Hey,
I just flew back from Orlando after a shuttle ride from Daytona, but that’s another story. Daytona was packed to the brim with motorcycles, wild big wheeled baggers, trikes, choppers, café styled, FXRs, lotsa stock bikes and hot rod Dynas. In other words motorcycling is cooking no matter what the reports are on H-D stock or magazines going out of business.
Our life is changing fast, but the desire to build and ride motorcycle is strong. More and more Daytona is turning into a big city. It’s becoming more like a Miami Vice atmosphere with slick wide streets, new buildings, and franchise restaurants, not exactly a comfortable place to ride from stoplight to stoplight. But it’s easy to slip out of town into rural palm lined jungles, but we will get to the big picture and the Indian Roadmaster I rode next week.
But for you guys on the East Coast, Daytona is still an escape from the cold winter blues. It’s almost surreal, like a movie set with the sun shinning and pristine streets and buildings. Every motorcycle company on the planet shared their wares from Downtown to Beach, to the race track and the jammed Cabbage Patch, which changed it’s name to Cranberry something. Hell, I don’t know. Let’s hit the news. I’ll bring you a full report next week as my feeble brain processes all the action.
DONNIE SMITH SHOW IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER— Chris Callen, the mastermind behind the Cycle Source Empire on wheels just sent me the winners’ list from Willie’s Tropical Tattoo show, the biggest show in Daytona and growing every year. I’ll post it next week.
He pulled something in his back on the run to the sun and was hurting like a wounded puppy. “Driving to the Donnie Smith Show is going to be tough,” Chris said. I’ll bet the Queen takes over and they will make it to see all the hot new customs in Minnesota. Hang on for more reports.
ANOTHER SLANT OF DAYTONA FROM THE AEROMACH KING–
I came back early Thursday from Daytona. It was pretty quiet early in the week. I test rode three H-Ds, the Goldwing with DCT trans and a Hyabusa.
I wouldn’t have any of the H-Ds. Rear brakes on my ’74 Ironhead work better than the Lowrider. The dude from Harley blamed it on the number of test rides the bike had been through. What a dope. It only had 800 miles on it to boot.
The really interesting thing I found was that two of the H-D employees I spoke to only got their licenses in the past 30 days!
I think Polaris is contributing to the death of bike week with those goddamned Slingshots. Get those stupid things out of my way.
Are you coming to Smokeout? I missed it last year. Gotta go this year!
Ride safe
–Paul Aiken
Supreme Commander
Aeromach Manufacturing
ONLY 2 weeks until the 2018 Buffalo Motorama!–
On March 29-31, 2018 the Buffalo Convention Center in Buffalo, NY will host the BIGGEST and BEST indoor custom car and bike show in Western New York.
2018 marks our 8th year showcasing some of the best vehicles from across the country, vendors, and something for the entire family to enjoy.
So many features to list in this email.
For up-to-date information on the show, hours, features, and more, visit our website: www.BuffaloMotorama.com
Like our Facebook page to be eligible for prizes and contests: www.facebook.com/buffalomotorama
Contact Joe at show@buffalomotorama.com or 716-222-2590 for more information.
QUICK A POLITICALLY CORRECT ALERT– A scientist wanted to develop a bra that stops women’s boobs from bouncing while running & doesn’t show nipples when wet.
Don’t panic, we killed that Bastard!!!
–Wayfarer
Most magnificent Editor
Bikernet Trikes
BIKERNET INTERNATIONAL EDITOR ARRIVES IN THAILAND–
This was a walk down Jomtien Beach about two hours south of Bangkok, nicely developed, wide sidewalks. The Soi (street) dogs lay wherever they feel like it, lotsa Shade trees.
Spacious beach and miles long. Condos going up everywhere. But still mostly original. Stopped into a temple compound along the way that had lots of chickens around.
They’ve got the coolest tour busses here. Returning to Long Beach March 21.
–Art Hall
AEROSTICH NEWS–Spring Riding: Fluency comes with Frequency
If you don’t ride year-round, you should know that the rate of motorcycle accidents and injuries is higher in the early part of the year than later.
Four primary reasons, not in order of priority:
1. Car drivers don’t expect motorcycles or understand how they move as well.
2. Residual sand and winter debris on the roads.
3. Riders are more likely to ride overly ‘enthusiastically.’
And 4. Riders’ skills are rusty.
The last one is easy to address. Even if you are a very experienced rider, spending anywhere from ten minutes to an hour simply riding around a vacant parking lot playing with the capabilities of your bike makes a difference you’ll notice in the days that follow.
Set up some imaginary games using the car-space (or other) lot striping. Repeat controlled hard-breaking panic stops from low and medium speeds to pre-defined spots. How close can you come? Do some slow extreme weaves. And some faster turns. Again and again and again. The trick, because you are not learning this stuff for the very first time, is forcing yourself to repeat these made up maneuverability exercises over and over, trying to better your results a little each time.
It can be hard to practice something you already ‘know,’ but forcing yourself to do it will bring incremental improvements that may make a difference in some traffic situation later on. If you have time and want to improve even more, take an organized rider-skill class if one is available in your area.
THE TROUBLE WITH SUNROOFS–
As sunroofs become more popular with new car buyers, questions abound whether they are safe or not.
In October 2017, Consumer Reports (CR) came out with a scathing study on sunroofs that seem to shatter for no reason. Over the past 22 years, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had received 859 complaints of sunroofs exploding with 36 reports of personal injury.
Consumer Reports looked at those complaints and determined that sunroofs have exploded in 208 models across 35 vehicle brands. CR also claims that shattering sunroofs is an under-reported issue because automakers receive far more complaints than NHTSA.
In November, the U.S. Senate become involved in the issue by formally asking a number of questions of automakers. Senators Richard Blumenthal (CT) and Edward Markey (MA) wrote to the automakers:
“While, thankfully, severe injuries have not been officially linked to this hazard, the increasing trend of this risk requires immediate response and action. It is vital that you take steps to assure consumers of the structural integrity of their sunroofs.”
There is no definite answer why sunroofs explode spontaneously. NHTSA has not updated the safety standards since 1996 which was long before sunroofs became mainstream, curved and sometimes panoramic.
In January, General Motors said they would voluntarily begin an internal review of panoramic sunroofs on its own vehicles. This is a good start and hopefully all automakers can start self-policing. Otherwise, consumers will take matters into their own hands.
For example, a class-action has been filed in California District Court against Volkswagen. Plaintiffs claim that VW knew that sunroofs installed in many of its car models may spontaneously explode and failed to warn customers of this problem before purchase.
There is another danger though with sunroofs that has also not received much attention and that is what happens to them in a car crash. A New York Times article recently reported a case about 18-year-old Liza Hankins who was thrown through a closed sunroof of her sport-utility vehicle during a crash. She became paralyzed and her family sued Ford claiming it had failed to live up to its safety responsibilities. Ford won the case after stating that no regulations existed that required a sunroof to keep someone inside a vehicle during a crash.
Hundreds of sunroof ejections occur each year. Here are some troubling NHTSA crash statistics (that are rather old since no other statistics are currently available):
· Between 1997 and 2008, about 300 people were killed and 1,400 injured each year from being thrown out of sunroofs, whether opened or closed.
· Between 2002 and 2012, about 230 people were killed and 500 injured each year from ejecting out of closed sunroofs.
Automakers are now trying to make sunroofs safer by using laminated glass which is the same glass used in windshields. During the Liza Hankins court case, Ford attorneys stated that laminated glass, which uses a layer of plastic film between two layers of glass, was safer but could cause serious brain and neck injuries which Ford concluded was a greater threat to belted occupants than ejection. Tempered glass, the same glass used in side windows, is the usual type of glass currently used for sunroofs.
The NHTSA is working on a new safety crash test that could presage regulations governing sunroofs in the near future.
Automakers need to be on top of this problem and not rely on government regulations for compliance. Consumers need to hold automakers to their usual ‘safety first’ mandate.
A question still remains: if vehicles have so many common safety standards such as airbags, better frames for rollover crashes, anti-lock brakes and traction control, why haven’t sunroofs been a fixture on that list?
If automakers cannot get sunroof designs right after years of implementation, how can they be expected to master much more complex systems such as those in autonomous vehicles? A question currently without a convincing answer.
Use this link to share this NMA E-Newsletter with others:
https://www.motorists.org/alerts/trouble-sunroofs-nma-weekly-e-newsletter-479/
See, sunroofs are dangerous. Ride a motorcycle. –Bandit
FEMA’s news update–
This is a news update from FEMA, the Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Associations.
FEMA’s mission is to promote riders’ interests, to defend riders’ rights and to protect and preserve motorcycling throughout Europe and globally.
‘Adaptive cruise control does not always see motorcyclists’
RDW research shows that motorcycles riding at the edge of their lane, will in most cases not be seen by car driver assistance systems like adaptive cruise control. In many tests, action had to be taken by the driver of the car to prevent a collision with the bike.
Dolf Willigers, FEMA’s general secretary: “We are very happy that RDW agrees with us that this issue has to be taken seriously and this report shows that our worries about the visibility of motorcyclists by advanced driver assistance systems are justified. The RDW findings prove that we are still a long way from safe, (semi-) automatic driving cars.”
See more at the FEMA website.
Motorcycle recalls
Products placed on the European market are subject to general safety requirements. These requirements are included in the General Product Safety Directive which aims at ensuring that only safe consumer products are sold. The European Commissions’ Rapid Alert System (RAPEX) enables the quick exchange of information between the European countries and the European Commission about dangerous non-food products posing a risk to health and safety of consumers.
FEMA publishes all recalls from the RAPEX reports that are of concern to motorcyclists, such as recalled motorcycles or motorcycle clothing.
FEMA represents motorcyclists in Europe and is fully funded by membership fees and donations. FEMA is completely indepentent and we do not receive any financial support from governments or from Europe.
Does your club or federation want to support FEMA? Go to our website for all the information!
QUICK, OPEN THE BIKERNET BAD JOKE HOLIDAY LIBRARY– Be careful this St. Patrick’s day!
Paddy had been drinking at his local pub all day and most of the night, celebrating St Patrick’s Day.
Mick, the bartender says, ‘You’ll not be drinking anymore tonight, Paddy’.
Paddy replies, ‘OK Mick, I’ll be on my way then’. Paddy spins around on his stool and steps off. He falls flat on his face.
‘Damn’ he says and pulls himself up by the stool and dusts himself off. He takes a step towards the door and falls flat on his face, ‘oh bloody damn!’
He looks to the doorway and thinks to himself that if he can just get to the door and some fresh air he’ll be fine.
He belly crawls to the door and shimmies up to the door frame. He sticks his head outside and takes a deep breath of fresh air, feels much better and takes a step out onto the sidewalk and falls flat on his face.
‘Be-Jesus… I’m in bloody trouble,’ he says.
He can see his house just a few doors down, and crawls to the door, hauls himself up the door frame, opens the door and shimmies inside.
He takes a look up the stairs and says ‘No bloody way….’
He crawls up the stairs to his bedroom door and says ‘I can make it to the bed’. He takes a step into the room and falls flat on his face. He says ‘damn it’ and falls into bed.
The next morning, his wife, Jess, comes into the room carrying a cup of coffee and says, ‘Get up Paddy. Did you have a bit to drink last night ?’
Paddy says, ‘I did, Jess. I was bloody pissed. But how did you know?’
‘Mick phoned .. . . You left your wheelchair at the pub.’
–David Campbell
[page break]
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OPEN ROAD
Gina Woods
President – Open Road Radio
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VOTE IN FLORIDA– From Congressman Bill Nelson
As governor, Scott has spent the last seven years trying to make it harder, not easier, for Floridians to vote.
He’s slashed voting hours, closed polling locations and set up a system where he decides who can have their voting rights restored.
As a result, more than 1.5 million Floridians are not allowed to vote. And just last month, a federal judge ruled against Scott’s policies, calling them unconstitutional.
We should be doing everything we can to expand the right to vote, not suppress it. But I need to hear where you stand.
–Rogue
Editorial Commander Bikernet Baggers
Bikernet.com
Melbourne, FL
AMA LEGISLATIVE NEWS— The SMIDSY (Sorry mate, I didn’t see you) excuse from drivers who hit motorcyclists is a real phenomenon, but one that can be overcome through training, according to an Australian National University study.
The study, “allocating Attention to Detect Motorcycles: The Role of Inattentional Blindness,” that drivers are overloaded with too much sensory information, so the brain decides which information is most important. It seems motorcycle are not a high priority inside most drivers’ craniums.
Check their study results at motorbikerwriter.com. With training and advertising campaigns this can be remedied, sorta. Then they need to work on the other distractions.
–AMA
KEEP THE BIKERNET BAD JOKE LIBRARY OPEN NEXT TO THE UNIVERSITY ZOO– Married couple at a Zoo walks past a gorilla enclosure.
Says the woman: ‘Mark, Do you know that gorillas are the only animals which resemble men in their behavior?
Look, seeing that no one is looking, I’ll expose one of my breasts to it & see how horny it gets just as men do.’
Mary then exposes one of her breasts, and, sure enough the gorilla gets excited and grabs the bars of the enclosure as if it wanted to break free.
‘See,’ says the woman, ‘Now, I know why you react the way you do; men can’t control their animal instincts just like gorillas can’t.’
Says Mark: ‘Now expose both breasts and let us see what happens.’
The woman exposes both breasts to the gorilla and it gets very excited and is now desperately trying to escape from the enclosure.
Says Mark: ‘This is incredible, now, pull your skirt up, turn around and expose your bum and let us see what happens!’
The woman pulls her skirt up, turns around with her bum to the gorilla, which by now ,was extremely aroused, breaks free from the enclosure, grabs the woman and starts yanking the clothes off her.
The woman yells: ‘Mark, what do I do now? Please, help me!’
Mark replies: ‘Now, tell him you have a headache and you’re not in mood … Let us see if Gorillas and Men are the same…
–Professor Ujjwal Dey
Supreme Editor
Bikernet Trikes
wayfarer@bikernet.com
DAYTONA BIKE WEEK REPORT– Ready to roll out: Visitors linger on Daytona Bike Week’s closing day
“We’ve had such beautiful weather, and that has played into keeping people out and about,” said Janet Kersey, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce, official sponsor of Bike Week, a 10-day event that opened March 9. “They love to come down here for that Florida sunshine and we sure served it up this time.”
Organizers estimate that nearly 500,000 visitors attended the event at various points, Kersey said. Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Kim Montes reported that by midday Sunday, only one motorcycle-related fatality had been reported in Volusia County from March 9-18.
Although veteran Bike Week visitors this year often observed that crowds looked smaller than in the past, Kersey attributed that perception to the fact that the event has expanded its reach from traditional hubs on Main Street and Beach Street in Daytona Beach, as well as the Destination Daytona complex at Interstate 95 and U.S. Highway 1 in Ormond Beach.
“The crowds were there, although they ebbed and flowed like they traditionally do,” Kersey said. “All the while, the footprint is continuing to expand and we’re seeing more outlying areas participate with more activities for folks riding even farther out to enjoy the area.”
Although Steve Estes, 71, and his wife, Shannon, ventured to the Boot Hill Saloon for motorcycle- and people-watching on Sunday, the Oak Hill couple said they generally stayed closer to home for activities in Edgewater and other spots in southern Volusia County.
“It has kind of spread out,” said Steve, adding that the couple have traveled to Bike Week annually since 1999, before moving to Oak Hill two years ago. “At a spot like Destination Daytona, it’s such a zoo there, with so much traffic, and we can go there anytime we want now.”
Bike Week’s expansion hasn’t necessarily been positive news for Main Street vendors, including some who reported a decline in business this year compared with previous events.
“It was slow,” said Jason Austin, as he sliced and sauced beef brisket at his stand outside Boot Hill Saloon. “I haven’t really looked at the dollar figures, but my product (consumption) was down, and when your product is down, your sales are down. If I had to guess, I’d say I’m down 20 to 25 percent.”
Sales also were down for T-shirt vendor Hector Sequis, who was hoping to rally on Sunday with a sale that offered four commemorative Bike Week T-shirts for $25.
“It’s slow,” Sequis said. “Not too many bikers. A couple years back, we had a lot of bikers, but every year it’s a wonderful rally. It’s good to have it.”
“What I’m hearing is that it may be a little less than last year in terms of hotel rooms and overnight stays,” said Bob Davis, president of the Lodging & Hospitality Association of Volusia County. “There was the increased number of winter storms in the east and the north. When something like that happens, people have to take care of themselves and take care of other things, besides vacations, after the storms.
“I’m also hearing that (online peer-to-peer booking company) Airbnb is taking a lot of the vacationers. Because of those two factors, I’ll predict we’re a tad down from last year.”
News-Journal staffer Katie Kustura contributed to this report.
–from Rogue
QUICK, OPEN THE BIKERNET BAD JOKE LIBRARY– Dirty Old man on a train…
An old man was sitting on a train across from a blonde wearing a tiny mini skirt. Despite his efforts, he was unable to stop staring at the top of her thighs to his delight, he realized she was going commando (no underwear).
She saw him staring and inquired, “Are you looking at my vagina?”
“Yes, I’m sorry,” he replied.
“It’s quite all right,” she replied, “It’s very talented, watch this, I’ll make it blow a kiss to you, and with a little twitch of her hips, sure enough, the vagina blew him a kiss.”
The old man was completely astounded and inquired what else it could do.
“I can also make it wink,” she replied.
The old man stared in amazement as the vagina winked at him.
“Come and sit next to me,” she said, patting the seat.
He moved over and she asked, “Would you like to stick a couple of fingers in?”
Stunned, he asked, “Damn……….You’re kiddin’ me, you mean it can whistle, too?”
It’s tough getting old……
–from Mr. Wonderful
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AMA LEGISLATIVE NEWS— The state Senate will consider two bills that would make lane splitting legal for motorcyclists. S.B. 1007 was introduced by state Sen. David Farnsworth (R-Mesa). This bill strikes the current language that prohibits lane splitting.
S.B. 1015, introduced by state Sen. John Kavanagh (R-Fountain Hills), adds language permitting lane splitting and includes a requirement that motorcycle riders and passengers wear helmets.
–AMA
BIKERNET UNIVERSITY CHAPEL NEWS– Irish Confession
I went into the confessional box after many years of being away from the Catholic Church.
Inside I found a fully equipped bar with Guinness on tap. On one wall, there was a row of decanters with fine Irish whiskey and Waterford crystal glasses. On the other wall was a dazzling array of the finest cigars and chocolates.
When the priest came in, I said to him, “Father, forgive me, for it’s been a very long time since I’ve been to confession, but I must first admit that the confessional box is much more inviting than it used to be.”
–from Joe Smith
BIKERNET READER COMMENT– In the news, you were talking about losing readers by exposing Global Warming for the Gore get-rich-quick scheme it’s always been. Our Earth goes through “climate change” on a natural basis, Alley Oop and The Flintstones had nothing to do with the last ice age, and we humans have very little impact on whatever cycle is occurring now.
The problem is that the “Progressives” have allowed their politics to become a religion as fanatical as any on the planet, and its zealot followers will believe and blindly follow anyone, and any bogus “science”, as long as any leadership remains to follow.
The truth doesn’t matter, it’s all about following the dogma. While patriotism and freedom unite conservatives, hatred of America, our values, and our ideals is the glue that holds the Progressives together.
They use school shootings to go after our guns so we can be forced to accept and follow their agenda, and have pending bills like HR-5087, which will outlaw every semi auto rifle, handgun, and shotgun in America, (including our old Colt 1911s and Ruger 10-22s) and HR-5103, that will put a 50% tax on ammo.
Meanwhile, they ignore the fact that all the school shooters have one thing in common; they were on prescription psychotropic anti-depressants for ADHD, which, back in our day, was called being an asshole, and treated successfully with a belt to the ass.
They also ignore the fact that texting while driving kills hundreds of kids a year. They conveniently forget that Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, New Orleans, and other cities with the strictest gun control also have the highest murder rate in America.
Lately, they’ve been using school kids as “helpful Idiots” (as Hitler called them,) to protest against the 2nd Amendment. The kiddies have NO clue about history, and the part that gun control has played in the regimes of Hitler, Pol Pot, Stalin, and all the other fascists who sought to control the world. The little fools eat Tide pods, for Christ’s sake!
But there they are, telling US that we should allow ourselves to be disarmed. I imagine that soon enough, after the bans finally pass into law, that the first few of us holdouts will become “examples”, like the Branch Davidians in Waco, but they need to remember that the rest of us will become martyrs, and very dangerous enemies.
Don’t worry about losing readers for telling the truth, and remember: To piss off a Conservative, tell him a lie; to piss off a Liberal, tell him the truth!
Ride safe, brother!
–Buckshot
BAKER Hot Product of the Month– Truss Style Shift Lever
No More Stripped or Broken Shift Levers
Replace your stock shift lever with our Truss Style shift lever and you’ll be taking a big step forward in both function and form. The stock shift lever has cast splines which are prone to stripping, our shift lever has broached splines just like the gear splines in our transmissions.
They’ll stand up to the rigors of daily and spirited use. Our truss style lever features design cues inspired by the structure of connecting rods and highly stressed airplane levers, they’re as tough as they look. Currently offered for 1980-06 (except 2006 Dyna) 5-speed Big Twin models & Big Dogs, under development for 2007-later models.
Next morning they were at the beach, enjoying drinks, sunshine and the scenery when a topless blonde walked straight towards them. They couldn’t help but stare. As the blonde passed them she said, “Good Morning Fathers”.
Stunned, they wondered, how in the world did she know they were priests. So back to the store to buy even more outrageous outfits. Now in their new attire, they settled down in their chairs to enjoy the sunshine.
After a little while the same gorgeous topless blonde came walking toward them. Again she nodded at each of them saying “Good Morning Fathers”.
One of the priests couldn’t stand it any longer and asked, “Young lady, we’re priests and proud of it but how in the world do you know we are priests dressed as we are?”
To which she replied…
HOLY MOLY— I just get back and I’m scrambling. I need to write Daytona and the Roadmaster story. I need to ship another 5-Ball leather order and some books.
Is Wire Plus completely out of business? A brother in a shop needs a Wire Plus wire loom.
Shit, this was the first piece of fine art I every bought and the first I bought from the master David Mann.
Hang on for next week. We have new Harley bike reviews from Daytona, stories, reports and more.
Ride Free Forever,
–Bandit
