General Posts

The 78th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally set the stage for Kuryakyn and the Sturgis Buffalo Chip to unleash the third and final installment of the “Rock, Rumble & Rebellion” bike build series. Each year the Rock, Rumble & Rebellion design concept underscored one of those three words. The “Rock” theme was Kuryakyn’s smooth-flowing take on a melodious matching Road Glide and Epiphone Sheraton II guitar honoring the Buffalo Chip’s 35th anniversary in 2016. The “Rumble” was a race-inspired Street Glide that was raw, refined and right at home for the introduction of the Buffalo Chip’s action-packed Moto Stampede in 2017. This year’s canvas, a 2018 Indian Chieftain Dark Horse, represents the tens of thousands of bikers that ditch the daily grind for nine days of music and full-throttle “Rebellion” at The Chip. Read more.

  Zero Motorcycles announced that it is the first electric motorcycle brand to be listed on General Services Administration (GSA). This facilitates a streamlined procurement process for federal, state, and local government agencies, allowing them to obtain the vehicles they need quickly and easily under pre-negotiated terms and prices.  The GSA provides centralized procurement for the federal government through its online ordering system, GSA Advantage!®, offering billions of dollars worth of products, services and facilities that federal agencies need to serve the public. “With more than 125 law enforcement and military customers in the U.S. currently using Zero motorcycles, we are happy to be included on GSA as it makes Zero’s Authority models even more attainable for government agencies,” said Kevin Hartman, fleet and authority sales director, Zero Motorcycles. “Knowing that many agencies prefer utilizing GSA, taking this step is a reflection of Zero’s strong commitment to continuing to work with U.S. government agencies.” In order to ensure a seamless approval process, Zero partnered with Fedharmony to leverage its existing GSA contact. Fedharmony helps ease the federal procurement process by partnering with in-demand suppliers to add hard-to-find products to GSA. “Zero’s electric motorcycles are an ideal addition to our portfolio of unique vehicles for emergency responders and the military,” said Scott Smith, president, Fedharmony. “We have had a high level of interest in these bikes and we are happy to help make electric options even more easily accessible to federal agencies.” Zero Authority Motorcycles are now listed on the U.S. GAS Schedule 23V and available for purchase online on GSA Advantage!. Purchases can be made directly on GSA Advantage! or customers can issue a request for quotation (RFQ) through the GSA electronic ordering system. To learn more about Zero Motorcycles Fleet and Authority Model Line visit: http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/fleet To learn more

The forecast for this event was rain, rain and more rain but that did not stop some of the crew, like the infamous Rogue. We heared about a young man, an adrenaline junkie, who shared the passion of not just motorcycles but cars too. He drove not only Harleys but Mopar’s as well, (specifically my favorite the Challenger with 6.4), and he would be racing in the Hill Climb event during the 115th. I was very interested in meeting him and watching him in action and discovering what fueled his passion! Read more.

It seems that you cannot go anywhere anymore without a cell phone and in many cases other electronic devices like a GPS. These things run off batteries and need to be charged regularly and in some cases motorcycles and other vehicles do not have the ability to do that. Read more.

One of our viewers sent us information and photos on his super-clean Bagger. We like to feature reader’s rides. Here is one from Barry Green, who is staffer of sorts, providing images and insights to the industry weekly for the Bikernet News. He also has some good things to say about a company he bought some parts from. Read more.

Indian Motorcycle Racing continued its American Flat Track dominance as Indian privateer Briar Bauman, aboard his Scout FTR750, secured his first win of the 2018 season. Piloting a factory Indian Motorcycle, at Brad Baker’s request, Bronson Bauman placed second and secured the first Twins podium of his career. Indian Wrecking Crew rider and 2018 Grand National Champion Jared Mees rounded out the podium with a third-place finish. In a main event that featured bar-to-bar action and multiple lead changes, it was Indian privateer Briar Bauman who spent most of the race locked in a battle with Mees, before ultimately pulling away. Briar’s brother, Bronson, also managed to push his way up to the back tire of Mees and ultimately made a pass with few laps remaining. It was his first career AFT Twins podium. “The Bauman brothers ran a great race and put on a really good show. Both Briar and Bronson pushed hard to get their 1-2 finish,” said Gary Gray, Vice President – Racing, Technology & Service for Indian Motorcycle.  “It was exciting watching Briar battle Jared to get his first win of 2018.  Plus, Bronson riding Brad’s FTR750 and getting his first ever twins podium made for a really amazing day at Mechanicsburg.” With two races to go, Mees has already wrapped up his fifth career Grand National Title, securing the victory at last weekend’s Springfield Mile II. The title win was his second consecutive aboard the Indian Scout FTR750. Indian Motorcycle privateer Henry Wiles currently ranks second with 239 points, while Brian Bauman ranks third with 196 points. Jeffrey Carver Jr. and Kenny Coolbeth Jr are fourth and fifth with 180 and 163 points, respectively. The season continues on September 29 in Indian Motorcycle’s backyard at the Minnesota Mile at Canterbury Park. For more information on

The American International Motorcycle Expo presented by Nationwide (AIMExpo) welcomes the return of Polaris Slingshot (Slingshot). “The Ultimate Joyride.” The three-wheeled roadster will be an OEM exhibitor for the 2018 event and will serve as a focal point of AIMExpo Outdoors at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in fabulous Las Vegas, October 11-14, personifying its mantra with a one-of-a-kind ride along experience at its Joyride course. “AIMExpo presents a unique opportunity to engage with dealers, the media, and our consumers. The move to Las Vegas this October provides an ideal platform and venue to expand our involvement by providing a truly fun experience for all attendees at our popular Slingshot Joyride course. It’s sure to leave a lasting impression and a grin from ear-to-ear,” said Josh Fulkerson, Slingshot Sr. Director. The introduction of the Slingshot Joyrides at AIMExpo Outdoors! is sure to be one of the highlights for show attendees. Riders will ride passenger alongside a professional driver and experience an exciting ride to remember through a specially designed drift course aimed at showcasing the unmatched fun of the Slingshot. Since its introduction in 2014, Slingshot has maintained an unrivaled level of buzz thanks to its distinction as a three-wheeled, open-air roadster. With a federal motorcycle classification, Slingshot has spearheaded an effort to reclassify the three-wheeled roadster and change driving requirements in each state. Currently, 44 U.S. states do not require a motorcycle endorsement, as many categorize the Slingshot as an “autocycle.” Be sure to stay tuned to the AIMExpoUSA.com website and keep up to date on exciting news as it happens by visiting AIMExpo’s social media pages. “Like” the American International Motorcycle Expo on Facebook, and “Follow” on Twitter or Instagram: @AIMExpo.

More than 500 bikers gathered Sunday, Sept. 2 for a ride up the beautiful Poudre Canyon in Northern Colorado with celebrity rider Xavier Muriel to benefit local charity Realities For Children in their support of abused, neglected and at-risk children. In its 9th year, the 2018 Forever Family Ride raised over $30,000 for Realities For Children Charities Emergency Fund through the ride itself and a live auction that included an autographed guitar from Bret Michaels. Event sponsors, Thunder Mountain Harley-Davidson, Law Tigers, Blue Federal Credit Union and Dickey’s BBQ cover the event costs, ensuring that 100 percent of the proceeds the event go directly to meeting the needs of the children served by Realities For Children. Specifically the focus of this event is on helping children in Larimer County who have been displaced due to abuse or neglect to ‘find their forever family’. For the first time this year, each rider was given a windshield sticker with the name of a Colorado child waiting for their Forever Family and encouraged to ride in honor of that child. The Forever Family ride was part of Thunder Mountain Harley-Davidson’s 14th Annual Thunder in the Rockies motorcycle rally, the largest rally in Colorado and the Mountain West region. This year’s Forever Family Ride had over 500 riders enjoying a scenic 50+mile ride route departing from Thunder Mountain Harley-Davidson and traveling up Highway 14 through the Poudre Canyon to an End-of-Ride Party at Glen Echo Resort with live auction, giveaways, BBQ lunch and live music. The celebrity ride leader this year was Xavier Muriel. In addition to being the drummer for the grammy-nominated band Buckcherry, Xavier has been an avid motorcyclist and builder for years, garnering him a spot on the Cycle Source Magazine staff and invitations to numerous shows, including the prestigious Motorcycles as

Hey, My granddaughter called me about leasing cars. I’ve leased two, along time ago. I started to tell her my thoughts and she said, “I thought you were going to tell me some horror story.” I said, “Never, always find the positive in everything you do.” That’s the code and don’t forget it. On the other hand, several years ago I noticed, a trend toward punishment in our society. That’s also against the code. For instance single-lane streets to punish car drivers and glorify bicycle lanes doesn’t work. It just jams up the cars causing more pollution, stress, anxiety and accidents. When I was a kid I rode bicycles everywhere. I didn’t need or want a lane. Then they passed a law against bicycles on sidewalks. Makes no sense. We need to celebrate our brothers and sisters, not punish them for driving cars or motorcycles. In the meantime ride free, forever. You’re not killing the planet, your feeding the plants. When they figure that out, the control freaks are going to look very bad. Read more.

When I first went to work for Easyriders on the third issue out of college and Vietnam, it was a rare time in Biker history. For some reason extreme talents emerged to support the biker movement, such as David Mann, Lou Kimzey, JJ Solari and Hal Robinson.   To say Hal Robinson hit the nail on the head would be an understatement of the highest order. He was a master, a genius, and a dude with a wild imagination to say the least! The early ‘70s were a rare time. But just recently we were introduced to Ann Robinson, a retired schoolteacher and Hal’s last wife. She loved his work even before she met him. She saw his work around 1973 on a magazine stand. It was the wonderful detailed ability that stood above everything else that caught her eye, and she had never seen anything quite like it before. She bought the magazine right away knowing it was a real treasure. Read more.