quarter. They’re hurting. In our market Cooper is known for Avon Tyres for motorcycles. Rumor has it that Avon will begin manufacturing in the US in the near future to keep stride with demand.
Penthouse may be losing ground to Maxim but they still party with Bikers. Biker and Penthouse have partnered to party in Sturgis. If you’re there don’t miss it Thursday, August 7, 2003, 1344 Main Street from 8:00 for bike check in, until 6:00 and the awards presentation. Don’t miss the Biker Babe Contest at 5:00 p.m.
Speaking of Babes, hold it! I better not. I get in trouble every time. On the other hand, I’ve been in trouble most of my life, can’t stop now. Let’s get to the news:
Direct Line To Sturgis
As you know I did not participate on the Discovery ride, good thing since those suckers are still in the trailer trying to haul ass here. I met the guys from Klock work in Mitchell and got to hang out a bit, they have some evil bikes on the making. We are still getting all the stuff done. Deacon, from Hawaii, called and he’s heading into the Badlands.
Watch “It’s Your Shot” for daily reports. By the way, the Hawaii story rocked !
Saturday is the warm up day, people from all over are showing up to pay homage to the Black Hills, which means it’s getting fucking crowded ! Deacon and Chase escaped with Rafi to Crazy Horse which turned into a whole day affair.
We had the Billy-Indian Larry party at Full Throttle so we did the slow trek across Lazelle and got there, lucky without being noticed by the 50 or so cops in the 2-mile stretch.
When we got there our friends were rolling in little by little, I’m not going to bore with the names we always hear, again the list of Who’s who…. Our own Crazy Horse made the trek from Spearfish to join the chaos, later on. I guess Billy’s time, the guys showed up, Indian Larry showed up on the Rat Fink chopper since the actual Discovery one was out of commission.
I wonder why, since after the hanging out, photos, breasts, hot chicks and ugly guys….The burn out pit was the direction, crowd pleaser it was. I think Billy’s Discovery-4 entry was destroyed, if the puddle of oil wasn’t a tell tale, then the really weird noise from the motor,like when both cylinders are out, did it.
The Discovery crew was filming the whole thing and going mad trying to get all the releases signed, so surely the crowd was wilder and a bit raunchier than normal.
All in all it was a pretty cool event. I just hope they keep doing those Build-Off’s. Michael Lichter was there going crazy. He must have burnt a few rolls….
Let’s see what happens today… Mind you this reports are pretty short since we are kinda busy…
— Jose De Miguel
Crotchless Underwear
A lady who had been married for several years was growing more and more frustrated at her husband’s lack of interest in sex. She wondered about ways to add some pizzazz to their sexual relationship, and finally decided to purchase some crotchless underwear she had seen in a lingerie shop.
One evening when she was feeling particularly desirous, and he was, as usual, watching television, she took a shower, freshened up, and donned the crotchless undies, and a slinky negligee. She then strolled between her husband and the television, and suggestively tossed one leg up on his chair arm.
“Want some of this?” she purred.
“Are you kidding?” he replied.
“Look what it did to your underwear.”
–from Bob T.
SONS OF LIBERTY RIDERS E-NEWS
URGENT CALL TO ACTION– Straight up – this is a MUST!!! We’ve done a good job getting all 5 Iowa Congressman to get after the EPA, and we’ve got 4 of the 5 to co-sponsor HR 1749 (to fix the loophole in the HIPAA Act) But THIS is the battle. Even if we don’t get everything we ask for, we need to get all we can. -spotman
Yesterday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released its latest motorcyclist fatality figures. Today, the motorcyclists’ rights movement responded. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) and State Motorcyclists’ Rights Organizations (SMROs) have been working tirelessly to advance their joint agenda for the reauthorization of TEA-21 (the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century). Motorcyclists nationwide have now been joined by two MRF Champions of Motorcyclists’ Rights & Safety who have teamed together to make motorcycle safety history – by advancing the heart and soul of our agenda for safer riding and better government! But they need YOUR help to continue to make it happen!
Today in Congress, U.S. Representatives Steve LaTourette (R-Ohio) and Pete DeFazio (D-Oregon) circulated a “Dear Colleague” letter that urges the adoption of the core elements of the joint MRF-SMRO agenda in the reauthorization of TEA-21. Citing the tragic increase in motorcyclist fatalities reported by NHTSA just yesterday, Congressmen LaTourette and DeFazio wrote their colleagues that, “improvements to motorcycle safety training and motorist awareness are called for by these preventable accidents.” The LaTourette-DeFazio letter is an extremely important step that is the direct result of a team effort between the MRF, ABATE of Ohio and ABATE of Oregon, and it is backed by the dozens of visits to Washington, DC by State Motorcyclists’ Rights Organizations nationwide.
You can view both the “Dear Colleague” and House Transportation Committee letters by visiting the MRF’s website at www.mrf.org/positionpapers.php. Your Congressman can help these two MRF Champions continue to make motorcycle safety history – only by SIGNING THE LaTOURETTE-DeFAZIO SAFETY LETTER!
There are a number of ways you can contact your Congressman in the days ahead. You can call his/her office at 202-224-3121. You can write to him/her at The Honorable ________, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515, or you can find his/her e-mail address at www.house.gov. YOUR MOST EFFECTIVE CONTACT would be to visit him/her back in your home state during the “District Work Period” that begins this Monday, July 28.
Motorcycle Ins. Issues in Massachusetts– Please review and pass along to other Massachusetts Riders who might be interested. The Massachusetts Motorcycle Association’s webmaster has posted on the www.mma-of-ma.com website, a ‘click on’ button for readers to review the nine (9) issues regarding the unfair and discriminatory pricing and coverage affecting riders in Massachusetts which the MMA will address at the Division of Insurance’s Rate Hearings next month.
RESCUING HEALTH CARE With over 110 co-sponsors, H.R. 1749 (which restores health care benefits for injured riders in employer-provided health care programs) edges closer to victory with every passing day. Special thanks this week goes to “Radio” Bob Letourneau and the New Hampshire Motorcyclists’ Rights Organization for persuading U.S. Reps. Jeb Bradley and Charles Bass to sign on as co-sponsors. NHMRO’s contribution will have an extraordinarily positive impact as the companion measure is examined by the U.S. Senate.
Congress To Vote This Week on Protecting Medical Marijuana Patients from Arrest
Congress will be voting on two amendments this week in support of freedom and human rights.
As early as Tuesday, the House of Representatives will vote on an amendment to the 2004 Foreign Aid bill that would cut drug war aid to Colombia and spend the money on global AIDS/HIV prevention programs instead. U.S. anti- drug aid to Colombia is fueling a civil war, pushing thousands of families into poverty, destroying the environment, and submerging America deeper into the military quagmire. The last vote in the House to cut Colombia military aid lost by only seven votes — we are very close! But we need your help today.
As early as Wednesday, the House will also be voting on an amendment to the Justice-Commerce-State appropriations bill that would prevent the DEA from undermining state medical marijuana laws. If approved, it will put an end to the DEA arresting medical marijuana patients and their care-givers in states that have approved marijuana for medical use. Thousands of AIDS, cancer and other patients are being threatened by the federal government. We need your immediate help to protect them.
CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TODAY! To reach your representative by phone, call the US Capitol Switchboard at 202- 224-3121, or call your representative’s office directly by looking up the phone number on http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/ctt.asp?u=25971&l=2841.
To find your representative’s fax number so that you can fax them a letter, see http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/ctt.asp?u=25971&l=2841 . If you don’t know who your representative is, see: http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/ctt.asp?u=25971&l=2842.
–Hawk
ICQ 34668186
AOL SoLRHawk
The Sieb Marketing Report
RoadWare? HighDollarWear! New sub promotion: match the accessory to the bike!http://www.style.com/w/feat_story/073003/
We could live for a year off what Prada gets for their helmet. But then, everyone knows Floridians do their laundry in the washing machine on the front porch.
–John Siebenthaler
In Response To the many of you who CC’d me with your replies, my THANKS!!! Thought I should share mine with you as well. Yeah, I’m the wife of the team so it’s a little wordy. In Freedom & In Kindness, Love, Darlene Bish
To whom it may concern at the Journal Times and Mr. Joel McNally, What a shame it is when someone can spout heresay, incorrect facts and sensationalism and call it journalism. The worst part being that the public that is not involved in the subject, without detailed knowledge, will take this hype as gospel. So it is with your article “It’s time to put a lid on motorcycle carnage” that sounds more like an Urban Legend of the 70’s than the factual information of the Millenium. You, Joel, should be the one in a Marlon Brando movie with your colorful, albeit unfounded, imagination.
Although I will probably not change your opinion, your thick-headed prejudice came shining through, for the rest of the good folks out there let’s clear up some of your misconceptions, shall we…
First off, I’m sure most of those same good folks out there appreciated being described as “uptight”, how narrow-minded of you. Some of these folks probably work at the motorcycle manufacturer there and are very happy the company survived and excelled in its 100 year history. (yes, Joel, it was 100 years, not 150, as you so incorrectly stated in your article) The Motor Company has been held up on Wall Street as a banner for the American Success Story and even during the current economic downturn has continued to flourish. Those investment brokers, whether 400 pound bikers with nicknames for their spouses as you so lamely label all motorcyclists as, or just non-riding persons, have recommended this stock for years, much to their clients profitable enjoyment.
So as for your belief in Darwinian Selection, it is obviously right or you were wrong since it has been 25 years, (wow, you got that part right) since the mandatory helmet modification. There should’ve been significantly higher, and continually rising, death rates, especially early on, according to your rule. Also, the “surviving” (which must be the smarter then) ridership has become larger in numbers, sharper, stronger and more politically savvy over those many years, succesfully increasing their freedom in many states, which goes totally against your theory that the helmet must equate with intelligence. These “stupid helmetless” motorcyclists remained because they saw the importance of rider safety training, for themselves and for the young, because that saved lives, not helmets! They went out and started these programs on their own, with their own fees (so as not to bother general taxpayer money) and implemented them in states nationwide and fatalities and accidents went down. What could those “stupid” bikers have been thinking?! Perhaps that most accidents occur due to the car driver, that most fatalities do NOT occur because of head injury, that the helmet impairs hearing and sight (if it is so great why is it illegal in a car) and the best way to stay alive is to be trained and alert and to know how to avoid the accident if at all possible. That piece of bubble plastic has not proved over those 25 years to substantially save any lives, matter of fact the states without a mandatory law actually come up slightly safer, but training and education have proven over those years to have truly worked.
If the recent rise in the fatality rate is “no big mystery”, as you say, due to lack of helmet usage then why hasn’t it been that way for the entire 25 freedom-of-choice years you speak of, wouldn’t that be logical according to your analysis. Let me help you out with some facts, jack. The current rise in fatalities is due to something called “the law of probability” which bluntly means there are more motorcycles sold today, the more riders you have, the more miles traveled…the more possibility of accidents and fatalities you have. It is a case of numbers, that’s all, no big mystery is right. The same increased death statistic works out with more population, with more cars, etc. Gee, what a simple concept used by intelligent, scientific people who are prone to the truth and not vicious bigotry.
Putting it in perspective, with more motorcycles on the road than ever before and more vehicles on the road the number of accidents, thus fatalities, will be higher. Which means we riders don’t need more helmets but rider and vehicle drivers need more practice and focus, especially since the 4-wheeler is at fault 70% of the time in a multi-vehicle wreck. Also, with your line of “reasoning” on the ultimate safety of helmets then we need to have mandatory laws to use them in situations where there are MORE head injury deaths than on motorcycles, such as in cars, on pedestrians and in the home. Because these wild activities out pace the bikers in injuries maybe they should be put in complete body gear. But wait, these are things you, Joel, actually do yourself so you have the supposed intelligence and education to handle them safely and understand the risks involved. But you don’t ride a motorcycle, do you, and don’t have the facts or education or experience to understand the most effective ways to stay alive, or enjoy one with the utmost safety.
Along those lines of not having experience in an area, I wondered what your comments about your stereotypical need to characterize the physical description of all bikers, the former Governor’s budget efficiency and the Marlboro Man had to do at all with helmets or motorcyclist’s in general. The Governor’s use of a product that was good economically for his state and a voting block that was very active and smart was witty high profile politics. The Marlboro Man did nothing different than the jets dumping their fuel, along with other serious polluters, into my lungs daily but they are not banned. They were corporate progress for the “good of the whole” and he just represented individuality. He was just an easy, open target, just like bikers, for your prejudice to hype upon and make Mom & Pop believe these small dents made the real evils gone. No, we are all not all lawyers and stockbrokers or weekend riders but nor our we all 400 pound, crude, rude, uneducated men as you so colorfully paint us as in your article to embellish upon the non-riding public. But these motorcycles arn’t cheap and the demographics of the average rider is that he/she is college educated, middle-aged with a good job, a family and a sense of what personal liberty really meant back 200 years ago when our country was founded and what it means NOW. That is why I am so proud of Sen. Dave Zien because he is an intelligent politician who knows how to take in all the facts, without the hype, make an educated decision, listen to his voters and still keep in mind the constitutional rights of his constituents. Again your ignorance showed with your half-baked attacks on this man as well as any motorcyclist across this country. It is not about the wind in my hair, as you so ignorantly described it and no, it is definitely not romanticism to make educated decisions about personal choices. I would wear a seatbelt even if there was not a law because my experience, training & education have shown me this is the right course of action to possibly survive a car accident, although it will not help me prevent one. But I still totally disagree there needs to be a law that demands someone else make that decision for me. On the other hand, the helmet has far from compelling evidence of that survival capability and can actually hinder the focus to avoid an accident so why should I be forced to wear one–because YOU think so.
I have been riding my own motorcycle for a hundred thousand miles plus across this great country of ours for those 25 years you speak of and yes, I am someone’s daughter and I am a mother. I felt it was my duty to teach our posterity the smart way to stay alive through practice and education, and to think for themselves what is best. Not to turn them into sheeple and have a nanny-crat, or a pushy neighbor such as yourself, tell them what’s good for them because “they said so”. The message sent to the young riders by the NHTSA government agency is that “cover-up with this helmet and you’re invincible” and they find the biggest, full-face helmet they can get and act riskier because they feel safer and that’s already been shown in studies. There is a certain amount of risk involved in everything we do in life, but liberty and the pursuit of happiness were placed at the top of the list a long time ago and safety was feared for a reason, the trampling of individual rights by do-gooders and an all-powerful government. In your way of thinking the Wright Brothers, who were someone’s sons and fathers, would’ve never flown the first airplane and garnered the experience needed to improve because it was wild, unsafe and risky. I, for one, am glad they did and I hope that responsible, individual choice, education, tolerance and free-will shall continue to be the guiding force in our nation and government. Even though this is, obviously, not how you believe, Joel…you have a right to your opinion, no matter how prejudicial or mis-informed it is.
Respectfully yours,
Darlene Bish
Accountant, Writer, Salesperson, Industrial Supervisor Mother, Daughter and Sister
25 year Motorcycle Rider
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