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READER VOTE FOR BEST GOB–Hey Bandit ! Best GOB yet !!! That girl is the real deal…..Here in the desert we like “healthy” like that one ! Wonderful !
–Dan Bergman, Vice President Sales
LVM Systems, Inc.
Mesa, AZQuick, Join The Cantina! ??
VIETNAM SUPPORTS HELMET USE–The Vietnam National Traffic Safety Committee and the Asian Injury Protection Fund (AIPF) began a program titled ‘Wear a helmet, no excuse’ with a safety appeal to motorcycle riders in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The traffic safety watchdogs and the United Nations celebrated the Global Road Safety Week by giving away hundreds of helmets for free and 10,000 others at discounts.
Transport Minister Ho Nghia Dung said last week that the program would continue until the year-end since the government was considering a new compulsory helmet rule.
Last year 14,000 people died and 30,000 others were injured in road accidents. Forty percent of those killed were youths.
–from AMA and Custer
S&S SUMMER APPAREL LINE–It is the heart of summer and time to dress for the ride. From T-Shirts tojackets, S&S Cycle Apparel has you covered. Check out the new designs,materials and cool stuff you can wear that shows your support of yourfavorite go-fast company.
With the S&S 50th Anniversary right around the corner, its time to scoresome of the classic S&S designs and have them washed and broken in beforeyou show up for the 2008 celebration.
Your local S&S Dealer or the S&S website, www.sscycle.com , can get you setup with great gear and that perfect gift for the S&S fan!
TOMMY THOMPSON AND THE STURGIS FACTOR–His campaign has very little money, his polling numbers are… well, let’sjust say they are sub-par, and he is not exactly the darling of nationalmedia. Yet there is an almost religious like fervor among his supportersthat makes former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson’s presidentialcandidacy hard to dismiss.
Governor Thompson is a motorcycle rider. Not a photo op or Saturdayafternoon parade rider, but a real motorcyclist who takes thousand mileplus trips. He has won much respect from Wisconsin bikers for his time inthe saddle and they regard him as one of their own.
Despite a lack of special interest cash, Governor Thompson feels that hiscampaign of commonsense conservatism will resonate in the heartland. Hiscampaign strategy is that a win or a very strong showing in the Iowapresidential straw poll this August would act as a springboard to hismoving into contention for the Republican nomination. He is asking hisfriends in the motorcycle community for help.
In writing about Governor Thompson’s campaign strategy in the WashingtonPost, columnist George Will described something called the “SturgisFactor.” The “Sturgis Factor”, as defined by Mr. Will, is the possibilityof a large number of motorcyclists returning home from the annualmotorcycle rally and participating in the straw poll.
Could thispolitically hard to define voting block turn from the current frontrunning juggernauts and cast their lot with a fellow rider such as Mr.Thompson? In a small sampling such as the straw poll a solid block votewould have an impact. A strong showing by the governor could change thedynamic of the GOP race as it heads into the primary season.
Before one snickers and turns away, it may be worth a moment to recallsome early presidential frontrunners who purportedly couldn’t lose(anyone remember Gary Hart?) and a once obscure governor from a smallsouthern state who stunned the political world in 1992 by beating anincumbent president who had a double digit lead early on in the race.Picking whom will be the next President of the United States sixteenmonths before Election Day is akin to playing the horses on a muddy racetrack. It’s not usual for the frontrunner to fade in the stretch.
The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (more specifically MRFPAC) is notendorsing a candidate in the Iowa straw poll. We are encouraginginvolvement however.
A group of riders has formed “Team Tommy” to support the governor’scampaign. Team Tommy counts among its members the founder of ABATE ofWisconsin. They are planning a ride on August 10 in Ames to support thegovernor’s efforts which will coincide with the Iowa straw poll. Non-Iowaresidents will be welcome to participate in the parade. Check out Team
Tommy’s web site at
–Michael Kerr
MRF Vice President
boz@mrf.org (e-mail)
SOFTBRAKE’S SANITARY TOMBSTONE HOUSING– Tombstone taillights are cool for sure but those units with the license plate illumination light on top and fixed license plate brackets just don’t quite cut it. No problem. The engineers at SoftBrake have designed an all new TOMBSTONE TAILIGHT HOUSING that eliminates the garbage while retaining the classic Tombstone lines.
Shown here the new housing is a direct bolt on replacement for stock Tombstone lights and utilizes the original hardware. It eliminates the plate bracket and license light lens completely so you can mount your plate any place you like.
It really looks hot when used with SoftBrake’s sanitary license plate relocator mounting system. Designed to fit ’97 to present Heritage Springer and Deluxe models. The housing retails for $70.00, without lens, and can be ordered by calling 951-549-9954.
You can check out the entire SoftBrake line including license plate relocators at
HAWAIIAN CHOPPER MAGAZINE’S 3RD ANNIVERSARY BASH–July 3rd, 2007 at Aloha Tower Market Place (formerly Kapono’s) – Gates open at 6pm. Party ends at 11pm.Ten Toes Enterprises, Inc. of Haleiwa, JN Automotive Group,and Budweiser, Pasha Hawaii, South Seas Harley-Davidson,Hawaii Superferry, Aloha Tower, BMC Choppers, Mikey’s SpeedShop/Big Bear Choppers, Geico, Hawaiian Liscious ClothingCompany, Hardwear Inklothing, , Kustom Fab, Cycle Pro,And Sensually Yours have joined to celebrate the 3rdAnniversary of Hawaii’s premier motor sports publicationFor a party at Honolulu’s Aloha Tower Marketplace (formerlyKapono’s).
On display will be the Hawaiian Chopper Girlsmodeling with some of Hawaii’s best custom motorcycles andhotrods that were featured in Hawaiian Chopper’s pages. Meet Discovery Channel Biker Build-Off star, thelegendary Mondo Porras of Denver’s Choppers (Las Vegas),Puerto Rico’s Jose “The Chopper Freak” De Miguel,Speed Channel TV’s Big Mike of BMC Choppers, and localBuilders, Ben Hurley Jr., Deacon, Frank Marrero, IvanGabriel, “Mean Gene”, Nui Kauhane, Kenneth Puahi, RogerKuwahawa, Scott Valdez, Mario Medri, and Shannon Warfield.
Also on hand displaying their custom hotrods will beSome of Hawaii’s top classic car builders. Musical entertainment featuring Warner Brothers Records The Warren/McKay Project will rock audiences with oldStyle Detroit rock & blues. Joining the Warren/McKayProject will be local Hawaiian entertainers Kalaeloa, andWeldon Kekauoha. Courtesy of the Aloha Tower Market Place,Honolulu’s largest pre-Independence Day fireworks show,Which begins at 9PM. Tickets only $10.00 for this 21 & over event(kids under 16 free with a paying adult) are on sale now atSouth Seas Harley-Davidson, Cycle City Harley-Davidson,Kustom Fab, Cycle Pro Hawaii, on line awww.honoluluboxoffice.com, or by phone at 808-550-8457.For more info call 808-780-2998.
NEW PRODUCT FROM THE KING OF BUNGS–Weld together motor mount kit, kits come with all the parts and hardware needed to make your own custom motor mount kit. Kits are available in either a curved or straight model to fit panheads on up to twincams.
Simply bolt on the supplied hardware and bungs to your frame and heads, then cut the spanner material to fill the gap and weld in place.
These kits as well as many others from
www.Bungking.com
LOVE THY CHOPPER ART SHOW–Come experience “LOVE THY CHOPPER” Art Show July 6 at 238 Santa Fe, inthe Denver Art District. With a Super First Friday featuring ART, cold beverages,food, live music and plenty of bike parking, Arrive at 7pm.
For more info go to www.myspace.com/238sGallery, or email ben@superscreenprint.net.
–Curt Lout
www.STUDIO9000.com
303.921.4590
EASYRIDERS MAYBE FOR SALE ONCE MORE–For the last 15 years Joe Teresi has endeavored to sell Paisano Publications and retire. Some 8 years ago an effort was made to go public which ended in bankruptcy. Joe salvaged the company, partially by selling off the product line and events to John Green and family. John and his team have been highly successful with the events and apparel line.
Still the effort continues to sell the magazines and deservedly retire. Latest word is that the G-rated titles Tattoo and V-Twin are being sold. We’ll keep you up to date.
J&P SPONSORS BIKERNET BUILD FOR IRAQ VETERAN WITH HOT BIKE MAGAZINE–This just in. We needed one more major component to help complete the Iraqi Veteran Bike Build project for Sturgis. This build by a Bikernet writer in Texas, Johnny Humble, for his brother who is currently in Iraqi, will be featured in several issues of Hot Bike, then in a number of articles on Bikernet. This is the first bike Johnny ever built, although he has some mechanical experience and has ridden to Sturgis twice. He’s still a sniveling whiner, but he’ll get it done to Sturgis for the presentation.
We would like to thank John Parham, from J&P for his support.
CHOPPER CHICKS DREAM TEAM BUILD BIKE FOR NBC TODAY SHOW JULY 14TH–On the July 14th Saturday Edition of the NBC Today Show, the Chopper Chick Crew will reunite for yet another charity bike build. This time they will build a motorcycle in the heart of New York City at Rockefeller Center, right outside the NBC studios. The Bike will be a kit that was donated by Bikers Choice and will put the women to the test again with a live audience watching. Ultimately the completed bike will be auctioned off with all of the proceeds going to the Boys and Girls Club. The bidding for the bike will begin on July 14th and continue to accept bids up until October where the winning bidder will be announced at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino during the annual bikerbash celebration.
The Chick Crew consists of Athena Ransom of Vagabond Chopper Co., who has been around motorcycles her entire life and riding since she was seven; Jena Lewis also from Vagabond Chopper; Joann Bortles of Crazy Horse Painting, an award winning painter whose work has been featured in magazines such as Easyriders, Ironworks, and American Iron; Jayme Gray from Pussycat Choppers, an avid motorcyclist with a degree from MMI and extensive V-Twin experience; Katie Putnam from Mitch Bergeron’s, another MMI degree holder with tons of mechanical experience; Kate O?Shea from Manatee Harley-Davidson and of course Gypsy. All five of whom are dedicated to building “The Pink Ribbon Chopper.”
“We are very excited to be building this bike in Rockefeller and have it auctioned off with the proceeds going to the Boys and Girls Club. I believe that the Chopper Chick Crew as a whole has the opportunity to show the public that women have broken away from traditional roles. We are very proud of the work that we do and that will be evident in the finished bike,” said Athena Ransom of Vagabond Choppers.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County (BGCBC) is a non-profit 501(c) (3) private agency, dedicated to helping young people improve their lives by building self-esteem and developing values and skills during their critical period of growth. Serving more than 13,000 at-risk youth, ages 7-18, each year from its 13 Broward County-area clubs, its purpose is to inspire and enable children to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.
Chosen as the #1 youth agency in the country three years in a row by The Chronicle of Philanthropy and one of the best run non-profit agencies in a study by Fortune 500, BGCBC keeps 98 percent of all raised funds in Broward County. Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County is located at 877 NW 61st Street Fort Lauderdale, Fl 33309
–Ken Conte
(970)227-3588
j_kenconte@yahoo.com
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