Continued From Page 3
STEALTH UNDERCOVER WEEKLY REPORT–This week at Stealth Bike Works we are all wore out from a great time at the smoke out. Stealth is taking a break and I (Chopper John) will be doing the news. I’m going to use this opportunity to thank a few people and ramble on about how great the Smoke-Out is.
First off The Smoke out once again out did itself! We saw the best hand built chops in the whole world. There are rat chops,vintage chops,modern chops and chops that have no explanation. All the usual suspects were there Billy Lane, Indian Larry Legacy and the list goes on and on.
Stealth and I had a small booth set up in an awesome location which gave the shop great exposure. We sold some hand made parts and a few “Old School” parts that the shop carries. Fritz and Gary decided to pay us a visit from Indiana and they are always a good time. Those two are chopper heads all the way, as we watched all the titties and chops ride by us we think out loud where the hell do all these damn bikes come from? Stealth Bike Works gets a fair share of chops but man Smoke-Oout chops are the greatest! So if you all live in the Charlotte area get in gear and come to the shop! I wish I had pics to show you but I’ll be damned I didn’t bring a camera. Maybe Stealth can slip a few in when I email this to him. Enough of the Smoke-Out now onto thank yous.
For the last month or so I have been working on a chopper all hours of the night and day! This absolutely would not been possible if the STEALTH BIKE WORKS FAMILY didn’t pitch in. Mike and Sandy are the best people anyone could know. There generosity and the long hours made my chop exist and there were some long ass hours spent drooling and slurring words and losing nuts and bolts to get the bike built. But we did it almost I still need to put a wire or two on it. Fact is we all need friends like this “true” Bikers , also I would like to thank my wife Suzanne and my son Andrew”the Monkey” for the semi understanding of the whole build. Last but not least a big thank you to Dennis “Fuck face” Elliot for drilling the one hole in my triple trees.
See you next week! Ttill then ride hard and workless! Maybe there will be pictures of the damn bike too.
–Chopper John
ANOTHER BIKER BABE NEEDS HELP WITH HER TV GIG–A couple of months ago I let you know about a friend of mine who is a singer, a biker and a babe. At the time she was getting ready for a US tour and looking for gigs. Well, that’s been put on hold. Instead she’s made it to the finals for ROCKSTAR SUPERNOVA, The Tommy Lee Project on CBS, VH1 and MSN. For the next few weeks you can catch her on CBS beginning with the 90-minute premiere Wednesday, July 5th at 8PM ET. Then again Thursday, July 6th, for the first elimination show at 9PM ET. After that, every Tuesday and Wednesday night, so get your calenders organized!
She needs the biker community to rally around her and cast a few million votes her way in order to win the competition. Singing won’t be a problem and you won’t be disappointed getting the chance to watch her perform. Her name is Dilana. You’ll remember her because she’s 5-foot nothin’, tattooed and a little hottie. She’s also one tough little biker having gone down once and fractured her skull, but she’s still ridin’.
The official website is: www.rockstar.msn.com. She’ll appreciate all the votes she can get. Thanks in advance to the biker bro’s and sisters. And Dilana, we’ll see you on the big stage!
–Chuck
RIDE FOR LIFE COMING–Please join us on July 22nd, 2006 for the Ride For Life Forever to benefit the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program. To learn more about the ride go to, www.rideforever.org.
–Brandee Voit
www.rideforever.org
please check this site out!!
Ride For Life Forever
16294 W 13th Ave
Golden, Co.
80401
303-215-9797
720-261-0677
SUPERMAX, PHIL ROSS, SAVES WORN BILLET BELT PULLEYS–Here are a couple of pictures for you to look at… The “Keyword” here is Squealing and Worn Pulleys. When I went to the task bar and typed in Squealing pulleys it came to your website…Too Cool. I have had some customers say that they found it on Bikernet.com.
The ‘Over-Lay’ business is pretty good but could always use a lot more. Every pulley ever made could use this system…Some are faster wearing than others..The Gilroy Indian is a great candidate…We do a ‘Lot’ of those. We offer 65 and 70 tooth and am looking into the second series Victory pulleys as well…Get a lot of calls on those but haven’t located a second series pulley yet. The 1st Series was black and in the photo I sent you…Can’t do them as they machined so much meat out of the backside that there isn’t enough meat left for me to over-lay. I understand that the second series pulleys are a good candidate. They were die cast aluminum and are silver in color…They use a 64 tooth rear wheel pulleys on some models and 70 tooth rear pulleys on the 6 speeds, I understand.
–Space Doggie.
SuperMax Belt Drives
RICH KING RIDES SCREAMIN’ EAGLE HARLEY-DAVIDSON INTO SECOND PLACE OF THE AMA FLAT TRACK STANDINGS–Wrecking Crew Finishes Well in Lima, Ohio. LIMA, Ohio (June 26, 2006) – Rich King may not have won the AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Twins championship series event Saturday at the Allen County Fairgrounds. But he made a big step toward his ultimate goal – the series championship.
With his seventh place finish at the track that suffered through a tornado earlier in the week, King moved up from sixth to second place in the series standings. King qualified 14th for the main event and methodically worked his way up the pack.
“I’ve never been great there, just so-so but we got the bike to work better and better,” King said. “We made a lot of changes and things were going pretty well in the main event. When the red flag came on, I was ninth but during the restart a couple of guys got together in front of me and I rear-ended Jay Springsteen and I was 14th by the first turn with just 15 laps to go. Still, I felt like I was going really well and I passed a lot of guys. We had a great setup, but we just ran out of time.”
This is the second time in three events this season that King has made a late-race effort to climb back into the top 10. At the season opening event in Springfield, Ill., King rode from 18th to sixth place in just 11 laps.
“Rich is one of the most competitive riders around and I know it’s disappointing for him to not finish on the podium,” Harley-Davidson Racing Manager Anne Paluso said. “The team didn’t fulfill its own expectations this weekend but for us to walk away from that event with Rich moving up four places in the standings is a real positive for the team.”
King’s Screamin’ Eagle factory teammate Kenny Coolbeth finished 11th in the first heat but suffered mechanical problems in the semifinal race, failing to qualify for the main event for the first time this season.
Screamin’ Eagle Wrecking Crew members Bryan Smith and Jared Mees finished fourth and 12th, respectively.
Smith finished first in the Heat 1 race, qualifying third for the main event. Smith finished fourth, barely missing his first podium finish of the season, just behind race winner Dominic Beaulac, Joe Kopp and Glen Schnabel.
King sits in second place in the point standings, 11 points behind leader Chris Carr as the team prepares to head to the I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Mich., for the July 1 event. Smith is fifth in points with Mees and Coolbeth taking seventh and ninth, respectively.
“Even though it is still way too early to look at the points, I feel pretty good about being in second place,” King said. “But there are a lot of things happening right now. What I am most happy about is the way the team worked on the bike and dialed in the setup to get me comfortable enough on the bike to work back into the front. That says a lot about this team. By the end of the race we had one of the faster bikes on the track.”
In addition to the direct team sponsorship, Harley-Davidson will also provide support through professional flat track contingency and the Rider Support Verification Program (RSVP). Under the Screamin’ Eagle banner the support will total more than $140,000 throughout the 2006 season. This includes a contingency program for qualified Harley-Davidson XR750 riders on the AMA Flat Track series.
MICHIGAN GOVERNOR VETOS HELMET REPEAL LEGISLATION, June 23, 2006–Gov. Jennifer Granholm today vetoed a bill that would have repealed the state of Michigan’s 37-year-old mandatory helmet law.Advertisement “Repealing the requirement that motorcyclists wear helmets would be costly to all Michigan families,” Governor Graholm wrote in her veto letter to state officials. By failing to require sufficient insurance protection, this bill would force higher medical and insurance costs on all Michigan citizens, the letter said.The veto came a day after a coalition of safety and insurance groups held a press conference in the state capitol Rotunda calling for the governor to veto the legislation (SB 297).
The Michigan Association of Insurance Agents, along with AAA-Michigan, medical physicians, consumer safety advocates and law enforcement officials were united in their opposition to repealing the helmet law.
“We are pleased that the governor has rejected any attempt to weaken Michigan’s motorcycle helmet law. This was bad legislation and it was opposed by every responsible group, “said Gary Mitchell, spokesman for the Michigan Association of Insurance Agents. “We continue to believe that helmets save lives and reduce serious injuries.”
veto of legislation that would repeal Michigan’s 37-year-old mandatory motorcycle helmet law.In a written statement, AAA said that “without her veto, the new law would have recklessly endangered Michigan citizens. Studies have shown that at least 22 additional fatalities and 742 additional injuries would result annually if Michigan repealed its mandatory motorcycle helmet law.”
The veto was criticized by the American Bikers Aiming Toward Education (ABATE) of Michigan. The group had successfully lobbyied the state legislature to pass the bill, and some reports said that this attempt for a repeal was as close to a final approval ever in the 37- year-history of the Michigan law.
Insurance Journal contacted ABATE, but did not receive a response from the group. A written statement was not issued at the time of this writing.
If signed by the governor, the legislation would have let riders 21 and older decide whether to wear a helmet. To be able to ride without a helmet, motorcyclists would have needed to pass a safety class or have been licensed for two years. They also would have needed to carry an additional $10,000 in personal injury protection insurance coverage, according to the language of the bill.Granholm said the extra insurance protection outlined in the legislation is “woefully inadequate” and said that helmet usage reduces fatalities by 37 percent and prevents traumatic brain injury by 67 percent.
Thirty states, including some in the Midwest, give adults the option to not wear a helmet.
Here is a quote from page 59 of this month’s AMA American Motorcyclistmagazine:“When our government relations staff members sit down to talk to the sponsorof some anti-motorcycling bill, they can casually point out that they’respeaking for 273,000 enthusiasts who care very much about this issue. Andthat makes a big difference.”
Well, it didn’t make “a big difference” in Michigan…. And THAT, mybrothers and sisters, is why we lost.AMA, WHERE WERE YOU?!?
–Bruce
www.ldrlongdistancerider.com
BIKERNET STEALTH REPORTER EMBEDDED BEHIND THE LINES AT HORSE SMOKE-OUT–This year The Smoke-Out was very different for me. STEALTH BIKE WORKS was set up as a vendor this year so work was involved, but it was fun work. The temps soared in the 90s! It was hot to say the least and the bikes that showed up were just as hot!
The bikes at our booth got some attention and we were excited about that. The Horse Smoke-Out is always a gathering of old friends. I got to see my friends from Departure Bike Works. It is a place to meet and make new friends also. I finally got to meet Katmandu, she is a great person to talk to.
For me The Smoke-Out is like a trip down memory lane with all the old school choppers and bobbers. There are no “cookie cutter” bikes here, well maybe a few, but they stick out like sore thumbs. Very few touring bikes. These bikes are all business and bare bones. If it won’t fit in your pocket, leave-it-at-home bikes. These bikes are what we used to see in Dave Mann centerfolds. All day long you could hear the open primary belts singing their sweet song. Kick starters rule on this weekend every year. These bikes are what most of us remember it being about. Cool is king here! Chopper John kinda said it best when he said “It makes you emotional seeing all of the cool stuff.” For some that may sound kinda corny but I think it sums it up pretty well.
There were some big names on hand, like Billy Lane but he doesn’t act like a big name. He is down to earth as they come. On this weekend it really doesn’t matter what your name is. All that matters is that you love those old style choppers and bobbers.
The build-off bikes were great. I really liked Fabricator Kevin’s bike. Fab Kevin is one of the nicest guys you will ever met. He is real easy to talk to and makes you feel real comfortable being aroundhim. It was good to see you Kevin!
The bike that Kevin Bass and the kids from Kennedy High School built was a great looking bike! Nice job!
My buddies Fritz and Gary came in from Indiana early Friday morning and were my guest for the weekend. We had a great time! Fritz and Gary are the real deal when it comes to bikes and bikers.
I really don’t have any numbers to base this on but from what I saw this has to be the biggest Smoke-Out ever. All the guys at THE HORSE did a great job especially Edge. If someone told me I could only attend one bike event a year, I would pick The Smoke-Out without hesitation! I wouldn’t miss it for anything. For all of us at STEALTH BIKE WORKS, it was an honor to be a small part of such a great event. See you next year!!
–STEALTHMAN
GRIMES HANDS TEAM OWNER THE BEST BIRTHDAY GIFT OF ALL – A VICTORY AT PACIFIC RACEWAYS–Former Pro Stock Motorcycle Racer Notches First AHDRA Win. KENT, Wash., (June 25, 2006) – Tommy Grimes earned his first Screamin’ Eagle AHDRA championship victory Sunday. The rider of the Ray Price-Samson Exhaust Harley-Davidson Top Fuel motorcycle earned his first Top Fuel victory of his career by beating Tracy Kile in the final of the Kresto Pacific Nationals presented by Destination Harley-Davidson, Downtown Harley-Davidson and Eastside Harley-Davidson at Pacific Raceways.
Grimes and team owner Ray Price have earned victories in exhibition events, but this was the first Screamin’ Eagle championship AHDRA win. On his team owner’s birthday Grimes recorded the top E.T. of the weekend – a 6.504-second pass at 218.87 – in his semifinal round victory over P Schmidt’s 7.000 at 199.94. Grimes went on to beat Kile in the final with a 6.608 at 216.48 over Kile’s 6.764 at 203.37 on the Bad Apple Racing Harley-Davidson.
Kile qualified in the No. 1 spot for eliminations with a 6.683 pass. Mike Lehman was second with a 6.685 while Grimes qualified third with a 6.686.
Derek Nonnamaker earned the Destroyer category victory for the first time this season with a 9.382 pass at 139.80 over Gene Thomason’s 9.506 at 138.36. Thomason left the line first, using a ..053-second reaction time over Nonnamaker’s .102. Nonnamaker swept the category throughout the event, earning the No. 1 qualifying award as well, posting a 9.250 second time.
Stan Sheppard earned the SEP win, riding his Harley-Davidson to an 11.519 pass over Donnie Huffman’s 11.517.
Bon Drapp recorded his second consecutive victory in the ET category. Drapp turned in a 9.74 pass but didn’t need it as Jack Wagner fouled at the starting line, handing the win to Drapp.
The next AHDRA event is the Cycle Mid-West Nationals in Earlville, Iowa. The action kicks off July 22-23 at Tri-State Raceway.
Continued On Page 5
