Continued From Page 3
OIL AND WATER DO MIX!–Following is a press release sent to the motorcycle media last week:
Adrift on the high seas, battered by wind and lashed by waves, one of the storied stars of Avon Tyre’s 2002 ad campaign is simultaneously pounding out paperback fiction and Web site content via the exotic, globe-encircling, iridium satellite system.
CEO of premier biker Web site bikernet.com, novelist, columnist, historian and dedicated observer of all things biker related, Keith R. Ball is spending six months circumnavigating the planet aboard a tramp steamer, gathering info and inspiration for two new titles in a rapidly expanding library of outlaw biker fiction.
For Ball, it’s all part of the synergy that defines today’s biker lifestyle. Keeping in touch via a satellite-connected phone that provides both voice contact and digital up and downloads through a laptop modem, he uses e-mail like the Indians used smoke signals; sparse, accurate, and just over the horizon.
And as if fending off dangerous pirates in foreign ports-o-call weren’t enough, this 60-weight old school vet is again starring in Avon’s latest personality-driven ad campaign introducing the new Venom line of fat rubber, a role he premiered several years ago.
Larry Hoppe, president of Hoppe & Associates, Avon’s North American advertising agency, considers Ball a unique personality who’s especially suited to appeal to both the hardcore enthusiast and the newly minted H-D constituency. “The fact that he’s well known and respected among both the industry and the consumer market makes him a natural spokesman for Avon’s premium product.”
Although best known for his nearly quarter-century editing Easyriders as it grew to become the lifestyle’s largest publication, Ball is more comfortable these days creating content and counting hits at his irreverent Web site. In February alone, nearly 40,000 users logged an impressive 110,000 Bikernet visits, and an eyebrow-raising 312,000 page views.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON TRAINING MODIFIED– All went well with the service class. Harley is changing its training now. You have to take at least two classes a year to maintain your rating. They are pushing the dealers to comply with this new stuff.
If you ask me, they are getting to be a real pain in the ass making all the dealers have these huge retail T-shirt shops that sometimes sell motorcycles! Anyway, I’m seeing all the old buds, guys from Deano’s, Nassi, Titan, etc. All this with a little R&R. It will be good to get home though.
Phoenix has this weird feeling to me. Everybody is in a transient kinda state of mind here. No roots I guess. That’s it for now.
–Bikernet Undercover Agent
AMERICAN RIDER BUILDING IMAGE–American Rider Magazine is facing redevelopment.American Rider is eight times a year (for some reason). The book is 8 years oldand has had the same design and general tone for all that time. The Augustissue will launch a new design that is a lot more bold and in your face.With that is a plan to pump some attitude, grit and spunk into the book. Atthe same time we strive to get a bit more mechanical. Bikernet will be supplying them with a series of tech articles in the near future. Watch for the mag and let us know what you think.
RUN FOR BREATH/SMOKE OUT REPORT–I have heard you are on your way home. Just wanted to touch base with you on a couple of things. The Horse Smokey Mountain Bike Show is the same weekend as The Run for Breath. I have talked to Edge and we are trying work out the schedule. The run is on July 28. The Smoke out is July 26-28. Between the three of us, I am sure we can work this out.
Mike Pullin proudly announces:
4th ANNUAL RUN FOR
BREATH
In Memory of his son Justin
Sunday, July 28, 2002
Poker Run Registration — 10 a.m. ? 1 p.m.
Ben?s V-Twins
2429 South Tryon St.
$10 per hand; three hands for $20
POKER RUN—————————————————-T-SHIRTS
BIKE SHOW—————-BIKER GAMES—————LIVE MUSIC
DOOR PRIZES————–VENDORS—————FOOD & DRINKS
SPECIAL GUEST STAR ? Keith ?Bandit? Ball
President, bikernet.com
Bike Show Registration ? 11 a.m. ? 2:30 p.m.
Carolina Country Barbecue
2522 Sardis Road North
$10 Per Bike
Pre-Run Party July 27
RJ?s Sports Bar & Grill
2500 Crown Point Executive Dr., Charlotte
8 p.m.
$10 donation
DON?T MISS THE BIGGEST MOTORCYCLE EVENT
IN THE CAROLINAS!
ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT:
Camp Air Care – American Lung Association of NC
This camp is for children with asthma. Justin Pullin lost his life from an
acute asthma attack in 1998 at the age of 16.
For more information call Mike Pullin at (704) 847-4647 or (704) 573-9396
BIKERNET CLASSIFIEDS HIT BIG TIME–I didn’t make these up; they’re in our classifieds. Bikernet Classifieds are free to anyone who can figure out the form and fill it out. Don?t ask us.
true love
SINGLE MALE SEEKS DOUBLE JOINTED SUPERMODEL WHO OWNS A BREWERY AND GROWSHER OWN POT. ACCESS TO FREE CONCERT TICKETS A PLUS, AS IS BEING AMILLIONAIRE. MUST BE ABLE TO COOK AND POLISH CHROME.
Contact lochness
E-Mail: shovelhead108@hotmail.com
Phone: none
Fax: none
State: California
Date Posted: 2/14/2002
wife
Selling wife…..high maintenance, doesn’t cook, barely knows the artof giving head, but looks good. Needs some work, will sacrifice.
Contact doug
E-Mail: d_milden@hotmail.com
Phone: none
Fax: none
State: Arkansas
Date Posted: 1/26/2002
BANDIT?S CANTINA–Here?s just one reason to join Bandit?s Cantina, this is an e-mail trail with one of the guys who entered the drawing. Prizes are given regularly to Cantina members:
From: jockshift@aol.com
To: sinwu@bikernet.com
Subject: Your door prize entry has been received at bikernet.com
Thanks, bitch.
From:sinwu@bikernet.com
To: jockshift@aol.com
Eat me
From: jockshift@aol.com
To: sinwu@bikernet.com
Hmmmmm….. been havin a hankerin of sorts for Spicy Asian Food!
From: sinwu@bikernet.com
To: jockshift@aol.com
Too funny. Aside from Bandit, all I eat is fish…
From: jockshift@aol.com
To: sinwu@bikernet.com
Not the LEAST bit interested in a Bandit-based diet. And FISH is far toolimited. Unless, Of course, she’s FRESH!
Are you any relation to the Tu-Wu sisters? The ones that all diedvirgin?There was Tu-Dum Tu-Wu, Tu-Phat Tu-Wu, and Tu-Ug-Lee Tu-Wu. The three ofthem once captured Sum Yung Dik in an attempt to get deflowered. While thesisters argued over which one would be first, he suicided, using one ofTu-Phat’s chopsticks to the jugular.
“I LOVE YOU” IN 20 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES–
English . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I Love You
Spanish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Te Amo
French . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Je T’aime
German . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lch Liebe Dich
Japanese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ai Shite Imasu
Italian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ti Amo
Chinese. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wo Ai Ni
Swedish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jag Alskar
Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, West Virginia, Mississippi and Kentucky. . . . . . . . . . . . Nice Tits
–Big Will
UNLEASH MY ASS–I cry out at the top of my lungs each night. I can?t wait to have a wrench in one hand, the clicking of the keys on my Apple in the other. The laptop I?m working with has Windows Pro something on it, and at least twice a day I could shoot the sonuvabitch, if I had access to the guard?s pistol. Useless windows pop up constantly.
Even as I fight the keyboard I?m up to chapter 25 of the first Chance novel that pops up in the Cantina and in HORSE magazine in issue by issue installments. I just finished reading a novel by Sir Francis Chichester, who was an adventurer. His writings reminded me of Rip. At 65 years of age, he sailed around the world single handily with one stop in Sydney, Australia. He sailed from Plymouth, England southeast to the Cape of Good Hope at the bottom of Africa then east to Australia. From Australia he sailed east again past Cape Horn (the roughest spot on the globe) to the Atlantic and north back to England. Unbelievable journey that he barely survived in his 54-foot Ketch, which capsized once. That was in 1966.
For a biker it would have been considered the Hell Run ?66. Incredible tale. He made it in 226 days, a journey of 29,630 miles. It?s odd but there are some remote comparisons. We should have traveled a very similar number of miles in 135 days or so from Houston to Houston.
He wrote 200,000 words during his horrific passage. I will have written one book based on the trip of over 156,000 words and an additional 15 chapters for my first book, plus an additional 56 articles for the site and magazines for a total of 375,000 words. Hell, I?ve even read 10 books. I don?t care if it?s a record or not. I hope that my writing ability has improved and that the brothers enjoy what they read. I found it fascinating, but I miss the headquarters. Two weeks to go.
Have a beer on me in the meantime, go check out some sex toys, ride safe.
–Bandit
