Hey,
It’s a new year, our 10th year, a year of progress, building race bikes and launching the Girls of Bikernet. I’m running around the shop, like a meth cooker who slipped and fell in a vat.
Our first move is to clear off our two lifts and make space for the new builds. First, I need to finish my grandson’s mini-chop. The frame, bars, kickstand, etc. are baking at Foremost Powder Coating. Hope to have it running this weekend. Keep your fingers crossed. When it’s up and running and off the Kendon lift, up goes the 45 flatheat chassis. The crate was delivered yesterday to ship the engine and tranny to Lee Clemens at Departure Bike Works.
I’ve wanted to make a handful of adjustments to the Sturgis Shovel including replacing the old cranky stock Shovelheads with new and improved S&S jobs. We’re going to repair the cracking oil lines, realign the Mikuni Carb, black out the pipes and hope she keeps running while I build the John Reed designed V from CCI with a 120 Accurate Pan for another Bonneville effort.
There’s so much more to report, but let’s get to the news:
HAGSETH MAKES RETURE TO RACING–Team Fun Center Suzuki Gets Even Stronger with the Return of Brad Hagseth.Reading, PA January 3, 2006 – Mike Kidd Entertainment Group – today announces that Brad Hagseth of Team Fun Center PPG TLD Suzuki will return to racing in round seven of the K&N presents BooKoo Arenacross Championship Series Brought to you by Toyota.
“I am really excited to get back out there racing,” said Brad Hagseth. ” I have been training hard the last three weeks. I got one more week of hard training and I will probably ease up a little bit on Thursday before I fly out. Reading should be fun. You can definitely expect to see the #5 Suzuki at the front of the pack all weekend long.”
Hagseth suffered an unfortunate broken ankle during media day just before round one action in Fort Worth, TX. His injury left Team Fun Center PPG TLD Suzuki down one rider and in need of a replacement quick. Their answer was current points leader Josh Woods.
BooKoo Arenacross Championship Series round seven racing takes place January 6-8, 2006 at the Sovereign Center in Reading, PA. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. with the BooKoo Pit Party giving fans the opportunity to walk the track the pros ride and meet the racers and Miss BooKoo Arenacross Erin Normoyle. Pro Racing goes full throttle at 7:30 p.m. Sunday’s amateur racing begins at noon.
Advance Discount Tickets are available event through Ticketmaster, online at
For more information about the BooKoo Arenacross Championship Series log on to http://www.racearenacross.com or call 817-595-5844.
NEW TRIBUTE ARTIST ON BIKERNET–I was just wondering if Bikernet would ever consider publishing the artwork I submitted here. I am the artist who did this piece as a tribute to a friend who is over in Iraq right now serving with the 419FW from Hill AFB in Utah. He’s coming back soon and looking forward to receiving the artwork I did of him. I title this piece “American Still”. This guy is very patriotic and a devoted Harley fanatic.
I realize he’s up in years but that’s because he’s in the Air Force Reserve and we’ve both spent many years serving. I recently retired with 30 years.
My interest in this is soley for his pride as he would be extremely proud to know his image would be published. Maybe there could be a place or article for military riders. It would be more than enough for me to know he could cherish the idea forever.
I’m also doing a work depicting another military member who has recently been diagnosed with stomach cancer. I am doing another duplicate of the piece submitted here but is a painting on panel. Anything you could do for this patriot would be greatly appreciated. If you want to see more of my style you can go to www.dcampsart.com
–David Camp
We’re always interested in new motorcycle art and art that respects members of the military.–Bandit
YOU ASKED, CREATIVE CYCLES DELIVERED–The latest pipe from Creative Cycles is so bitchin’, they went ahead and put the word in the name. The handmade BMF exhaust pipe (Bitchin’ Mother Fuc***) is hand-produced-to-order. Just like the trick pipe off of the incredible Creative Cycles’ Hard Rock Bike, the BMF pipe is black-wrapped with a 4-inch, chromed, claw-style outlet.
This insane pipe fits all H-D Evo and Twin Cam models as well as most American V-twin custom applications with forward controls (including right-side-drive models as long as they utilize forward controls).
For more information, contact: Creative Cycles, (732) 751-1403, http://www.creativecycles.com.
DREAMCRAFT STUDIOS IS FEATURED EXOTIC CUSTOM BIKE MANUFACTURER AT CAESARS PALACE, LAS VEGAS– Dreamcraft Studios of Ontario, CA, the industry’s newest premier custom motorcycle design company, is excited to announce that it has entered into a unique agreement with Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, one of the world’s largest and most prestigious gambling resorts attended by millions of visitors annually.
The agreement appoints Caesars Palace as the exclusive U.S. dealership for Dreamcraft custom commissioned motorcycles. Dreamcraft’s exotic high end custom bikes and an exciting new line of Dreamcraft Apparel will be featured and sold in the “Exotic Cars at Caesars Palace” showroom and dealership which beganDecember 1st, 2005. The Exotic Car showroom at Ceasars is also Nevada’s largest Ferrari automobile dealership and draws thousands of visitors daily from around the world, providing Dreamcraft unprecedented exposure to high end motorsports enthusiasts.
Dreamcraft Studios is a unique partnership between Larry Nagel, a renown motorsports fabricator for the Hollywood movie studios, and Paul Yang, an Art Center College of Design graduate who brings his own fresh ideas to the custom motorcycle scene. Their first custom bike building venture together was “Saga” which made its world premier with much media acclaim at the 2004 LA Calendar Motorcycle Show and is featured in the new 2006 Iron & Lace Calendar.
At this year’s 2005 LA Calendar Motorcycle Show, Larry and Paul returned with their newest custom “Rapture” to take home the coveted Performance Machine Best of Show Award, a big chunk of the Show’s $70,000 awards purse, and qualified for the American Motorcycle Dealer’s World Championship of Custom Bike Building held November 18-19th 2005 at the Mandelay Bay Resort, Las Vegas, NV.
For additional information about Dreamcraft Studios go to http://www.DreamcraftStudios.com.
FAMOUS TAPERED LEG SPRINGER– Legendary Carson City, Nevada-based manufacturer Paughco is one of the most respected designers and manufacturers of custom and OEM-style Springer front ends in the market.
The hot news is that the company has recently unveiled an entirely new collection of its trend-setting Tapered Leg Springers. The Bikernet Crew installed one on their Sturgis 2005 Chopper and rode it to Sturgis.
Featuring the company’s exclusive, tapered rear legs, they are said to be superior in strength and more closely resemble the original factory front ends than any other Springer front ends on the market.
Offered in sizes ranging from stock to 24in over in increments of 3in, lengths between 15in and 24in over are supplied with 3 degrees of additional rake only.
Dealers can order either the traditional ‘Wide’ style with or without the factory style shock, or choose Paughco’s popular ‘Narrow’ Chopper design.
Standard finish is chrome, but bare metal or powder coat are offered as options.
PAUGHCO INC.
Carson City,
Nevada, USA
Tel: 775 246 5738
Fax: 775 246 0372
E-mail: info@paughco.com
http://www.paughco.com
V-ROD NEWS FROM DAKAR–Team Hog Wild experienced mechanical problems during the Stage 3 1st Liason. Rumor has it that they had sprocket problems and recieved some mechanical assistance in temporarily rigging the damaged sprocket. Unofficial news is that they were not allowed or were unable to continue on the Special. The tracking system shows them proceeding on to the end of the stage and the bivouac, but no time is posted for the Special. More info forthcoming as it is received…
The latest speculation on Hog Wild Racing. In reading the rules, we found that a competitor arriving to the beginning of the Special more than 1 hour late is disqualified from the race and cannot continue on the course. All official equipment (electronics, road book, etc.) are supposedly surrendered to the officials. If the Iritrack system was functioning properly, there is no doubt that Scott and Duane arrived late. While we have not heard any official news, this unfortunate circumstance probably seals the deal for whether the team will be continuing. Sad news if it is all true.
Further details of the mechanical problem. Again, rumor has it that the front drive sprocket was worn completely down. The team supposedly sought out a mechanic and had one manufactured to get them back on the road. Unfortunately, this took too long.Cross posted from Sidecarcross.com website…
Chris Varju crashed badly twice in the Dakar today and is out. Broken collar bone and ribs. It looks to me on the standings page at http://www.dakar.com that half the bike field has DNF?
Scott and Duane I gather will be unable to continue because they came in late. Mossila has also disappeared, but so have many others?
My friend Chris Varju crashed twice and has broken a collarbone and three ribs, we saw him interviewed on local tv station. Now get this. His bike will shipped back to Paris…but…he has to make his OWN way back to whatever destination he chooses. We couldn’t believe it! He said live on air, if an entrant is not in a serious medical condition and needs to be transported via a hospital then said entrant must make his own way home at his own expense. Un****inbelievable!
Simon Pavey and Charley Boorman are also not on the standings list.
Good news for Aussies. Caldercott is 8th.Good news for Americans. Grider from Team Red Bull is hanging on at 32.
I don’t know where the Hummer is.Caldercot had no intention of racing the Dakar this year, a month ago a guy named Duran crashed and Andy got a phone call asking if he wanted to replace the bloke.I feel bad for Chris and your buddies on the V-Rod. It’s not called the toughest rally in the world for nothing I guess.
That’ s been my day .
–Laterz: Jaq.
AMDRAGS & TARS LAUNCHES IN 2006– AMDRAGS, a new Harley drag racing association, launches in 2006 offering Harley racers, riders, showbike owners and enthusiasts plenty of action on and off the drag strip.
Each AMDRAGS weekend will feature two days of American V-Twin drag racing, a Saturday morning all-brands Thunder Alley Race School, a two-day AIMSA custom, chopper and classic American motorcycle show, and a two-day swap meet at each track location.
According to AMDRAGS Director of Racing Matt Polito, negotiations are ongoing with additional tracks, but, as of press time AMDRAGS has already locked in race weekends at Rockingham, NC on June 3 & 4, Maple Grove, PA on July 8 & 9, and at Budds Creek, MD (MIR) on September 9 & 10.
AMDRAGS, which stands for American Motorcycle Drag Racing All Gas Series, features professional and amateur divisions with a class for most gasoline powered American V-Twin motorcycles starting with street ET and getting progressively faster and more serious.
The 2006 rules and classes are listed on the web site http://www.AMDRAGS.com.
THUNDER ALLEY DRAG RACE SCHOOL OPEN–In addition to the AMDRAGS races, there will be a Thunder Alley Race School on Saturday mornings. Run by Maura Hall, TARS is a 3 hour school to teach the fundamentals of motorcycle drag racing. Each student must supply his or her own motorcycle (and make, model or size) and riding gear. Instruction includes concepts and theory of motorcycle drag racing as well as several hours of track time under the watchful eye of the pro instructors.
Because class size is limited, preregistration is recommended. Info and registration at http://www.AMDRAGS.com
For more information on AMDRAGS or the Thunder Alley Race School please visit
CRAZY HORSE PAINTING HATES WINTER–Well here it is again another wonderful year here at Crazy Horse Painting. I hate winter. I used to love winter. I would paint bikes all night and ski all day. I would sleep every once in a while. But here in the high profile world of big time custom motorcycles, ya gotta win shows. So that means long nights and days almost everyday after New Years until Daytona Bike Week in March. Trying to create something that will hopefully blow everyone’s doors off. It sounds more fun than it is as the bike show deadlines ominously loom over my head like a dark cloud reminding me, “get that paint finished fast or you’re screwed! And it has to great! ”
Too bad I’m not painting this lovely lady on a bike. I painted her for an airbrush contest this fall. East Coast vs west. I went up against Deborah Bryant from Craig Fraser’s shop. The whole thing was featured in Auto Graphics magazine.
This sweet pan belongs to Bowzer from Agoura Hills, CA. (Humm?) We got a few other new rides over in the Reader Showcase so check ’em out and send yours in. Maybe I’ll get my ass and post it even.
No real news from Waxhaw Creek, NC. Nothing happened here this week. Not if you don’t count all the guns going off New Years Eve. But that was it, hicks shooting guns. And no we didn’t do any of that at the Crazy Horse farm. Nope. Not us. No, no those aren’t shells all over the front porch. They’re very narrow dixie cups with brass bottoms.
Hey! A few cars drove by this week. The mail got delivered today. But that’s they way we like it here. Boring with just gunfire and sporatic mail delivery. Maybe I’ll fire up the chopper this weekend and wake up the place. Too busy painting to ride it. Stupid winter! My baby chop don’t like to come home. Damn bike will roam all over the place for hours before it decides to come back. I didn’t ride New Years day. I cleaned out a shed. I’m such a hard ass. So hard core. Hey, I can actually sorta find things in that shed now! The bikes are still pissed at me.
Well go on over to my website and check out my real flames. Buy a book. Leave a flirty comment. http://www.crazyhorsepainting.com
And be sure to check out our blog http://www.femmefatales06.blogspot.com. We got some new stuff. New pics, new rants. And people are actually reading it! Leave a comment even.
–Crazy Horse
JANKLOW MAY GET LAW LICENSE BACK–Former U.S. Rep. and Gov. Bill Janklow’s law license will be reinstated on Feb. 15, the South Dakota Supreme Court ruled Thursday.
Janklow, a former four-term governor who resigned from Congress in the wake of a deadly traffic accident, was automatically suspended as a lawyer.
A jury found him guilty in December 2003 of second-degree manslaughter for killing Randy Scott of Hardwick, Minn.; Scott was on a motorcycle that smashed into the side of a car Janklow drove past a Moody County stop sign in August 2003.
The Republican politician spent 100 days in jail, was put on probation and cannot drive for three years.
The court’s decision agrees with a recommendation by the State Bar’s Disciplinary Board.
Circuit Judge Rodney Steele, who sentenced Janklow after his manslaughter trial, had recommended that Janklow’s law license not be returned until his probation is finished in January of 2007.
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