Last week (August 2016), the Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA) released its preliminary data and findings regarding motorcycle fatalities in 2015. The GHSA represents the state and territorial highway safety offices that implement programs to address highway safety. Although GHSA’s primary mission is to improve traffic safety, their latest report appears to be more focused on thinly veiled demands for nationwide universal helmet laws despite their failure to provide real data demonstrating the effectiveness of such laws. Read more.  

Better late than never, here's another look at Sturgis 2016. Read more here.

Downloadable Kindle Version FREE here. Limited time offer for Bikernet Readers. Koz Mraz is riding the coast of Washington and Oregon road testing the all-new 2017 Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In honor of this historic occasion he is offering Piers of the West Coast Traveled on Two Wheels to Bikernet readers FREE for two days, Aug 31st and Sept 1st. This picturesque travel book includes a little history, vintage and current photos and information from a rider’s perspective: ease of access, available parking, restaurants, nightlife, lodging accommodations and overall rider-friendly vibes and attitude. “As a Moto-journalist, I ride a lot of different bikes and just like each pier; every bike has its own personality so I choose a different motorcycle for each part ...

The American criminal justice system is aptly named. It is criminal the way the system dispenses “justice,” and that criminality infests the entire system. That’s because the system has become a business and a blood sport based on profit, control and winning rather than determining a person’s guilt or innocence. The result is that the U.S. has 6 to 12 times as many incarcerated people per capita as does Australia, Canada, France Germany, Japan or the United Kingdom. The U.S. has 5 percent of the world’s population, 25 percent of its incarcerated people, and half of the world’s academically qualified lawyers, Those lawyers consume about 10 percent of America’s gross domestic product. There are about 2.3 million people populating America’s ...

Robb Talbott is perhaps best known as the founder of the world-famous Talbott Vineyards. But there is perhaps an even more important, lasting strain that runs through his storied life: motorcycles. Young Robb developed a youthful fascination with the speed, noise and commotion of the nearby Laguna Seca Raceway. Eventually he acquired a “very used” Honda 50 step-through, which he remembers as “the most fun he’d ever had.” By the time he left to study Fine Art and Design at Colorado College in 1966, Talbott was irretrievably in love with two wheels. He acquired a succession of small displacement Suzukis, and then a pantheon of iconic dirt bikes, including a BSA 441, Jawa, Bridgestone, Kawasaki and a Sachs. But his ...

Action from Harley-Davidson, Australia, Cannonball, Trailblazers, Bonneville, Triumph, Kawasaki, ABATE, the MRF, and Vegas Bikefest. Read more.

National Cycle now offers Indian Scout and Scout Sixty riders a fender-mounted Solo Luggage Rack that looks like it's fresh off of a 1942 Indian Sport Scout. Simply remove the passenger pillion and use the supplied hardware to mount the rack to the stock passenger seat mount points. It's a quick and simple job that pays back big style points -- as well as added luggage carrying capacity. The rear Fender-Mount Solo Rack retails for $209.95 in chrome and is available in Powdercoated Gloss Black for $194.95. More information at www.NationalCycle.com.

AirHawk International recently announced that they are suing Wild Ass for Patent Infringement on three of their products, False Advertising in Violation of the Lanham Act, Unfair Competition under California Law, Tortious Interference and claims against the owners of Wild Ass individually. On July 6th, Wild Ass claimed the lawsuit was frivolous and filed a motion to dismiss and stated they were confident the court will rule in favor of Wild Ass. In fact, Scott Parman, co-founder of Wild Ass, stated AirHawk's lawsuit was a desperate, frivolous case initiated by in an effort to eliminate the competition. On August 1, the court ruled in favor of AirHawk and allowed all of its claims to go forward. In fact, with regards to ...

A quick Paughco update on our Bikernet Baggers project bike. The Paughco crew is the master of vintage, supplying the world with classic chopper parts for over 45 years. But let’s stay focused on this effort. Steve Massicotte contacted me with a handful of the latest shop photos. They refined their handlebar design and turn signal installation before tearing the bike down for a Kirk Taylor (Custom Design Studios) custom paint job. Continue reading.

Harley-Davidson seems to have addressed some of the touring bikes' woes. Bikernet looks forward to give you a full report on their improved performance as we set out for a test ride next week. Stay tuned! In the meantime, check out the video below.