September 11, 2001
By Bandit | | General Posts
Effective immediately, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation office inWashington, DC will be closed until further notice. In light of thenational emergency that is taking place, and in keeping with thegovernment’s request to keep the phone lines clear, please do not try tocontact the office. Preparations for the upcoming Meeting of the Minds willcontinue, but the DC office will be closed for the time being.Beverly Waters and Tom Wyld are fine. They both made it into the officethis morning, but have since left and, for safety’s sake, will not returnfor an indefinite period of time.Please join us in keeping the family members and friends of the thousandsof victims of this senseless tragedy in your thoughts and prayers.Teri Hobbs, Assistant Director of Communications, MRF
THE FOLLOWING IS A NOTE FROM TOM WYLD REGARDING HIS OBSERVATIONS INWASHINGTON:
Capitol Hill has been evacuated, with Members and their staffs having leftfor home. Stores and restaurants on Pennsylvania Avenue are closed, and Iget the feeling we are on some enormous sound stage for a movie.
Sadly, with 10,000 dead in New York City, this is no movie.
At about 9 this morning, I walked over to Pennsylvania Avenue hoping tocatch a few staffers as I had heard some offices were closing. I heardwrong. Instead, I watched oceans of people pour from federal buildingshere, as the Mayor had declared a state of emergency and the Sergeant atArms had ordered the evacuation of the Congress of the United States. Bynoon, the streets around the Capitol Hill were all but deserted save forreporters and law enforcement officers.
Police cordoned off a one-block area around the House and Senate buildings,the Supreme Court and the Capitol Building. The barricade is one block fromthe MRF office, on East Capitol Street, N.E., and Second Street wheresome12 reporters spent most of the day. There, the reality begins to sinkin when you hear reporters drop the words “Pearl Harbor”
At this time (4 p.m.), there are still about 6 video cameras sitting in themiddle of East Capitol Street, all trained eerily on the dome of theCapitol Building. Still another camera and crew are atop the LutheranChurch of the Reformation, MRF’s neighbor a few doors down, similarlytrained on the dome.Customarily a friendly lot, the Capitol Policestationed at the entrances to the Supreme Court are stern-faced today, allarmed with fully-automatic rifles and short-barrelled pump-action shotguns.
As the networks covered a Pentagon aflame, the billowing smoke was visiblefor miles. One network camera positioned near the White House was trainedacross the river on the smoke from the Pentagon; in the foreground of thatshot was the Eisenhower Executive Office Building where MRF took ABATE ofIllinois to visit the President’s domestic policy staff.Times have changedso radically, so swiftly, it’s difficult to view that building in the sameway.
Perhaps the strangest part of the scene today, though, is sound —particularly the sound of fighter aircraft patrolling the skies above thenation’s capitol. Other than the occasional police chopper, you just don’thear aircraft of any kind in the skies over D.C., as the air space over theWhite House and Capitol Hill is restricted. About 10 a.m. I heard what Ithought was the sound of an explosion that seemed to emanate from the areadown toward the Rayburn House Office Building. Several others on the streetheard it, too; we soon dismissed it as a sonic boom, but it gets youlooking, listening. Anytime a plane was heard somewhere overhead, crews atSecond and East Capitol would hurriedly man their cameras, look through thelenses at the Capitol Building, and wait. Then a cameraman would say, “It’sone of ours,” and the crews would stand down.
Two AP reporters were walking down our street hoping to use someone’sland-line phone to call their office. (The cell phone system in D.C. hasgone crazy, I’m told; landlines are not much better.) I invited them to ouroffice; turns out I had worked for years with one of the reporters while atNRA. While walking around the block to grab lunch from the onlyestablishment on Pennsylvania Avenue that remained opened, she and Ihappened upon several Members of Congress, and she asked for theircomments. Florida’s Curt Weldon was on fire as he said that the first dutyof the Federal Government is the defense of the United States. “Politicianshave been bull-shitting the American people,” he said repeatedly (exactquote). Weldon was sharply critical of the intelligence establishment. Hehad just come from a security briefing by the U.S. Capitol Police,conducted at an undisclosed location. Weldon was outraged that the CapitolPolice received no intelligence heads-up whatsoever. Members of Congress(and the Capitol Police as well) learned that the United States was underattack by watching CNN. “Outrageous,” he said, “and it will not stand.”
The AP reporter also interviewed Senator and Mrs. Grassley of Iowa on 3rdStreet, a few doors down from MRF. The Senator used the phrase “act of war,but it was Mrs. Grassley who provided the reporter her favorite quote. I’llparaphrase: these people think that by killing other people along withthemselves, they will meet God. Today, they will realize they are wrong.
Even if we’ve seen the last of the attacks, things will change radically inWashington. Agendas are being rewritten and debated in the nearby homes ofstaffers and Members. Before Congress returns, every inch of House andSenate office buildings will be thoroughly searched for bombs. New securityprecautions will be instituted.Thus, it will be days before Capitol Hillresumes business as usual. And, judging from what we heard today, businessas usual in Washington is certain to be a thing of the past.
I have several letters going out, hopefully tomorrow, to various officialswithin the Administration urging new action on the issues of EPA, healthcare and traffic safety — issues where there is considerable distancebetween us and the Administration. I expect to close each letter with thesewords: “I hope we can work together to eradicate the distance between us onthese issues. Despite our distance, however, the bikers of America love ournation and support our President in this time of crisis, and we ask thatyou assure him of our prayers as he leads America through this dark hour.”
Tom Wyld
September 6, 2001 Part 4
By Bandit | | General Posts
Continued From Page 3
HAD A HATE-MY-JOB DAY?–On your way home from work, stop at your pharmacy and go to thethermometer section. You will need to purchase a rectal thermometer madeby “Q-tip.” Be very sure that you get this brand. When you get home, lockyour doors, draw the drapes and disconnect the phone so you will not bedisturbed during your therapy.
Change to very comfortable clothing, suchas a sweat suit, and lie down on your bed. Open the package and remove thethermometer.
Carefully place it on the bedside table so that it will not becomechipped or broken. Take out the written material that accompanies thethermometer and read it. You will notice that in small print there is astatement:”Every rectal thermometer made by Q-tip is personally tested.”
Now, close your eyes and repeat out loud five times, “I am so glad I donot work in quality control at the Q-tip Company.”
FINAL TOYS FOR TOTS SCUTTLEBUTT–The SFPC actually told the Marine Corp to go fuck itself about six yearsago. We were the Toys for Tots Run (like everyone else). We let the Marinestake the toys to distribute until two things happened: First, at our run we wanted four or five toys to give to a few kids from the CancerCaring Center who attended the event. The Marines would not let us have itand a fight just about broke out. We ended up taking the toys and tellingthe Marines to go fuck themselves and this would be their last year gettingthe bikers’ toys; Second, we found out that all of the toys they collected (at least from ourrun) were sent to foreign countries and no toys went to any local kids….
That was it for them and we got hooked up with the local police agencies andthey distributed the toys to local kids and have been doing so since…
So now we are the Christmas Toys in the Sun Run and that’s our story…. andI’m sticking with it.
–Miami Mike
SFPC Publicity and Public Relations
Publisher Wheels on the Road Magazine
BIKERNET QUIZ–Q. What doesn’t belong on this list:Meat, Eggs, Wife, Blowjob
A. Blowjob: You can beat your meat, eggs orwife, but you can’t beat a blowjob.
ALL AMERICAN CYCLE NORTHWEST NATIONALS presented by JOKER MACHINE COMING TOWOODBURN DRAGSTRIP, SEPT. 8-9–
AHDRA welcomes new sponsors for theupcoming Woodburn Ore., event on Sept. 8-9. All American Cycle ofPortland, Ore., has teamed with AHDRA, along with support from Joker Machine ofAzusa, Calif., to bring the thrills and excitement of 200 mph nitro-burning Harleyaction to Woodburn Dragstrip.
All American Cycle, in business since 1994, has been involved inprofessional drag racing with the AHDRA for several years in Pro Gascompetition. Mark Elam, owner of All American Cycle, has joined forces withfriend and 2000 Pro Modified Champion Steve Dorn on a newly built ProDragster bike for the 2001 season. Elam is the crew chief for the new BlackAttack Racing Team, and Steve Dorn serves as the pilot on the nitro burningmachine.
“It’s always been my dream to run a nitro-methane class, and with Steve’shelp, we have made this dream become a reality,” Elam commented. “There isnothing like the explosiveness and power of a fuel machine.” Steve’s veryfirst run on the new bike ended with ear-to-ear grins as he told Mark, “Thatwas awesome, I’ll never get on a gas bike again.” The team recently competedat the Pacific Nationals at Seattle International Raceway, coming away withtheir best time yet, a 7.777 at 170 mph.
Joker Machine has been a long-time supporter of classsponsorships in the AHDRA series. This year Joker Machine lends itssupport to the Pro Modified class and has also come on board for theNorthwest Nationals. Geoff Arnold of Joker Machine also makes time toparticipate in the action on his own Pro Modified bike. The Joker MachinePro Modified class is one of the toughest classes in AHDRA competition, withfull fields of entries at nearly every event.
The activities for the All American Cycle Northwest Nationals presented byJoker Machine will get underway Sept. 6, when All AmericanCycle hosts the official AHDRA Kick-Start party. There will be plenty of funfor racing fans, including drag bike displays and the finals of the “MissAll American Cycle” Bikini Contest. The contest winner will present theaward trophies to race winners at Woodburn Dragstrip.
Other exciting news from the All American Cycle Northwest Nationalspresented by Joker Machine includes a newly formed ride titled,LiverPalooza1. It is a ride designed after the infamous “Love Ride” in LosAngeles and is being headed up by 98.7/KUPL Radio to benefit awareness ofHepatitis C. Susan Barr, morning show host on KUPL, was stricken with thedisease and with help from country singer Naomi Judd’s doctor, who alsosuffers from Hepatitis C, Barr is in remission.
Barr’s morning show co-host, Lee Rogers of KUPL, vowed to put a charityevent together that would bring about awareness and help find a cure thatthreatened the life of his friend and co-worker. On Sept. 8,the ride will begin at Columbia Harley-Davidson in Vancouver, Wash. Thepolice-escorted ride will travel down I-5 to the Woodburn Dragstrip for theNorthwest Nationals. After the AHDRA qualifying session, participants willenjoy a free concert by Monument Records recording star Billy Ray Cyrus.Cyrus will also serve as the ride’s grand marshal. For moreinformation on the LiverPalooza1 Ride, contact Lee Rogers at (503) 497-2364, orColumbia Harley-Davidson at (360) 695-8831.
For more information on the All American Cycle Northwest Nationals presentedby Joker Machine, contact AHDRA at (336) 924-2095, or visit www.ahdra.com.
DISNEY CHARACTER STUDY–Little Red Riding Hood was walking through the woods whensuddenly the Big Bad Wolf jumped out from behind a tree and, holding aswordto her throat, said, “Red, I’m going to screw your brains out!”
To that, Little Red Riding Hood calmly reached into herpicnic basket and pulled out a .44 magnum and pointed it at him and said,”Noyou’re not! You’re going to eat me, just like it says in the book!”
SONNY BARGER SELLING MOTORCYCLE– Sonny is selling the 2000 Road King that he road across the country for his book signing tour. Check it out on eBay. Actually, not a bad price for the bike either. Should be interesting to see how high the bidding goes.Check It Out Here
–Ted
MORE NEWS ON THE CHIEF–On the news stands now: Rolling Stone magazine (#877, Sept. 13, Britney cover, page 48) finally rolls out the article Herb Gold wrote about Sonny more than a year ago, with old and new photos by Gene Anthony. It should give the youngsters something to wonder about.
The U.S. paperback edition of “Hell’s Angel” will be released in late September. In October, Sonny will appear for book signings in the southeastern states of Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina and South Carolina, ending at Daytona for Biketoberfest. Details are still being worked out, and when the itinerary is firm it will be posted and you will be notified by e-mail.
For those who do not think screen savers should be silent, there are new SonnySaver editions with sound. Download and hear some of Sonny’s most memorable quotes:http://sonnybarger.com/scr
BUSTED BUELL REPORT–Are we gonna see pictures of the duct-taped Buell with urinal biscuits taped to your knees? Cable TV sucks, get out of bed….besides, I have pictures of Layla. She’s not gonna want to hang out with a guy with bedsores.
–Flynch
I’ve been running laps ever since I got home. Yes, there will be busted Buell reports coming up, ya nosey bastard.–Bandit
BIKERNET SALOON ANNOUNCEMENT–A very attractive woman goes up to the bar in a quietrural pub. She gestures alluringly to the bartender,who comes over immediately. When he arrives, sheseductively signals that he should bring his facecloser to hers. When he does so, she begins to gentlycaress his full beard. “Are you the manager?” sheasks, softly stroking his face with both hands.
“Actually, no,” the man replies.
“Can you get him forme? I need to speak to him,” she says,running her hands beyond his beard and into his hair.
“I’m afraid I can’t,” breathes the bartender. “Is thereanything I can do?”
“Yes, there is. I need you to givehim a message,” she continues huskily, popping a coupleof fingers into his mouth and allowing him to suckthem gently.
“What should I tell him?” the bartendermanages to say.
“Tell him,” she whispers, “There is notoilet paper or hand soap in the ladies room.”
NABISCO PRESENTS BAG GUYS AND CORN NUTS– If you ride a motorcycle, then you just may be keeping some pretty interesting company, at least according to Nabisco and Kraft Foods. Nabisco’s “Corn Gone Wrong” promotion, hoping to give its Cornnuts snacks a new image, shows cartoonish characters in three “hardcore” scenes: as the devil, as criminals in jail, and in one more example of something gone wrong, on motorcycles.
What the hell? If we don’t have a bad image, cagers will be running over us constantly. Let the world know, we’re not to be fucked with.
BIKERNET DRINKING REQUIREMENTSSean got home in the early hours of the morning aftera night at the local pub. He made such a rackethitting the furniture as he weaved his waythrough the house, that he woke up the missus.
“Whaton earth are you doing down there?” she yelled downfrom the bedroom. “Get yourself up here to bed anddon’t wake the neighbors.”
“I’m trying to get abarrel of Guinness up the stairs,” he shouted.
“Leaveit ’till the morning,” she shouted down.”I can’t,” he said. “I’ve drank it!”
–Bikernet Morale Officer
BIKERNET SOCIAL ETIQUETTEHave you ever noticed that they put advertisements in with your billsnow? Like bills aren’t distasteful enough, they have to stuff junk mailin there with them. I get back at them. I put garbage in with my checkwhen I mail it in. Coffee grinds, banana peels…I write, “Could youthrow this away for me? Thank You.”
I’M OUTTA HERE–I can’t take it. The brothers are waiting in dowtown San Pedro, where all the antique cars and hot rods are lined up. I’ve got two women clamoring around the house and a funeral to attend tomorrow. I need a shot, some fresh air and a break from the computer. Have a helluva weekend.
–Bandit
September 6, 2001 Part 3
By Bandit | | General Posts
CRAZYHORSE PROJECT BIKE–Here’s our latest project bike. I’ve attached two shots. Theyare kinda fuzzy (digital camera indoors). The bike will be up for saleright soon.Two killer big customs I’m painting will be done in the next few weeks.
ThenI’m zooming up to my home state of Connecticut for 10 days of visiting and ridingwith friends, hitting all the old haunts and biker bars. I’ll write up areport. I want to hang with Billy Streeter for a day or so and watch themaster work his magic painting skulls. It will bekiller to see all my old bike shops and painter buddies. I’m gonna try to getin a breakfast ride to Vermont. An old friend’s dad and his buds ride toVermont every Sunday morning. The leaves will be starting to changecolor. Spectacular days, chilly nights in leathers on the bike, riding backto the warm camaraderie of old friends. Can’t wait.
–JoAnn
TOY RUN EXPOSE–The country’s largest toy run, which claims to generate participationby tens of thousands of riders who donate tons of toys each yearfor sick and under-privileged children, was recently threatened with legalaction over its name.
There is a phenomenon in the advertising world most marketing professionalscan only dream about. It occurs when a product’s name becomes so well knownand accepted by consumers that it becomes the generic reference for allsimilar and subsequent products of the same type.
A perfect example is Kleenex. Regardless of who may be the actualmanufacturer of a box of “facial tissues,” most people refer to their papersnot rags as Kleenex.
When was the last time you put on a pair of “dungarees?” Regardless ofwhether they’re made by Lee, Dickies, Wrangler, Calvin Klein or some othercompany, chances are that in the minds of most consumers, those denim britches arestill Levi’s.
But when a “brand” name is owned by an arm of the government, you hadbetter damn well get your reference straight or they’ll send in theMarines. In this case, that’s exactly what happened.
In the case of Toys For Tots, you can expect a call from the U.S. MarineCorps ordering you to cease and desist or face the consequences of a legalbattle.
After 20 years of calling its annual event Toys For Tots, the DelawareValley Chapter of ABATE of Pennsylvania was given an ultimatum by the U.S.Marine Corps office at Quantico. Referring to a 1948 copyright, the Marinesfired a legal volley at the country’s most successful toy collection effortand threatened to sue if the name wasn’t changed immediately.
Unfortunately, because of copyright law, any defense against a Marine Corpslawsuit would be a costly, losing battle.
So if your group has unwittingly violated the Marine Corps’ copyright whilehelping the less fortunate kids in your area, we suggest you choose anothername for the event to avoid a call from Quantico. In fact, if your event issuccessful enough to garner any recognition from the media, we suggest youmake a point of noting that the Marines had absolutely nothing to do withit. They don’t deserve the recognition, falsely perceived or otherwise.
KING CLIMBS ON PODIUM TWICE AT SPRINGFIELD– Rich King wrapped up a strong weekend at the Illinois State Fairgrounds during the AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championships, finishing second Sunday and third Saturday on the famed mile oval. However, with chances to win off the final turn in both races, the podium appearances were tainted with a tinge of disappointment.
“Going into that last turn, on both Saturday and Sunday, I thought we had it,” said King. “We did everything right but win.”
Chris Carr won both races on the mile oval, and claimed the series points championship. With two races remaining, King moved to second in overall points with 222 points, trailed by Joe Kopp with 213.
On Sunday, King began in row three after slight mechanical difficulties in his heat race and rode conservatively through the early laps of the final on his back-up bike. “The strategy was to conserve the tires for most of the race, and then to go for it with a chance to win on the final lap,” said King.
“I came off the final corner with a good run at it,” said King. “But I got a little sideways out of the corner, and Chris was able to nip me at the line. That was disappointing because I thought I had the win.”
On Saturday, King employed similar strategy, and came off the final turn in third, trailing Carr, who had the lead, and Jay Springsteen.
“I had a good draft and a big head of steam, but I thought Jay was going to draft on the right, and I opted to go inside Chris to the left,” said King. “Instead, Jay also went to the inside and I ran right into the back of his exhaust pipes. That caused a tense moment with a high-speed wobble, but we got it back under control.”
On the Fairground’s short track Friday, King placed a Buell Blast-powered dirt track racer on the front row of an AMA main event for the first time. In doing so, he won both his qualifying race and his heat race.
“It was running great and even though the Blast is a 500 going up against 600s, we had a great run,” said King who finished the final in 6th place
King’s next race will be Saturday, Sept. 8, in Vernon, NY. The race will be round 19 of the 20 round AMA’s Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championship series.
VISITING RELATIVES RULES– My friends…… from Pakistan are camping their way around the States.They have asked me if I know where they might be able to go without spending large amounts of money.
I said I would try my friends and family for accommodations. They travel light and bring all their own camping gear,and only require a small place to set up. I have given them your names and addresses, knowingyou won’t mind. I have enclosed a picture to helpyou identify them when they show up.
Thanks in advance.
Chris Camel
EDITOR OF WOMEN RIDER ESCAPES BANDIT–Bandit, in search of his sixth wife, has harassed Genevieve Schmitt, the editor of Women Rider, for years. She finally discovered the only way for her to escape his unrelenting affections was to get hitched quick.
She has done so and moved as far away from Los Angeles as she could, to Lebanon, Ohio. As the publisher of the first successful bike magazine for women, Ehlert, based in Minnesota, has afforded her the opportunity to work from wherever she lives. Her husband has been informed too many times of Bandit’s women-stalking tendancies, consequently he understands her plight and is supporting her desire to escape the grasp of the wounded Bandit.
Fortunately for the lovely, intelligent and talented journalist, Bandit was hospitalized by a deer on the way to Sturgis while taking a side trip to see his Wyoming sweetheart. That gave Genevieve the opportunity to leave the state undetected.
TOYS FOR TOT’S COMMENTS–?? ????????I read it but I don’t believe it. After all the support Bikers gavethe jarheads all over the country for many years, you’d think the Corpswould’ve been thankful. And look how many Bikers are ex-jarheads too. Itreally pisses me off to find out the toys went overseas. This is some reallypetty shit pulled by the Corps. let’s get our own name to be used by onlybikers and to hell with the Corps, “Semper Fi” my ass…….!!!!!!! ????????
–Pat
LOS ANGELES HAMSTERS RAID SAN PEDRO WITH LOCAL RIDERS–Los Angeles Hamsters are meeting in downtown San Pedro on Sept. 6 for the bars, the restaurants, the livemusic and hot rods.
If you’re up for a ride to somewhere away from traffic and crowds in Los Angeles, every first Thursday in downtown San Pedro is cool. Just take any freeway to the 110 and south to Harbor Boulevard. Hang a right to Sixth Street and hang another right. Ya can’t miss it.
The event is scheduled to rock from 6:30 p.m. until 2 a.m. It’s a goodtime for all.
TOYS FOR TOT’S COMMENT–Maybe Abate needs to have everyone change their toy runs to something likeKrus’in for Kids or something along those lines and have every groupthroughout the country change the toy run name and fuck the jarheads.
These are the things that keep me up at night.
–Jim
THE BEST BLONDE JOKE OF THE YEAR – SO FAR–A man was in his front yard mowing grass when his?attractive blond femaleneighbor came out of the house?and went straight to the mailbox. She openedit then?slammed it shut and stormed back in the house.
A little later she came out of her house again, went to?the mail box. She opened it, slammed it shut?again and went angrily back into the house.
As the man was getting ready to edge the lawn, she came out again,marched to the mail box, opened it and?then slammed it closed harder thanever. Puzzled by?her actions, the man asked her, “Is something wrong?”
Towhich she replied, “There certainly is!
My stupid computer keeps saying, ‘YOU’VE GOT?MAIL.'”
Continued On Page 4
September 6, 2001 Part 2
By Bandit | | General Posts
Continued From Page 1.
THE ELEVENTH COMMANDMENT–During a recent staff meeting in Heaven, God,?Moses and St. Peter concluded that the behavior of?former President Clinton and Rep. Condit had?brought about the need for an eleventh commandment.
They worked long and hard in a brain storming?session to try to settle on the wording of the new?commandment, because they had realized that it should?have the same style, majesty and dignity as the original ten. After many revisions, they finally agreed that the?eleventh commandment should be:”Thou shalt not comfort thy rod with thy staff.”
CYRIL HUZE VERTICAL L.E.D SIDEMOUNTS– These two?new vertical sidemounts incorporate a very bright taillight with two brightness levels for run and brake lights. They include the frame and backing plate and all necessary hardware. All components are machined from 6061-T6 billet aluminum and beautifully chrome plated. Choose between two styles: nostalgic “Kool Rod”?or art-deco “Victory”?design. Pick the bracket corresponding to the installation you prefer: axle, frame tubes (1 inch or 1 1/8 inch) primary, passenger peg?or shock mount.?Taillights are available as separate units to be installed on rear fenders.??
Cyril Huze
Tel: (561)392-5557
Fax: (561) 392-9923
Website: http://www.cyrilhuze.com
Webstore: http://store.cyrilhuze.com
BIKERNET RELIGIOUS RUMORS–An old man walks into a confessional. The following conversation ensues:
Man: I am 92 years old, have a wonderful wife of 70 years, many children,grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Yesterday, I picked up two collegegirls who were hitchhiking. We went to a motel, where I had sex with each of themthree times.
Priest: Are you sorry for your sins?
Man: What sins?
Priest: What kind of a Catholic are you?
Man: I’m Jewish
Priest: Why are you telling me all this?
Man: I’m telling everybody.
Regan Varrone not only carries the title of crew chief forher husband Bucky and has the warmest smile on the track, but she alsotunes his Top Fuel bike. And you thought she was just for decoration.
BIKERNET DRAG RACING REMINDER–Have you checked out the latest feature in the Bikernet Drag Racing sectioncalled “Down the Track”? It is the points chart for the entire 2001 seasonshowing all race results broken down by race for each competitor. SinceAHDRA posts only the totals for the year-to-date, yet they supply me withALL the details, they have traded links with us. Bikernet now has a Webbanner on the AHDRA home page to guide rabid race fans here and we haveposted theirs in the “Down the Track” section as well.
I tried to rest on these laurels, but I’ve run into a mathematical snag:Only the top eight out of 13 races attended by a given racer are counted towardtheir national points total. This means I have to figure out how to countonly the eight best scores and yet still show you, the reader, all their scoresfor the season. So far, only four racers have attended all nine races to date,but after Woodburn, I’ll have to chase down The Digital Gangster and hookhim back up to the computer. Ever see those science fiction movies wherethey wire up the chicken to the guy? Keep your fingers crossed.
The Northwest Nationals at Woodburn, Ore., are this weekend, Sept. 8-9.Hope to see you there. If you need more information on the event, go towww.AHDRA.com
RIDER RESTROOM ADVICE–A biker is standing at a urinal when he notices that he’s being watched by a leprechaun.Although the little fellow is staring at him intently, the biker doesn’t get uncomfortable next to him, until the leprechaun drags a small stepladder up next to him, climbs it and proceeds to admire his privates at close range.
“WOW!” comments the leprechaun. “Those are nicest balls I have ever seen!”
Surprised and flattered, the biker thanks the midget and starts to move away.
“Listen, I know this is a rather strange request,” says the little fellow, “but I wonder if you would mind if I touched them.”
Again the biker is rather startled, but seeing no real harm in it, he obliges the request.
The leprechaun grabs the stool, climbs on it and reaches out to get a tight grip on the man’s balls, and says, “OK, hand over your wallet or I’ll jump!”
BIKERNET CARIBBEAN REPORT–Well, the WCC is done! Just some minor details left, but at least it’srunning. The seat and fender are on the way, now the shakedown runs willtake place. Also the second bike is on the way, hope to keep everyoneposted on the progress. For those of you interested, it started on thefirst try and I took the maiden voyage an hour later.On the other hand, it’s been raining like crazy here, I guess since we arein the middle of hurricane season right now, watching those peskystorms as they cruise the Atlantic and hoping they avoid the Caribbean.
Now on another line of thought, it’s cool that since I have started writingfor Bikernet there are people calling and friends following every week’snews. Better yet, all have been positive remarks. It’s great to be ableto show you what’s up on our little island and the new projects from our shop.I have made the effort to do this every week and hope to keep on as longas a) I don’t bore anyone, b) Bandit allows me, c) we dont get a hurricane.Oh well, since this was a true Labor Day weekend for us, here is the news….
The MDA run was a wet one. Attendance was limitedby the rain, but I still saw a few brave bikers headingback in the pouring rain.
Custom Chrome Inc. will celebrate its annual dealer’s meeting in SantaClara, Calif., Sept. 29-31. The three-day event will be chockfull of their suppliers and dealers. IF you happen to be a CCI dealer orfriend, call them up and make sure to attend.
The Key West Poker Run is near. The run from Ft. Lauderdale to Key West isgreat, and Key West is a cool place to party. We did that ride one yearand are still talking about it. Remember, in Key West it is legal to drink inthe street and expose your breasts, what a fun combo! Call Peterson’s H-Dfor info.
The HOG Caribbean Rally is near. If you have interest in this ride throughPuerto Rico, call a Motorsport H-D dealer or send us an e-mail and we willshoot the info back. Bikes can be shipped from the U.S. for this event. It’s a blast.
Make sure to pick up a copy of The Horse magazine, November issue, in which some of ourPuerto Rican bikes will be featured, as well as an Iron Maiden. Check it out andlet us know how you like it.
Here are some photos of the almost-done WCC bike. Like I said before, there’s sometweaking left and things like the front fender and seat are on the way. Hope you guys dig it, the new owner certainly does…
–Jose, Caribbean Bikernet Report.
ANOTHER SALOON SAGA– An Irishman, an Italian and a Polish guy are in a bar. They arehaving a good time and all agree that the bar is a nice place. Then the Irishman says, “Aye, this is a nice bar, but where I come from, back in Dublin, there’s a better one. At MacDougal’s, you buy a drink, you buy another drink and MacDougal himself will buy your third drink!”
The others agree that sounds like a nice place. Then the Italian says, “Yeah, that’s a nice bar, but where I come from, there’s a better one. Over in Brooklyn, there’s this place, Vinny’s. At Vinny’s, you buy a drink, Vinny buys you a drink. You buy anudda drink, Vinny buys you anudda drink.”
Everyone agrees that sounds like a great bar. Then the Polish guy says, “You think that’s great? Where I come from, there’s this place, Warshowski’s. At Warshowski’s, they buy you your first drink, they buy you your second drink, they buy you your third drink, and then they take you in the back and get you laid!”
“Wow!” said the other two. “That’s fantastic! Did that actually happen to you?”
“No,” he replied, “but it happened to my sister!”
Click For Larger .pdf View
–Chris T.
EFFECTING LEGISLATIVE CHANGES–If you want to find out what you can do to help protect yourconstitutional rights, listen up. If you want to meet a man who believes this,you can’t afford to miss this meeting. Come listen to state Sen.Edward Vincent speak and answer questions about how YOU can regaincontrol of your life. There isn’t a TV show, sporting event or much elsemore important that demands your time and immediate attention more thanthis. Don’t come crying to ABATE, AMA or the other motorcyclists’ rightsorganizations when you get told to: Get rid of those loud pipes boy; where is your Kevlar protective clothing boy?
WHERE: Mission Viejo Community Center
ADDRESS: 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo, Calif.
WHEN: Oct. 23, 2001
TIME: 7:00 p.m.
HOST: ABATE Local 9
NO MORE EXCUSES
Information: Steve Bauman (949) 586-9468
Continued On Page 3.
September 6, 2001 Part 1
By Bandit | | General Posts
BIKERNET BIKE SHOW WINNERS FOR AUGUSTThe bike show is open 24/7 for you to check out or enter (absolutely free). Each month the staff judges the entries and awards the builders trophies, signed books and valuable prizes.
We interviewed this month’s judge, who wished to remain nameless, as to his interpretation of the judging for August. Here’s his response, “Don’t blame me, I’m innocent!”
In The “Pro-Street” Category
Tim McNamee
Aurora, Colo.
In The “Radical Custom” Category
Shawn Darby
Bel Air, Md.
In The “Ridden” Category
Bud
Lancaster, Penn.
In The “Sportster” Category
Pete Kansas
Tuckahoe, N.Y.
In The “Street Custom-Stock” Category
Tyra Estavillo
San Jose, Calif.
In The “Vintage” Category
Legs Difiore
Highland, N.Y.
In The “Vintage Chopper” Category
Kevin S.
Omaha, Neb.
NEW BRAKE CYLINDER COVER–When I found out that my 2000 Fatboy’srear master cylinder reservoir was plastic and couldn’t be chromed, and the onlything available was a cover to hide it, I made a billet master cylinderreservoir, CNC machined, from T-6 Alumwith show chrome finish. It replaces the plastic housing on all 2000 and upSoftails, FLT, FLTR, FLHT, FLHR. It uses stock H-D master cylinder plungerassembly and mounting.
Available ball milled or plain. I’m hoping you feel itis worthy of your product picks. Hot Bike magazine is going to feature it inthe next issue or so in the new products section. Sincerely
Jake Savani
% Savani Machine
3405 Versailles Ave.
McKeesport, Penn. 15132
(412) 678- 0527
jsavani@stargate.net
BIKERNET UNDERGROUND PARA-MILITARY INTELLIGENCE GATHERING AND TORTURE INFORMATION–Echelon is perhaps the most powerful intelligence gathering organization in the world. Several credible reports suggest that this global electronic communications surveillance system presents an extreme threat to the privacy of people all over the world. According to these reports, ECHELON attempts to capture staggering volumes of satellite, microwave, cellular and fiber-optic traffic, including communications to and from North America. This vast quantity of voice and data communications are then processed through sophisticated filtering technologies.
This massive surveillance system apparently operates with little oversight. Moreover, the agencies that purportedly run ECHELON have provided few details as to the legal guidelines for the project. Because of this, there is no way of knowing if ECHELON is being used illegally to spy on private citizens.
This site is designed to encourage public discussion of this potential threat to civil liberties, and to urge the governments of the world to protect our rights.–ACLU
COP REPORT FROM AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE NETWORK– A police officer in Tennessee has been charged with vehicular homicide for allegedly killing a motorcyclist by running him off the road with his patrol car, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports.
A grand jury in Blount County, Tenn., on Aug. 29 indicted Rockford Police Sgt. James Ray Johnson on the criminal charge. If convicted, the officer could face three to six years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Johnson is free on a $25,000 bond pending a Sept. 10 court appearance, when a trial date will be set.
On March 10, Johnson was patrolling old Knoxville Highway in the Rockford area just south of Knoxville when he got a report from a Blount County deputy sheriff that a speeding motorcyclist was coming up behind him. Johnson told investigators he turned on his emergency lights when he saw the motorcycle approaching, hoping to get the rider to slow down. Instead, Johnson said, the rider lost control of his machine, hit a guard rail and then slid into the police cruiser.
The motorcyclist, Philip Laton, 27, a father of three and a corrections officer at the Juvenile Detention Center in Knoxville, was killed instantly.
Later, a witness came forward to say that the police car had swerved into the path of the approaching motorcycle, killing Laton. The investigation by the Tennessee Highway Patrol included a review of videotape from a camera mounted on Johnson’s cruiser, which, investigators said, confirmed the witness’ account.
ULTIMATE PRIMARY KIT FROM PRO ONE–Looking for a primary drive for that ground-up custom? Look no further. PRO-ONE has taken the guesswork out of choosing compatible components that look as good as they perform with this all inclusive billet primary drive kit. You’ll get everything you need from the awesome triple chrome plated billet CNC machined inner and outer primary covers to the clutch basket, compensating sprocket, clutch spring, chain, tensioner, seals, gaskets and Barnett extra plate clutch kit.
The optional “Smoothie” style outer primary cover is one trick unit and eliminates the need for separate derby and inspection covers. For complete details contact your nearest PRO-ONE dealer or contact the company direct at (800) 884-4173. On the web at www.pro-one.com
SOTHEBY’S GOING DOWN FOR THE COUNT–
This is hot and dangerous news from a reliable source. If you’re an antique motorcycle collector or dealer you may do business with the company above. Rumor has is that they are going out of business and the owner is in Europe trying to escape the Feds.
Might be a good idea to keep your bikes away from these guys.
FLORIDA SPY TORTURES BIKER BABE FOR DEVIL DOLLS CALENDAR COVER–Hey there, handsome…..this will be a sneak preview of the Frank KozikDDMC 2002 cover. Anyone who lays eyes on it before we release it will be shot.
Love,
GOTH
V-ROD IMPRESSIONS AND NEWS ABOUT 100TH–We’re fortunate enough to receive a recent Milwaukee report from retired dealer owners Emma and Carlos, who recently owned Harley-Davidson of Auburn, Calif.
We came home yesterday. Carlo and I felt this was the best trip toMilwaukee so far. Arrived in “Cheeseland” on a red eye Aug. 30 at 8:45 a.m. Weswear we will NEVER again take a red eye. We went to the Pilgrim Road plantwhere HOG was doing test rides. After all had closed we were given theV Rod to test ride. We were expecting to crack the throttle and pullthe front end up, but that didn’t happen. We cruised through townthen got onto the freeway and we opened them up and that is when we wereimpressed. Got the R’s up between gears and all hell broke loose. Itpulled so hard, so fast. I looked down at my speedo and was doing 110.I still had a lot of throttle left, but thought better of continuing soI backed off. What a rush bone stock and goes like a bat out ofhell.
We hadlunch with Bill Davidson and Martin Jack (the historian) at the factory. Weate in the new H-D cafeteria and visited with them for 2 1/2 hours. Was so nice to be able to do that. Uuallyit’s a hi gotta go–so busy.
The 100th will be a year- long event so the dealers canparticipate. Then Aug. 28 will be in Milwaukee,so better make plans now, although H-D has secured ALL the hotels in andaround Milwaukee so all must go through their travel company to book rooms.
They are hoping to have themuseum open for this. They purchased the old Schlitz brewing building inthe downtown district, perfect location for this. Michael Davidson is on themuseum project. Willie and Nancy are so proud to have all three kids workingat the factory.
Friday night was George Throughgood at the HOG rally. We were to meet theDavidsons there but we changed plans, went to dinner with Ably (dealerout of NH), as well as Scott and Gary from Buell. We had a blast; didn’tget out of the German restaurant until close to midnight. Saturday the Blues Brothersat the HOG rally; spent a little time with Nancy and Willie. We are going to do the sametrip next year. Will close for now.
–Love Carlo and Emma
On To Page 2.
Sturgis 2001
By Bandit | | General Posts
Buells are the Harley-Davidson street fighter. They are inexpensive,sharp-handling machines that give the American rider something toshout about, something to fuck with and something to race.
This bike won’t compete with the 200 mph Japanese sportbikes, but it will handle like one, and brake like one. So we gothold of one and evaluated it for the Sturgis 2001 run. Since I come from a custom bike or chopper background, I wasn’t sure the Cyclone would do the job for me. If you ask a guy who rides a custom bike what style of bike he enjoysand why, the answer might be strange. I want something distinctiveand bad. I want it fast and cool. I need it to handle, but be achopper. Perhaps an oxymoron of conditions, yet there’s a mixture offactors that go into any ride and machine. Last year I rode astretched rigid with a 14-over front end. What a machine. For a rigid,it rode like a dream. For a 14-over front end, it handled well and Ipassed everyone I dared to pass, generally because I had the groundclearance to shove it close to the pavement and the raked tripletrees allowed me to turn the front end where I needed to go.
Each year the trek to the Badlands takes on a differentdemeanor, and this will be no different. After a week, I discovered a serious sense of enjoyment about straddling the M-2 Cyclone. It’s light, fast, a nimble handler that stops on a dime. I needed to learn to ride it like a race bike with my toes on the soft rubber pegs to enhance turning radius and ground clearance. There is also a notion that in the sportbike position, you’re forcing too much weight on your wrists. I discovered quickly that if I put my ass down,the weight on my wrists was not a problem. The force is substantial, however, when braking with a passenger on board. Ultimately, after riding two Buells, I decided that this motorcycle deserved a shot at aSturgis trek. It had class, felt sporty, even nasty, and I could makeit rumble. So I stood back and thought, “Can I make it even cooler?”It didn’t take long to discover that I could strip it down evenfurther than stock. I picked the Cyclone over the model with hard bags because of its bare bones feel. The crew here at Bikernet.com developed a five-pronged approach. One, we wanted toenhance the Harley-Davidson marriage with Buell and downplay thelittle-known name Buell for the time being. We also wanted to enhance the Sportstermotor and bring out the looks of the Harley-Davidson power plant, andchop it in a Buell way without altering the geometry of theframe, the front end length or lowering it, which is a tradition withour custom bikes. There’s more. We wanted the bike to sound more likea Harley and we wanted to enhance the performance without disturbingthe long-range reliability.
Our team included myself, Professor NuttBoy, consulting fromPaul Davis of Charlotte, Gene Tomasen Jr. from the Harley-Davidson fleet center, and a number of Bikernet readers who knew about and were testing Buells. This is the first of several techs on the modifications and the experiences we have with the M-2. We collected and ordered parts, then ran to the fleet center to get thejob done. The initial plan was to unleash the natural performance ofthe bike without breaking down the engine. We started by removing thecarburetor.
We replaced the needle in the slide with an ’88 Sportsterneedle, and drilled out the carb body above the idle adjustplug.
That allowed us to knock out the plug and back outthe idle adjuster 2.5 turns.
Stock carburetors are adjusted from thefactory to a very lean condition. Usually they are so lean that warmup takes a long time and you get an occasional cough through thecarb.
Others have recommended drilling directly through theplug, but Gene warned that if you slip, you will drillinto the adjuster screw and possibly damage it. Gene also recommendedhead work ultimately coupled with a 44 mm CV carb, manifold androller rockers in the future. I had a Screamin’ Eagle air box for a BigTwin, which I modified for the carb with an open K&N filter. We alsodropped the float bowel and replaced the 42 pilot jet with a 48. Becareful not to strip the screws holding the float bowel in place.Treat them with respect or they’ll cause you nightmares.
We set the carburetor aside and began to remove the timingcover to replace the cams. It’s important to take a scribe to thetiming plate so that you can duplicate the timing once you havereplaced the cams. Then pull the plate and the rotor cup, which isscrewed into the No. 2 cam. Before you go any further, remove the rockerboxes and the rocker arms to unload the tension on the non-adjustablepushrods. Now you can remove the cam cover, but don’t forget todrain the oil first.
At this point we decided to add a racy feature to theappearance of the bike by shaving the cam cover plate. First removethe oil line. Unplug the timing plate wire, dismantle the connectorand pull it through the plate.
Gene used a Sawzall and a grinder toremove the aluminum underneath the bolt holes.
You will note that there is a series of seemingly endless webbing in this area which is for noisereduction.
Notice that in the lower left hand corner, there is a dowelpin. Gene chose to leave it in place as a wiring guide and carve thecover around it.
The pushrods are color coded: pink or red forexhaust and brown for intake. The cams are numbered like you readfrom left to right, or back to front, 1 to 4. Make sure you pull theplugs for ease in turning the motor over. Install No. 4 first with redline assembly lube; No. 3 has two index marks. Slip No. 1 in next andNo. 2 last. It has three index marks to line up the cam with the pistonposition and the other cams with an index mark that aligns with aslot on the pinion gear.
This is where we noticed that the pitch onthe Screamin’ Eagle race cams was different than the new pinionshaft gears. An emergency run to Bartels H-D was in order for partNo. 24055-91, or No. 24061-91. The factory changed to a new pitch in ’99.When replacing the cam cover, keep in mind that there are fourdifferent length Allens holding it in place. Make sure you have theright length in the right hole. The torque setting for the cam coverAllens is 17 foot pounds. After the cover went back on, it was timeto reinstall the rotor cap and the timing plate.
These modifications will help it run better. Buells usually run hot from the factory because of hotter cams and ThunderstromHeads. At this point we re-ran the wiring to the regulator behindthe oil pump for a cleaner appearance. We only had to extend onewire, to the oil pressure switch. Gene Jr. handled it with solder andshrink tubing. Removal of the gastanks is a breeze and access to the heads and top end is easy. But ifyou need to remove the engine, the fact that it is an integral partof the frame and suspension creates unruly problems. The entirechassis must be supported.
At this point we replaced the pushrods from the top of theengine and replaced the stock rockerbox covers with chrome units.Don’t use anything on the self-sealing gaskets except a dab of greasehere and there to hold them in place.
With the engine assembled, we replaced the stock exhaustwith a Buell race header kit and module. While Gene Jr. was out oftown, I spoke to the Buell tech of the demo fleet, Alan Varsi, who hasworked at Bartels Harley-Davidson for more than 11 years. The Buell racemodule retards the timing 5 degrees and eliminates the rev limiter.The stainless steel header is 11 inches longer than stock, which makeseach exhaust runner equal in length. The muffler is an aluminumcanister type that is high flow with low resistance for additionalperformance at the high end.
That’s it. Laughlin is right around the corner, along with our firstlong ride on the Harley-Davidson Street Fighter. We’re lookingforward to every desolate mile. We’ll report upon ourreturn. A new paint job is in the wings, along with some cosmetic modsto brighten the look of this bad-ass bike.
Sturgis 2001 Part 2
By Bandit | | General Posts
Here’s a couple of shots of the Bikernet Street FightingBuell for Sturgis 2001. This is how it currently stands with ahandfull of minor modifications and a lot of plastic removed. Let meknow what you think.
Note the pulley guard. We had the notion to take levers andbraces like this off, lightening-drill polish and replace. Not sureif that’s going to be the bit, now, but this brace was the test. Ithink we’ll powdercoat rather than polish.
Trying to keep polishedaluminum up on a bike that’s well ridden is a pain in the ass. Haveyou seen a polished engine after a ride to Sturgis? We plan to removethe triple trees and swingarm. The tabs for the plastic dust shieldsneed to be removed and then the parts need to be polished to removethe ribs and casting marks before we decide on a finish.
Let us know what you think. I think I should black powercoatthe swingarm and maybe the trees and lower legs. We’re looking for apainter for the sheetmetal, and we’ll be ready to rock.
–Bandit
Sturgis 2001 Buell
By Bandit | | General Posts
It’s part of our job as moto-journalists to try what’s outthere in the American market and report back. The ultimate test is to take a bike, customize it and ride it to Sturgis. What could give you a truer test of a bike’s ability to look cool and endure a long run? I’ve been fortunate enough to customize and ride everything from nearly bone stock bikes to ground-up customs. Each trip is an adventure. Each run has varying characteristics, and with each journey there’s a new woman, but that’s my problem.
This year we needed to make a choice. I had a Kenny Boyce ProStreet frame that I planned to load a Twin Cam engine into and rideto the Badlands. I also had a 2000 Buell M-2 and I had recentlyinstalled dual Mikuni carb heads on my ’48 Panhead. Since I’m alsoworking on a Pro Street custom for Dr. Ladd Terry, the Bikernetmorale officer, I decided to hold onto my Pro Street project for nextyear. Another doctor, Dr. Hamster, had been working on his 34 VL andwas excited about riding it to Sturgis. We both knew that the antiqueride would be a long shot.
On top of the time/money consideration, I enjoy riding the M-2. It’s the hotrod of Harleys, light, agile, brakes like a madman and hauls ass. The guys at Harley like to refer to Buells as their street fighters. I have to agree. So I decided that I needed to put some miles on it and experience its ability for distance. Like last year when I told folks that I was going to ride a rigid toSturgis, I got the same reaction to the Buell. I rode it toLaughlin with a passenger and soft saddlebags. The bike handled likea dream. At 100 mph, it was more stable than most Big Twins, andacceleration was always at hand. There’s no hesitation from zip to 100 mph, and that’s my riding range.I was advised at one point to put a smaller pulley onthe rear for lower rpms while cruising. Later I found that themodification had its glitches. I found that the bike was glass smoothat 100 and still zippy and that was good enough for me. We began aseries of mild mods with a cam change to the Screamin’ Eagle raceversion and added the stainless race header. My partner to Laughlinhad a blast and was so comfortable she passed on several rest stops.We kept going and ran out of gas in the desert. So you can understandwhy there’s a new woman each year. She’s still out there somewhere.In the final analysis the decision was made to ride the Buellto the Black Hills Rally.
If you’ve read the techs, you know what wedid to this puppy, so I’ll go beyond the build to a few conceptionsabout Buell. First, there is no fairing to speak of, but I actuallyfound the bike extremely comfortable to ride. The little chin fairingkeeps the big blast off your chest and I didn’t need anymore. I mayregret those words as I hit the Colorado monsoons, but so far, sogood. Some guys complained about the sitting position, but I found itcomfortable once I knew how to sit. Like any bike, you need to findthe groove. The brothers talked about leaning on the bars and toomuch weight on the wrists. I found that if I leaned over the bars Iput excessive weight on my grip, but if I sat on my ass, it was nodifferent than other bikes, although under hard braking situationsyou are thrust forward.
Some felt the ride on a Buell would be rough, yet most wereunaware that the bike is basically a rubbermounted Sportster, andincredibly smooth, especially at 80-100 mph.
Others thought I mightlook ridiculous, and I told them I look ridiculous all the timeanyway. What difference would this year make? Others don’t like midcontrols. If you’re not used to them, you may find that you need toadjust, but once you get the hang of them, you’ll find less pressureon your back.
Alright enough perceptions and conceptions, let’s get readyto ride. The Buell has 400 miles on it since we made thecosmetic changes and cured some rocker box leaks.
This last week weinstalled Joker Machine billet and anodized turn signals on it and hidthem as much as possible.
We picked up a small oil cooler from ChromeSpecialties and installed it with longer oil lines at the front ofthe bike. The oil capacity is about 2.5 quarts, which always makes menervous, so we changed oil and plugged in the largest Dyna oil filterwe could find. The filter and cooler combination allowed us to squeakin 3 quarts and take some precarious kinks out of the lines. I alsostopped by Joker Machine and they liked the mods so much they told meto run one of their point covers or die.
Dewey’s Custom Pegs makes thecleanest air cleaner cover on the market and it fit like a dream.Finally we ordered a chrome hardware kit for the rear pulley. While disassembling the rear wheel, we polished the right wheel spacerand the belt adjuster guides–not bad touches.
So Sturgis 2001 is one week away. If I collect enoughaluminum cans off the beach I’ll have a pile of quarters for spendingmoney. The woman in my life is the best candidate to run Bikernetwhile I’m on the road, and I’m ready.
This is our quest each year,to build a vehicle and make it to the Badlands to talk about it. I’llhave a full report upon my return. Hang on.
August 30, 2001 Part 3
By Bandit | | General Posts
Continued From Page 2
THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE —is brought to you by Aid to InjuredMotorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM),and is sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. For moreinformation, call us at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE. Visit us on our website at http://www.aimncom.com
From TheGUNNY’S SACK
My wife and I had the privilege of attending the 7th annual FREE SOULS MCMotorcycle Rodeo this year near the town of Veneta, Ore. What a greatexperience.
The music was enjoyable and well played and the bands closed the eveningsaround midnight so everyone was able to get some sleep and enjoy the nextmorning.
SPRINGFIELD, MASS: Champion bicycle racers Oscar Hedstron and George Hendeelaunched America’s love affair with the open road on May 24, 1901, when thecountry’s first motorcycle rumbled through Springfield’s streets. Springfieldcelebrated the 100th birthday of the Indian Motocycle.Hundreds of antique bikes with the skirted fenders and left hand throttlesrallied at the Indian Motocycle Museum. Yes, it was spelled ”MOTOCYCLE,”and it was an excellent machine over the years. It truly was the FIRSTmotorcycle made in this country.
SHREWSBURY, CONN: Here’s a doozy for road rage. A car passes two womenriding a motorcycle and allegedly one of the women flips the guy off. Theclown chases them off the road into a parking lot and gets an aluminum batfrom the trunk of his car and proceeds to whack them around. One gal triesto protect herself with her helmet and he smashed it with the bat. Bothwomen were hurt, but refused medical aid. The cops arrested the nut at hishome. Moral of this story is be careful who you flip a bird to. WOW!
WORLD BIKER ARRIVES IN NORTH AMERICA: Simon Milward, a 36-year-old Briton,former Secretary General of the European Federation of Motorcyclists, arrivedin Anchorage, Alaska from Magadan in Russia.
Milward left England on January 1st, 2000 and the USA will be the 28thcountry on his trip around the world. He has ridden 72,000km through Europe,the Middle East, South Asia, Indonesia, Australia, SE Asia, Japan and Russia.
There is a serious side to Milward’s trip. He is raising $100,000 for twomedical charities. One is Doctors Without Borders, the other is Riders forHealth, specializing in healthcare delivery to out of reach regions bymotorcycle. His primary purpose in North America is to find sponsorship fortwelve motorcycles to use in a new project in Indonesia.
Milward’s motorcycle, the John T Overlander, was handmade in the UK in 1999from 90% donated parts and equipment. It uses a 600cc single cylinder enginefrom Austria, a huge 45 liter Italian fuel tank, and a French internettracking system. For more information on Simon’s trip, log on to simon@millennium-ride.com.GUNNY SUMMARY: Our summer is fast coming to an end folks and I’m sure you allhad a happy safe one. For those of you that ran into accident misfortune, Ihope you called your nearest Aid To Injured Motorcyclists (AIM) attorney forhelp. These folks ride the same as we do and know our lifestyle and what weface every time we ride because they face the same things we do. They arehere to help us. The national number is1-(800) 531-2424 and your local AIM attorney is in your phone book. You canreach Sam Hochberg in Oregon at 503/224-1106, or SamBikeLaw@aol.com. You canalso find your local AIM attorney on our website, www.aimncom.com.
Keep the round side on the bottom.Gunny, Oregon AIM Chief of Staff
BOB BITCHIN’ RETURNS– I don’t really know Bob personally, of course, but I owe him a hugedebt of gratitude. After reading his work at Choppers magazine in the 1970’s,I became inspired enough to try a journalistic adventure of my own. When heused my work at Biker Lifestyle (1983-1988) I was thrilled. There are fewindividuals who can so accurately be called ‘unique’. Bob is truly ‘one of akind’. I grew up in a family of writers, but would never have ‘connected’with the profession if not for his carefree, authentic approach towordsmithing.
I was pleased to note that you have his books available inthe Bandit Library.
–Rod Ice
FIA WORLD RECORD OPPORTUNITY–and an “FYI” for the rest of you . . .
TEAMVesco, led by Rick and Don Vesco, will be making an attempt to regain the World Land Speed Record for wheel-driven cars immediately following the USFRA World of Speed land speed time trials event September 21-24.
The Vesco brothers invite any other racers interested in running for a World Record to contact them as soon as possible. While the sanction will initially be for automobiles, a possibility exists to expand the sanction to include motorcycles and the FIM.
It ought be noted that there is a tremendous “economy of scale” advantage potential, the greater the number of racers sharing in the costs, the more economical a world record might be earned.
Turbinator driver Don Vesco is seeking to end the 403 mph record book reign of Britain’s Donald Campbell set in 1964 on Australia’s Lake Eyre. In view of the Turbinator’s one-way “tune-up” run at the BNI Speedweek this past August in excess of 455 mph, the outstanding racing surface (“This is the best salt ever,” says D. Vesco) and very cooperative weather, the odds are favorable that he will easily eclipse Campbell’s mark.
For more information contact:
Don Vesco at 909.677.0750 or
Louise Ann Noeth at 805.445.8414
THUNDER OVER DIXIE SCUTTLEBUTT–Well, I have a bit of news about the ride…..Corbin is one of our sponsorsand they are bringing their big rig on the run complete with banners andgraphics blah blah….and they are going to throw a party at the end of therun in their parking lot…should be lots of fun.
We still havesome ride packages that includes rooms…people can book thru Tri CommunityTravel at 800-582-2263 and ask for Lynn.
Don’t miss the best run to Biketoberfest.
–Vickie/Dixie
BIKERNET ORWELL BUZZ–I thought you might get a kick out of knowing that the autographed copy of Orwell I won in the cyberbike show last April is now proudly gracing the shelves of the PapaetePublic Library compliments of yours truly.
–TBear
“JAG” FANS WORLDWIDE GATHER–On October 12th through the 15th at the Four Points Sheraton LAX in Los Angeles join die-hard JAGnik fans from the United States, Australia, Denmark, England, Italy and elsewhere to meet the stars and celebrate their enthusiasm for the hit TV series, “JAG,” the story of the United States Navy’s Judge Advocate General’s program, at the JAGnik Invasion 2001.
The JAGnik 2001 convention – the 2nd one of its kind — will host panel discussions with the cast and crew of JAG, as well as autograph sessions, a charity auction, and a “Charity Brunch” with the stars of one of the most popular programs ever produced.
JAG’s “Top Gun” stars are expected to be there. Heartthrobs David James Elliot as Lt. Cmdr Harmon Rabb, Jr. and Catherine Bell as Lt. Colonel Sarah “Mac” MacKenzie, who portray military legal eagles who investigate, prosecute, and defend Navy and Marine personnel around the world.
Jagnik Invasion 2001 will be held October 12 – 15 at the Four Points Sheraton LAX in Los Angeles, CA. Information about the convention can be found at our website,
TAHITAIN RIDER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM–The above rider, Teddy Bear, has kicked off a program to help destitude island riders. “These are good dudes and can use whatever help they can get keeping their scoots up and running. Unfortunately the don’t have the bucks.
Their address is:
Tahiti Harley Riders Club
c/o Kiki Teagai
BP 13717
Punaaui, Tahiti
email: tahiti_harley_riders@yahoo
BIKERNET DRAG UPDATE–The All Harley Drag Racing Association – AHDRA – presents the NORTHWESTNATIONALS at Woodburn, Oregon (30 miles south of Portland on I-5) onSeptember 8th & 9th. I’ll be there taking pictures and enjoying the groundpounding vibration. If you haven’t experienced it yet, give it a try.Woodburn is a favorite track of many racers and it is easy for specatatorsto get close to the bikes and racers in the pits. Entry fee always includesa pit pass.
The Digitalis Gangsteritis and I have finally completed the points database.I take the points info provided by AHDRA and show the results of each raceinstead of only the year-to-date totals. Lisa Hegler of AHDRA has been verycooperative on this and has even extended a trade – Bikernet’s banner willappear on their homepage to guide folks to the points page and vice-versa.Check out their site at www.AHDRA.com for schedules and directions to racesand much more.Helen Wolfe
HORSE MAGAZINE LOOKING FOR AD SALES GIANT–Advertising Sales Manager needed for an established international motorcyclemagazine. Responsibilities include new ad sales, billing and managing ad reps…Great opportunity, commission plus…Must have previous motorcycle advertisingsales experience. Call 561 394 5353 or 810 292 5993
THE INTERNET DIRECTORY THAT IS ALL HARLEY– Launched just in time for Sturgis 2001, WebHarley.Com will provideHarley-Davidson owners with an “all Harley all the time” only directory.Whether your looking for a Chrome Plater or a Custom Pair of HandlebarsWebharley.com breaks it down in zip codes or geographics. Just enter avendors name and we can find them too. Harley only retailers/dealers areinvited to list there business in our directories. Find it now in one spot,no need to go anywhere else-sign up on our mailing lists its free!
JAY LENO TO LEAD PACK OF 20,000 MOTORCYCLISTS IN LOVE RIDE 18, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11– Grand Marshal Jay Leno will lead the pack for the largest fundraising event in the world. Jay will be joined by honorary Grand Marshals Peter Fonda, Robert Patrick and lorenzo Lamas. The 50-mile caravan from Harley-Davidson of Glendale to Castaic Lake will feature a Tony Roma’s barbecue, motorcycle trade show and concert.
The Love Ride is expected to raise over a million for the Los Angeles Times’ “Reading By 9” literacy initiative, the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Bikernet’s Human Services Network for abandoned children. Over 17 years the Love Ride has raised $14 million.
We’ll be giving you regular reports on the progress of this year’s event.
TIME TO HIT THE ROAD–If you read the news last week you would have seen where some of the members of the community in Long Beach, Calif., put the heat on the cops to bury bikers with loud pipes. As I mentioned last week, loud pipes keep some of us alive. Loud pipes are pure freedom and represent the American way. Besides bikers could be calling the cops constantly and complaining about women who don’t use turn signals, jerks who pay more attention to talking on their cell phone than driving, about people who pay no attention to bikes and put our lives at risk, and the list goes on.
The city of Long Beach wants to hear what you think. The number is (562) 570-7210.
Watch for the Jay Springsteen interview to be launched on the site any day now. Soon after I hope to interview Phil Ross, the developer behind many of the belt drive systems on the road today and Supermax Belt Drives. I also interviewed the main designer behind custom parts for Custom Chrome, Englishman John Reed. That interview is headed toward Hot Rod Bikes.
In a couple weeks I will take the new-used Bikernet pickup for a roll to Phoenix to pick up the deer- soaked Cyclone and bring it back to Los Angeles for repairs. In the meantime, let’s ride what we got.–Bandit
August 30, 2001 Part 2
By Bandit | | General Posts
Continued From Page 1
WHERE THE HIGHWAY MEETS THE SKY– A sultry Saturday in August. Steam rising off the asphalt. Toofriggin hot to ride, right?How about spending the day on a runway surrounded by airplanes andmotorcycles spewing fireand smoke?Before you think the old Bear has finally got heat stroke, I?m talkingabout the Antique Motorcycle Show thrown at the Old Rhinebeck Areodromein Rhinebeck, NY. This tiny grass landing field, located about 100miles up the Hudson River north of New York City was the perfect placeto get away for the day. My 16 year old niece, Katie, was up from LongIsland for the weekend. She just got her motorcycle learners permit andwas itching for her first lesson from her crazy ?biker? uncle. I threwher on my old panhead, called a few of the local boys and headed down tothe aerodrome for a little history lesson first.
Danny rolled out his 1932 Indian Chief and Jim rode his 44 knuck. Wefigured we?d put on quite a show tooling in on the three old beauties.When we got there, our thoughts of glory soon faded. ?Man, I feel likeGeneral Custer? Jim said. ? Look at all them friggin Indians!!!? Oh,there were about 15 Indians. Ranging from 1910 through 1930. There wereExclesior-Hendersons, Scots, and Ducati?s. Crockers and one truly sweetBrough-Superior SS-100 and an Ariel Square 4 with an original side hack.
And then there were the old airplanes…Now, my love of the open roadis only equaled by my love of that wild blue yonder. Rhinebeck is proudto boast one of the largest collection of antique airplanes this side ofthe Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and they were all ready on theflight line for close inspection. They have a Curtis Jenny, a TigerMoth, a 1903 Wright Flyer and a 1939 Stampe SV-4 to name but a few andthe best thing is that they fly em every weekend from April throughOctober, weather permitting.They also have a large museum with an old WW I Fokker Triplane and aSopwith Camel that was used in the movie ?DAWN PATROL? with Errol Flynn.Sundays the Aerodrome puts on mock WWI dogfights as well. If you?relooking for a place to ride to on a weekend in NY, This place is wellworth the trip.You cab find out more about the ?Old Rhinebeck Areodrome? atwww.oldrhinebeck.org. It?s definitely worth the ride.
–Teddy Bear
BANDIT’S STURGIS SAGA SUMMARY–Good read on your Sturgis story. You bring up an interesting perspective in between those lines. Don’t take this the wrong way, but I wonder about the value of the annual Sturgis run, IF it is the only run a person makes each year. You make mention of riders heading other directions in pursuit of bigger adventures. The towns and hangouts you frequented along the way do not seem to enhance the spirit. Even the run has become a “family activity” in your words. “SOON TO COME BLACK HILLS BIKERWORLD” I see someday.
I would rather read your words as you cross Italy and Spain on the Buell, read your description of the Australian Barrier Reef as you pull up to it on your TC88 FXR. A howl of pleasure at the sight of the beautiful Latin beauties as you ride the beach of Rio on your rigid Evo.
I see a bigger opportunity for the Bandit literary spirit as I view the world. Heed the call bossmanand take the longer ride.All respect,
–Anson
Brother, I’m all for it.–Bandit
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CUCKOO CLOCK INVESTIGATION– The other night I was invited out for a night with “the boys”. Itold my wife that I would be home by midnight ..promise! Well, the hours passed and the beer was going down way too easy.
At around 2:30 a.m., drunk as a skunk, I headed for home. Just as I got inthe door, the cuckoo clock in the hall started up and cuckooed 3 times. Quickly, I realized she’d probably wake up, so I cuckooed another 9 times. I was really proud of myself, having a quick-witted solution, even when smashed, to escape a possible conflict.
The next morning my wife asked me what time I got in, and I told her twelve o’clock. She didn’t seem disturbed at all. Whew! Got awaywith that one!
She then told me that we needed a new cuckoo clock. When I asked her why, she said, “Well, last night our clock cuckooed three times, thensaid “oh shit,” cuckooed 4 more times, cleared its throat, cuckooed another 3 times, giggled, cuckooed twice more, and then farted.”
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TWO DRAG RACES LEFT THIS SEASON–DON’T MISS ‘EM–There are only two races left on the West Coast AHDRA (All Harley Drag Racing Association) circuit this season. The next is my favorite track, Woodburn, OR (30 miles south of Portland on I-5) on September 8th & 9th. Its out in farm country and the track has a character all its own. Records have been set there.?
When you pay your $35 for the whole weekend (or $25 per day) you get access to the entire track area including the pits.?(HOG members get $5 off.) ?You can ask the racers questions (if the wrenches aren’t flying) or just watch them?get the bikes ready to race. Some of the racers have flyer handouts they might even sign if you ask them to. Just don’t touch the bikes, even though you can get close enough to.
After that race, there?will be the big season finale at Las Vegas on October 20th & 21st. This is where a LOT of big name, fast racers show up including those from the East coast, trying to better their scores for one last time.??Only the?top 8 out of 13 races get counted toward the winners’ national points total. If you?score high and have raced over 8 times this season, your lowest score is thrown out and your higher score replaces it. So it gets very interesting.
Last year in Top Fuel at Vegas, if you weren’t one of the 16 racers who went over 200 miles per hour, you didn’t make the ladder for the eliminations on Sunday. Fast? Loud? Powerful? Oh yeah. You can get your nitro fix here. Odds are, the weather will be great. Its a new track with all the modern conveniences – take a gamble and check it out!
–Helen Wolfe
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