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Read More German Bike Builder Bottles Harley-Infused Gin
By Joshua Placa |
The bikernet.com staffers and their work-release crew of not-yet-paroled freelancers have been around the block, done some things, seen what can’t be unseen, but never in anyone’s memory have they tasted Harley-Davidson flavored liquor. Was this another attempt by the Motor Company to trademark the un-markable? Rather than a distinctive syncopated sound, was the factory trying to brand an exclusive taste? The taste of old motor parts soaked in gin?
There have been office incidents, of course—a splash of motor oil gone awry, a dribble of fork lube miraculously finding Editor Ball’s breakfast beer—you know, the usual accidental cocktails. Leave it, however, to German builder Uwe Ehinger, who with driven purpose and sober intent, built bottles of gin around unearthed Harley parts, American Picker style, by digging through barns and bunkers and such. There’s a reason why they call him “The Archaeologist,” or that’s what he calls himself, we’re not sure, but after a few shots of liquid motor manna at about $42.00 per shot, we didn’t care.
We had to look once and taste twice to believe it. Okay, full disclosure—starting at $1,058 for a 750 ml bottle, we didn’t actually purchase and pour, swirl and sniff the subtle steel notes of a 1939 Flathead camshaft, but after some unscientific experimentation with spare parts, we got the idea. Harley banks on nostalgia, and what better way to experience years of Milwaukee tradition than drinking up some history.
Ehinger has created three varieties of his premium priced gin based on bits and pieces of a 1939 Flathead, 1947 Knucklehead and 1962 Panhead, a vintage year for sure. Each bottle comes with the part’s backstory and from what far corner of the world it was exhumed. The period-look packaging of waxed paper and cardboard was printed on a 1931 Heidelberg Tiegel printing press, according to a spokesman for Hamburg-based Ehinger Kraftrad, which builds customs based on vintage Harleys.
Using old and gritty Harley parts to make liquor is nothing new. My grandfather was a bootlegger in the 1930s and used to refer to the process as “cooking up some oil pan stew,” which was family code for making moonshine. Grandpa was an avid motorcyclist in the first half of the last century, riding Indians, Harleys, Excelsiors and pretty much anything else he could drag from the junkyard and restore to life. Story goes, some engine parts didn’t make it back into the engine but instead were used to “add character” to the batch. Seems he believed the porous parts held a hint of burnt oil, which he swore with a mischievous smile gave his shine a “distinctive smokey flavor.”
So if your beer is tasting a little bland, just stir in a greasy bolt or two, garnish with a bit of chrome and enjoy. In the entrepreneurial spirit of free thinkers like Grandpa and Uwe the Archeologist, perhaps it is time to fire up the family business, serving those citizens who want a bold taste of the biker life. Just have to dig through some old piles of parts to find Grandpa’s old oil pan.
Essential Self-Defense Techniques For Summer Road Trips
By Bandit |
69% of families planning a summer vacation in 2016 were planning a road trip. While you can see more and have more flexibility in your schedule during a road trip than you would if you simply flew to a destination, road trips can also be more complicated to plan. One of the top concerns is safety. Having enough water, snacks, plotting fuel stops, are all important, but you should also know how to physically defend yourself and your family should you breakdown or wind up lost in a bad part of town.
Because attacks happen so quickly it is often difficult to predict which self-defense technique is needed before the attack actually happens. It is because of this that Krav Maga Worldwide training utilizes the body is natural reaction to being attacked to teach people to defend against common chokes, grabs, and strikes, as well as more serious threats involving weapons.
If you are training on a consistent basis you will cultivate a self- defense skill set, a “tool box” if you will, that will help you be prepared for self-defense situations. The following are techniques that Krav Maga Worldwide recommends as essential for people to have in their self-defense tool box.
Straight Punch
The basic movement behind a straight punch is to push off from your legs, rotate your hips and shoulders, and extend your arm out toward your target as explosively as possible. Clench your fist tightly and aim to make contact with the two knuckles at the base of your pointer and middle fingers against your attacker’s chin, mouth, or nose.
Front Kick to the Groin
The front kick to the groin travels on a vertical plane up the “A frame” form of an attacker’s legs and lower body. To deliver the kick drive your hips forward with your knee bent so your heel is back. Let your knee and leg extend and with your foot flat (shoelaces up and toes forward gives the most striking surface), kick up and through the attacker’s groin. Imagine that your kick will travel through the attacker’s groin and out the top of the head, as if you were going to split them in two from the groin up. Recoil your leg back to it’s original position.
Knees
Knee strikes are very useful for creating damage at close range. If the attacker is close enough to grab you, that means you can grab that attacker and start making damage using your knees. Grab as much skin, muscle (and whatever fabric the attacker is wearing) at the attacker’s trapezius (that’s the spot between the neck and shoulder) as possible. Keep the elbow of the arm grabbing the trap pointed down so you can brace yourself if the attacker comes forward. Use your other hand to wrap behind the elbow on the same side of the body you are already grabbing. This grip on the trap and elbow will help you maintain a position from which to knee. Drive your hips forward with your heel back (so your leg makes a triangle in profile view) and imagine that you are going to punch your knee straight through the attacker in front of you. Recoil your knee by bringing your foot back to the ground, and continue to deliver knees until you can get away safe.
Bear Hug Defense
If you are grabbed in a bear hug, from the front or from behind, the key to getting out is to start fighting back right away. It’s hard to start fighting back unless you establish two things; base and space. Lower your center of gravity and “base out” by bending your legs and widening your feet. You will immediately become more difficult to lift off of your feet and more difficult to move in general. As soon as you’ve established a solid base, immediately begin striking at any open and vulnerable areas that the attacker presents. Continue to strike (head butt, knee strikes, kicks, punches, bites) until there is sufficient space for you to turn in (if attacked from behind) and continue with more strikes, or to simply separate and run away.
Choke Defense
If a choke comes on from the front, back, or side and that choke happens “in place”(which is to say that you are being attacked but generally standing in the same place, not being moved or pushed while the choked) Krav Maga Worldwide students are taught to “pluck” the choker’s hands away and immediately strike back. Your body (meaning your hands) will want to immediately go toward your neck if a choke is put on you and will most likely end up on top of the attacker’s hands as they are already on the neck. Instead of trying to pull the attacker’s hands off of the neck, which could be impossible if the defender is a much smaller person than the attacker, use your hands like hooks (thumbs against pointer fingers, hands in a “C” shape) and explosively pluck at the attackers thumbs. The attacker cannot maintain a choke using their hands (it’s a different defense if the attacker is choking with their arm like a “rear naked choke” or similar) if their thumbs are plucked off of the defender’s neck. Immediately begin to strike vulnerable areas on the attacker’s body.
For more information check out www.kravmaga.com see the Facebook page (Krav Maga Worldwide), follow on Instagram @krav_maga_worldwide or call 800.572.8624.
LC Fabrications’ Jeremy Cupp takes Freestyle in Washington, DC
By Jeffery Najar |
Jeremy Cupp took 2nd in New York before the holiday break and then motored into the 1st at the Washington DC edition of the J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Custom Bike show. He beat all comers in FreeStyle with his custom Sportster called LC Speedster.
The Grottoes, Virginia native took the National Championship last year and is continuing on his winning ways. The bike has a hybrid café and flat tracker style. The all metal tail doubles as an oil tank with a dramatic trio of hard lines feeding the engine.
The Sportster comes equipped with power supplied by an S&S internals. The silver and black paint scheme contrasts nicely with the distressed oxblood leather diamond-pleated seat cover. Hanging off the carb is a striking LC Fab’s Ham Can air cleaner. It’s a won-of-a-kind motorcycle from a won-of-a-kind builder.
Winner – #1150- Jeremy Cupp, LC Fabrications, LC Speedster – Custom Sportster
Runner Up – #1250 Robert Kelly, Bert’s Cycle & Fabrication – 1968 Stroker Shovelhead
Green Earth Technologies provides a product sponsorship in the Freestyle class with their portable power sprayer and green bucket of polishing and cleaning materials.
Modified Harley presented by Harley-Davidson Class
Rats Hot Wheels is Ross Latimer’s personal 2002 Harley-Davidson Sportster that took 1st place in J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder MOD Harley class. It features a layer Custom Candy teal/ Hot Wheels paint scheme with a 1250cc Hammer Performance motor that makes 110+ HP. Ross did the fabrication, built his exhaust and painted the bike.
Winner – #1300 Ross Latimer, Rats Hot Wheels – 2002 Harley-Davidson Sportster
Runner Up – #850 Angelo Slano, Bulldog Army – 2005 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
Harley-Davidson is the presenting class sponsor, along with Harley-Davidson, J&M Motorcycle Audio and K&N Filters, providing product sponsorship.
Modified Retro presented by Royal Enfield Class
Ben Davis of Legion Cycle Works rolled in his sano1979 Honda CB750 and rolled out with a win. The sled features a handmade fairings, GSXR1000 front end conversion, mono shock conversion, CR29 carbs and one off top triple tree engraved with a scene drawn by a DC comics artist. Additional components include the LED bars for headlights, spoke rim conversion, digital speedo and hidden starter button.
Winner – #875 Ben Davis, Legion Cycle Works – 1979 Honda cb750
Runner Up – #1050 Hank Thibodeau, Widowmaker CDR – 83 Kawasaki GPZ750
Royal Enfield is the presenting class sponsor, along with K&N Filters providing a product sponsor in the class.
Modified Custom Class
Sean Skinner of Motorelic built the motorcycle from an enthusiasts’ poll at caferacerxxx.com instagram page. The bike started out as a 2014 Royal Enfield Continental GT.
Winner – #1375 Sasha Valentine, Motorelic- 2014 Royal Enfield Continental GT
Runner Up – #1400 Thomas Foulds, DIY Cycle Part – 1981 Yamaha XV 750
Additional Awards at the DC Editon of the J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show
- Best Paint was awarded to #1175 Kelvin Dudenhoeffer for Evil Crusader, a 2014 Harley-Davidson Street Glide. Paint by Sinthium Custom Motorcycle Paint.
- The People’s Choice recipient was #1250 Robert Kelly with his 1968 Stroker Shovelhead. He won a Custom 500 lid from Bell Helmets and $100 gift certificate from J&P Cycles.
- Hank Thibodeau of Widowmaker CDR took the Ingenuity Award for Mushu Suzie, a custom 1983 Kawasaki GPZ750. It features a 6″ under wide glide leaf spring front end, a one-off headlight, bars, dual ram air intake, rear mounted gas tank and a 13″ seat height.
- The Originality Award went to #1000 Casey Harrington for his Prince tribute called Purple Rain. The bike is a 1981 HondaCM400A.
- Ross Latimer won the K&N Award with his 2002 Harley-Davidson Softail.
- SHO DOG is awarded to the individual that works the show to promote their business and the custom bike industry. Roy Chamberlain of C&C Cycles won the The Leatherworks solo chopper bag for his efforts.
The J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show is the nation’s largest motorcycle builder competition series featuring more than 350 motorcycles and the talents of dozens of local builders at each of the 7 Progressive International Motorcycle Shows (IMS).
These elite-level, custom motorcycle creations will compete for cash and product prizes on the IMS Tour, including the Championship Round in Chicago.
Freshening a 1999 Softail
By Joshua Placa |
It’s more than 17 years since I first came into possession of this 1999 Softail Standard, which I bought used from Harley’s press fleet. Bone stock, it had about 8,000 miles on the clock, and had reportedly been flogged by Dan Ackroyd on some cross-country mischief tour before I got my grubby hands on it.
The bike was grimy and a little worn beyond its time, but no matter, I was going to replace or modify most everything anyway. Over time, the Softail got 80-spoke wheels, Screaming Eagle heads, Vance & Hines pipes, Crane cam, Mikuni carb, paint, PM hand controls, Hurst forward controls, PM sliders and brakes, LePera seat, Ghost Bracket bags, H-D chrome rocker boxes, front and rear lights, turn-signals, composite tail-dragger style rear fender, teardrop composite air cleaner, Crane single-fire ignition, Harley old-fashioned style metal tool box, and various other chrome bits and bolts. The project took a couple of years and countless parts. Roads were ridden, stories filed, and years past.
Like any machine, however, no matter how good the parts or how carefully maintained, there comes a day when more than rubber, brake pads and fluid changes are needed. The Harley was getting a little cranky and needed more attention.
I didn’t anticipate anything major. Some fresh oil, new tires, fix a weepy leak or two and I’d be ready for the next 17 years. Even after all this time, the 80 cubic-inch Evo (Evos Rule) ran great and had plenty of giddy-up, although it did have some issues, most notably a nagging and befuddling battery drain that no one could figure.
If the bike sat for about two weeks, the battery would go dead, any battery. There were no clocks or alarms or other bells or whistles that parasitically ate electricity. Mechanics tested and could find no shorts, nor pesky drain sources. Theories that it was a weakness in the stator or a bad ignition switch were tested and ruled out.
Of course, the obvious solution was to not let it sit for two weeks, just ride the thing, but that didn’t always work out. The other non-solution was to keep the bike on the trickle charger and forget about it. I couldn’t forget, but accepted this was my ride’s new normal.
When I witness my aging bike, I thought to include charging evaluation in planned work, which I figured would take no more than half a day. Why does that always seem funny later? But wait, there is some invisible force, like a biker law of the universe, waiting around to slap you right in the face. While on rare occasions, like once a chromed comet passing in the night, things go right and as expected, wrenches spin, bolts go un-stripped, parts fit (and work), all goes well in the mechanical universe, dare I say it—to plan. Sometimes not.
When we took the wheels off to change the tires, we were surprised to see the rear wheel contained several broken spokes. That’s not supposed to happen, but like the supernatural or a mother-in-law who takes your side, it did happen. That particular wheel used a mercury strip as a balancer, which worked great until a few spokes failed and no wheel repair shop would touch the toxic stuff. So a once $1,200 wheel was now not only worthless but had to be properly recycled, which everyone should do anyway, but you get the drift.
The wheels were a matching pair, of course, but a new rear was unavailable. In fact, nothing was available. The manufacturer had closed its doors so the search for a proper pair of new wheels was on. Meanwhile, I ordered Harley-Davidson gaskets and new plugs, a Yuasa, battery, K&N oil and air filters, Metzeler tires and Bel-Ray premium oil.
Fortunately, Sam Wakim of Ridewright Wheels had 50-Spoke Fat Daddy wheels front and rear, which were powder-coated candy apple red. This was old-school hotrod stuff, and an uncanny match to the Harley’s custom candy apple red paint job, done by Nashville-based legend, Andy Anderson, some 17 years ago and still looking sensational.
I handed the bike off to Costa Mesa, CA-based master wrench, Ralph Aguirre. If you haven’t heard about Ralph and his shop, Mesa Cycle, it’s because he’s such a low-key, humble guy. He does custom builds, modification, fabrication, motor and transmission work and otherwise welds, constructs, and creates masterworks out of his well-equipped, one-man shop.
No fix is too small or large for Ralph, who will joke and chat with you as he performs his magic. He doesn’t brag, doesn’t advertise, doesn’t have a website and doesn’t use email. He just gets things done. His customers usually come by way of a spoken word, which is how I found him.
A woman with an early FXR and a guy with a ’58 Pan sitting in a ’64 frame couldn’t say enough good about their friendly neighborhood wrench. Turns out, he also happened to have a five-star Yelp rating. Yelp reviews have been known to be contaminated by paid critics and malicious competitors, so I look for persistent threads, good and bad. If something continues to pop, I pay attention. Mesa Cycle consistently earned high marks for work and service, so I gave Ralph a call.
Especially for a guy who has forgotten more about bikes than most of us will ever learn, Ralph is very unassuming and personable. He did not patronize or use gibbering “mechanic-speak,” as some shops do, which can sound condescending or intentionally confusing. Rather, Ralph speaks plainly with care and concern and keeps explaining things until you understand what he was doing and why. As a true gentleman wrench, he doesn’t do work you don’t need.
Ralph needed to make spacers to reattach the PM brakes to the new Ridewright wheels. He noticed the gas line had some dry rot and replaced it. The bike looked like it was leaking oil from the oil pump, but it was just a loose line, which he secured. The Yuasa battery was installed, and the K&N oil and filters were changed. I’m sure the old girl was feeling fresh and made over. I was.
The issue of the battery drain was next, but Ralph checked the charging system and possible electrical eating sources and could find nothing. Tests revealed no voltage loss, so he battened everything down and I rode off happy, thinking the bike healed itself or something that vibrated ajar had vibrated back. Sadly, this wasn’t to be the case.
The bike ran great and fired up every time, except if it sat for about two weeks or so. My ear-to-ear grin gradually shrank to a pout. Once again, the battery was dead. Then an old friend had a new idea. David Vis, or whatever his real name is, is a mysterious man; an itinerant wanderer who stops by for a week or two with the peculiar but much appreciated habit of looking for things to fix. It’s what he does.
Not sure if David is an international web designer, as he so claims, or works for the CIA, but he does turn up at opportune times. When he doesn’t design websites for airline booking systems or some such high-tech thing, he builds bikes or barns or boats or whatever his favorite fiddle is at the time. He suggested to circumvent the problem by installing a battery disconnect switch, more commonly found in boats and off-road vehicles, the kind that use separate batteries for things like winches or mermaid reeling or whatever. The switch disconnects the battery between the positive post and the starter.
“It’s like taking the battery out and putting it in your living room,” he said, which happens to be the place I keep most of my spare parts.
It worked. The switch costs about 10 bucks from Amazon, plus some waterproof stretchy tape, a few zip ties and an extra 12-volt battery cable. The install took about an hour, not counting tidying-up some other connectors that live under the seat. Nothing like spy-craft to get the job done.
The Softail runs as good as it looks now. Nothing like fresh oil and new rubber on brand-new, super-cool wheels that makes a biker feel young again. Hit the button and blam, the Harley comes alive and is ready to bust out of the gate like a racehorse. I think what most riders want, besides a bike that is fast and fun, is peace of mind.
Your ride needs to be reliable and its performance predictable; if it turns heads, so much the better. Ralph’s expert work, a moment of genius and a stupid little 10-dollar switch provided that keep-calm-and-ride-on feeling. It’s not ideal, but I’ll take it. Of course, the Softail is not perfect, what bike in our world ever is? This bar hopper is nearly 18-years-old, so insignificant amounts of “cosmetic” oil weeping around rocker boxes or the primary is not worth pulling engine bits apart. Old schoolers would just say that’s being too fussy, and I’ve seen much worse on much younger bikes. As long as oil isn’t puddling, I just don’t worry about it. Can’t get too anal about stuff you can tend to with a rag, say, about every two weeks or so.
Up next for this ’99 Evo? Probably something it doesn’t need but I want. Cushier seat? Apes? Turbo charger? New battery for the handlebar clamp-mounted clock? Leave it be? Suggestions are welcome. Meanwhile, I will ride the hell out of the thing and report back from the roadhouse—maybe.
Contacts:
Bel-Ray Performance Lubricants
http://www.belray.com
Crane Cams
Screamin’ Eagle
Mikuni Carbs
“David Vis”
Identity Unconfirmed, Whereabouts Unknown
K&N Performance Filters
http://www.knfilters.com
Metzeler
http://www.metzeler.com/site/com/
Harley-Davidson
http://www.harley-davidson.com/content/h-d/en_US/home.html
Mesa Cycle
1308 Logan Ave., Unit F
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
714-546-3621
Ridewright Wheels
3080 East La Jolla Street
Anaheim, CA 92806-1312
714-632-8297
sales@ridewrightwheels.com
www.ridewrightwheels.com
Yuasa
http://www.yuasabatteries.com
Hurst
Vance and Hines
Entertainment, Flag Waving and False Patriotism: Bikernet’s “Telling it how it is” Report
By Bandit |
It’s been said in the past that the biker might be one of the last bastions of hope in defending our freedoms in America. Since the start of our grass-roots movement in the early 1970s, the American biker has proven a resolve and resiliency in doing battle with government agencies trying to regulate every aspect of our lifestyle. Of course, when this movement started, motorcycle registrations were hundreds of thousands less than what they are today. The motorcycle community was much smaller and inundated with veterans and progeny of the protest era. The motorcycle rights movement was alive and flourishing.
Along with growth came the desire to put on a happy, positive face. Most ABATE groups changed the original meaning of the acronym to something more positive. After all, A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments was not only hard to spell, many members didn’t even know what that meant. There was also a desire to put forth a positive image and provide “entertainment” for the members. This may have been an attempt to simulate what Harley-Davidson was doing with its H.O.G. program. So we got into the charity and party business during lulls in the legislative arena.
Today, it seems there is more attendance at poker runs and chili cook-offs than there is at legislative endeavors. Thousands show up for breast cancer rides or similar good causes, but only hundreds or less for freedom rallies or lobby efforts. Even more concerning is the abandonment of the watch-dog mentality that challenged every encroachment of our rights.
On November 15, 2015, something happened in Milwaukee that exemplified the surrender of the American bikers’ rights activist. A call went out urging riders to form a motorcycle welcome for the USS Milwaukee, coming to the port for its commissioning ceremony. The notice came from Rolling Thunder Chapter 2 in Milwaukee. Right at the top of the mass email was this:
NOTE: Absolutely NO WEAPONS allowed. Please leave at home or you will just need to stay home. THANKS! This is a directive from the U.S. Navy and Milwaukee County Parks.
My immediate response was, “by what authority are they using this directive?” I had an extended phone conversation with the chairman of the board of Rolling Thunder Chapter 2, and it was apparent he was going to honor the request of the Navy and Harbor Park for what he considered a good event honoring veterans. If you don’t see the problem with this way of thinking, you probably shouldn’t read any further because you won’t understand any of the reasons this is so wrong.
We’re facing an onslaught of anti-motorcycling sentiment from the government, law enforcement agencies and the media. Motorcycle profiling is at the top of the list of problems we’re dealing with. Bikers and veterans are considered a domestic threat by many agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI. Is this the reason the Navy requested no weapons at the USS Milwaukee event? It’s not hard to fathom that such a request might be put forward, but what is absolutely mystifying is why such a request was agreed to. Defining bikers as a threat group and using our own resources to disarm our community is proving to be a successful tactic by the anti-biker, anti-gun advocates. It is not a trivial matter. Agreeing to give up or abandon a Constitutional right in order to attend an event like the commissioning of a naval ship is a disgrace and dishonors all the brave Americans who sacrificed for our freedoms.
Rights are like chastity: you cannot surrender just a little
The problem with agreeing to “not carry” is much deeper than first glance. Would such a request be made of any other group? Is it a coincidence that the Navy would single out bikers to make such a request? Right now, motorcycle club members are being considered domestic terrorists and should not be allowed to possess weapons. Don’t be misled by some in the biker rights movement who might claim this is a 2nd Amendment problem, not a bike issue. This is totally a motorcyclist profiling problem and ABATE should have issued an immediate press release condemning the fact that bikers were being asked to surrender their right to concealed or even open carry during the ceremony. Foolishly, some people I spoke to said they intended to covertly carry their weapon, thinking they were somehow getting one over on the authorities. That meant nothing and achieved nothing. The fact that no protest was made over the no-carry rule made the Navy, the Harbor Park or whoever issued the request the big winner.
According to the Motorcycle Profiling Project, “disarming bikers, even those associated that have no criminal records of any kind, is a strategy to cripple the rights base of one of the most visible and active grassroots social and political movements in America.” Yet, Rolling Thunder Chapter 2 and all those bikers who agreed to attend the event, leaving any weapons behind, had no desire to miss the opportunity to pose for pictures and wave flags, oblivious to the fact that even a small or single acquiescence is another seed sown in the black ground of regulation, attempting to germinate even more gun control. Waving flags is not patriotism; refusing to attend an event trampling on a basic right is.
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The biggest enemy of the Constitution is apathy!
Real patriotism is the defense of all of our rights and total refusal to relinquish any of them. These bikers, although thinking they were honoring a ship being commissioned, were really pawns being used to make the ceremony look pretty while at the same time agreeing to an invalid request. Equally disturbing is, after a careful reading of the email string, it appears an apparent request came from the Navy and/or Harbor Park authorities (I saw nothing official to substantiate that claim), but the mandate came from Rolling Thunder Chapter 2 in order to ensure a good participation by the apathetic riders who were out to have a good time while thinking they were being patriotic. The event was attended by riders from Rolling Thunder, two area H.O.G. chapters and ABATE of Wisconsin members. I can understand the lack of understanding coming from some of the riders, but the ABATE members should have been well aware of the problems with motorcycle profiling issues. Whatever happened to the mantra, Question Authority?
As I see it, we have inherited the rights we hold so sacred, without having had to fight for them. Does that make it easier to overlook asserting our rights when there is the prospect of doing something pleasurable? I think Thomas Paine described this very eloquently in December 1776 when he wrote these words in The Crisis: “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly.”
Unless we stand together, speak out and refuse to submit to illegal transgressions of our rights, we will lose even more of them. In the above referenced instance, I cannot blame the Navy or Harbor Park for presumably issuing a request to leave weapons at home. The blame falls squarely on the shoulders of the Rolling Thunder chapter leadership and the riders who blindly followed a request to participate in the disintegration of personal rights while others around the country are fighting to end this sort of discrimination.
Tony “Pan” Sanfelipo Co-founded of A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments of Wisconsin (ABATE) in 1974 and Bikers of Lessor Tolerance (BOLT) in 1992. In 2002, he was the first person inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Freedom Fighters Hall of Fame.
ESCAPE TO THE COLORADO MOTORCYCLE EXPO
By Bandit |
Nothing better than old friends to help the winter disappear. When January closes out and the weather forces everyone inside, bikers look for any excuse to get out and party. The Colorado Motorcycle Expo is a terrific excuse. Like clockwork the CME is held the last weekend of January at the National Western Stock-show Complex.
For two days the facility is filled with steel horses, leather and chrome. Touted as the largest indoor motorcycle swap meet in the nation, it met the challenge. With approximately 200,000 square foot of space and 800 vendor spaces, all of them full, with action and bling.
Everyone has a specific reason for peeling to a swap meet. Small/Independent shops attend to make some money, and hold themselves over till riding weather and business picks up. Big shops need to get their names out and generate active leads. It will be bike-buying season soon. Builders bring their latest bikes to show off and hope to earn some bragging rights by taking home a trophy.
Shade tree mechanics scour the aisles for that special brand new innovation, or inspirational antique they need to launch their project closer to completion. Riders go to see old friends and make new ones. MCs meet for their winter get together and to maybe find a new prospect or two. Me, well I go for all of the above and to capture the essence of the event and bring it to you. Whatever your reason, the CME is a great show.
This year I meet up with some great vendors and quizzed them about their experience. My old friend Johnnie from J10 Leathers couldn’t keep his display full. Every time I stopped by he had a handful of customers looking at his biker wallets and other fine leather work. He said it was a great show, and thanks to the great attendance he will be back. I couldn’t even get close enough to his table to grab a photo.
Arlin and Donna Fatland of 2-Wheelers kicked off their 45th anniversary at the show. Old friends of Bikernet we wished them the best and congratulated them on achieving such an amazing milestone. They were working the crowd and visiting with everyone who came by their booth. Arlin has rolled with the custom world through thick and thin. Donna and Arlin also have shops in Daytona during Bike Week and on Main in Sturgis during the rally. Their shops are full of quirkiest shit on the planet. You can’t miss them.
Diesel Life and Greasy Bikers were on hand selling their sweet t-shirts and accessories. Both gave the same reviews as J10. Diesel Life even made some contacts for getting her line into some local stores. When your a start up company every little bit helps.
Wicked Influence sold their excess parts and Frank had a constant massive smile on his face. When I asked how he was doing he said, “Bills are paid in full for the month!” You can’t beat that.
Almost anything you could want in the way of motorcycle parts or accessories could be found. This is what a swap meet should be like. Watching one vendor, I caught him opening new tour-pak boxes and displaying them on his table. In a few minutes they were sold and he unwrapped some more. Chatting with him later he said he had to send his wife home to load more tour-paks. He sold out. That’s the perfect problem to have.
As the day rolled on the crowds stayed strong. At one time I even had trouble walking through the isles. But at about 3:30 the crowds thinned out as everyone made a b-line for the stadium. Jack Portice was on the loud speaker calling all able body bikers to come and enjoy the wet t-shirt contest. After its hiatuses for a year, it was back by popular demand. This year the girls did not disappoint.
Wherever you may live I am sure sometime during the year you will face a local swap meet. It may not be as big as the CME, but it’s always good time. Grab some buddies and go. If you can make it to Colorado at the end of January come down to the stock-show complex and join in some of the fun.
Eulogy for Dale Sheppard
By Bandit |
Dale Shepard died recently (November 16th). His passing was unexpected.
For those unfortunate enough not to have known him, Dale was the man who owned Biker Dale’s Bike Shop in Groves Texas where I replaced Betsy’s engine only weeks ago.
It was at the Galveston Motorcycle Rally last weekend that Dale ate two bad oysters. For whatever reason, these caused an infection in his blood that somehow complicated an already existing medical condition. It was one of those times when something that should not have killed a man did. I’ve seen this before. I have also seen men survive things that should have killed them 10 times over. Go figure. Some say that when your number’s up, it’s just up and nothing can change it. So it would seem.
When a man dies those who knew him often get to saying a lot of nice things—even if the guy was a complete asshole. I have no intentions of doing that here and will only talk about the man as I did when he was still alive.
Until the end Dale dedicated his life to the motorcycle. Although grumpy at times, he had one of the biggest hearts of anyone I’ve known. He was a biker through and through. He was my friend.
It was a sunny day the first time I met Dale. After being turned away at two other shops, I’d pulled into his yard with my clutch problem to ask if it’d be okay to pull my bike apart in his lot. Of course I’d buy any needed parts from him. I also secretly hoped to barrow any special tools I might need, and maybe get a little technical advice too. I was on the road with a mechanical problem, not too much money (as usual), and nowhere else to turn. So I looked hopefully at this stranger as he said, “Let me ride it.”. This seemed an unusual request but, with little choice anyway, I said, “It’s not locked.”
So I watched all the possessions I own in this world ride off with a man I’d first laid eyes on only moments before. When 10 minutes had passed, and to my surprise, Dale walked out of his shop and told me to come inside. There, sitting on his personal lift, Betsy was already strapped in and jacked up. Without my knowledge Dale had brought her in through the back door. “You can work on it there,” he offered, “That’s my tool box,” one hand pointed to a huge roll away, “Use those tools and ask if there’s anything you need.”
When evening came and Betsy was still on that rack (where she’d remain for an entire month), Dale offered me the shop’s back room or “guard shack” to stay in. For transportation Dale gave me one of his own bikes and often loaned me the shop truck. To date no one had been able to diagnose my clutch problem, but Dale determined it was inside the transmission itself. I located another trany and began the shipping process. During this particular stay I worked sporadically on the shop’s customer bikes, painted the ceiling, and installed a little water heater. In the end Dale charged me only for the small parts I bought; and even then it was at his cost. But by then we’d become friends.
I later learned Dale was building a motorcycle around the broken—now fixed—transmission I’d left behind. Since my ability to run down inexpensive used parts was sometimes better than his, he’d occasionally call to hit me up for something needed on this new bike build and I always found it for him. First it was a clutch; then came other parts too. Very weakly that cheap fuck would ask what he owed me, but I never let him pay a single dime.
My good fortune here was not exclusive. This is another example: Dale’s birthday party was held at the shop every year with a big BBQ and beer fest. Having ridden the 100 miles from Houston to be in attendance, Chadd’s Shovelhead blew an engine not far from the shop. After Dale picked the bike up, Chadd threw it on one of the lifts and soon learned that the front cylinder had suffered an internal meltdown. When time came to leave, Dale gave Chadd one of his own FXRs for the ride home. Although I don’t know how that story ended, I do know that, although acting like this may not always have been the best for business, it was definitely the best for creating close, long lasting friendships and Dale was an extremely wealthy man in that arena. To my surprise, this kind of generosity did not seem to hinder business much for whenever I made return visits to the shop the place had always been expanded. Wanting for the ability to do complete engine work, Dale was recently putting together a machine shop in one of the shop’s adjacent bays.
With a standing invitation to use of a complete shop to see to the needs of ANY problem Betsy might develop, I returned many times over the years and, among so many others, have certainly spent my share of time in the guard shack. While there I was always given a lift and access to tools. Bryan, Dale’s sole employee and a Harley-Davidson mechanic of 30 some-odd years, would be busy working on customer bikes as I slaved over Betsy. Dale had a tendency to sit working at the computer in his little office. Now and then he’d come out all bitchy and gripe loudly at us over some tedious bullshit. I learned that this was just his nature and so I’d tell him, “It’s a good thing I’m here ’cause it gives you more to bitch about.” and he’d not argue. Next I’d tell him that if we did everything perfect he’d still make up shit to gripe about. To this he’d also agree. Other times he’d surprise me with sarcastic comical outbursts that seemed to come out of the blue. Sometimes I’d tell him of the parts or information I needed while he completely ignored me and simply went about his own business. Then Dale would surprise me again by quickly ordering the parts, finding them in the shop, or working out a solution to my problem. It was fucking amazing really.
Always, and especially on my last visit, Dale put many hours of his own time into getting my beat up old bike back on the road. I often wondered how he could afford this when there were so many real-customer money jobs that required his attention. And because of this I always did my best to pour time and effort into any project I was capable of handling for him. He accepted my offers quickly and with no regret.
Sometimes I’d ask how he made that motorcycle go so fast or pump him for other mechanical information (us gear-heads are always hungry to learn more) and he’d refuse to give a fucking answer. Other times that man would go out of his way to teach me something; as in the case of a customer’s chopper I recently worked on. This chopper needed the transmission reassembled and installed into the bike. It became pretty apparent that, although I might get the guts put back in that thing eventually, I really had no idea what the proper procedure for the job was. Seeing this, Dale told me to leave the fucking thing alone. Later, he came outside to get me and made me stand there watching as he put it together properly. Dale wanted me to learn and this was his way of giving a lesson. When he’d finished, I installed the trany, clutch, etc. and ultimately completed the job.
Whereas some shops usher customer bikes in and out as quickly as possible with only nominal thought or attention paid to detail, these guys were very good and very attentive mechanics who used their extensive knowledge and experience to do their absolute best at solving the customer’s problems. I was there. I saw. For them, this whole deal was an act of passion.
Another interesting thing is that Dale was extremely literate. He often complained about the terrible spelling and bad grammar of my writing (I carry only a fourth grade education) and sometimes helped to fix it.
As a young man of 20’ish, and long before the “new age” biker scene came to pass, it was men like Dale who’d originally attracted me to the biker culture. For not only did these guys share the same passion as I, but most extended a kind of real friendship I’d seldom seen before. But such men were not molded by that era, they seem instead to have been born that way. I believe, and so have seen, that they will always exist among us and it is to this day that I hold in high value the existence of people like Dale.
I have lived long enough to truly know that this world is only temporary. Every year some of those around me just keep popping out of here until the day arrives when it’ll finally be my turn. So it is that I seldom take the world too seriously anymore; for in the end we will all leave this place together and everything left behind will simply return to the dust. And once on the other side I’ll be among those many friends who gather at Dale’s table and talk of the times we shared together in this life.
So it’s not so much Dale’s death that bothers me. We’re all going there. It’s the fact that I’ll not be seeing him again for the duration of this life that puts an ache deep into my heart. And so I say…
“Goodbye my friend.”
Expendables 3 – Sneak Peek
By Bandit |
Expendables 3 to be released August 15th, 2014
They are back and its a bang! This mission starts with the rescue of 8 year hellhole prisoner Wesley Snipes to be rescued off a military train transporting him to worse hell. If you think the fireworks and fighting in these first 10 minutes is spectacular – well this was just an errand while their primary mission is to stop an arms deal in Somalia.
All hell breaks loose and there is a thrilling “car” chase using military vehicles. The target is a surprise. A dead man from Stallone’s past is alive and well. Enter MEL GIBSON. He is mesmerising and totally a cool cat as the villain. He easily beats out the Expendables 2 villainous turn by Van Damme. Clearly Mel Gibson breathes the life into this sequel of the franchise.
Battered and out-gunned the Expendables chief calls it a day. He tells the guys that they are officially over. No more missions. The guys don’t take it very well but they have no choice.
Stallone meanwhile runs into his CIA Boss. No, no Bruce Willis this time. Enter Harrison Ford. He plays it cool as he did in his previous roles in Tom Clancy novel adaptations. He tells the old man Stallone to complete the mission. Stallone goes out to recruit new blood – young blood. Kelsey Grammar comes along as the HR Department for Stallone. Together they pack up a team of 4 young ones including a feisty MMA gal as their team. Arnold Schwarzenegger is the pilot.
Mission: Bring in Mel Gibson alive to be tried at the Hague as a War Criminal.
The jokes on Stallone as the young ones laugh at his plan. The gal says it best when she says, “It would be a great plan if it was 1985”.
The young ones use technology to control security and electric wiring and easily capture Mel alive and into a van for transport to Hague. He is wearing a GPS tracker and Stallone’s crew doesn’t get too far with their hot package. It is revealed that Mel Gibson is a founder member of Expendables who quit after “America eats its own babies” incident in one old mission.
Stallone survives the rocket into the van while others are captured alive as hostage and bait for Stallone and CIA.
Broken and defeated again, Stallone wants to go in all Rambo-commando all alone. Arnold tells him the truth – suicide. Antonio Banderas who was rejected earlier by the HR shows up in time and convinces Stallone to take him on the one-way trip to hell. It is known that Antonio Banderas is the sole surviving agent from the Benghazi massacre where no back up ever arrived.
The old crew of Stallone shows up – Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Wesley Snipes and Couture. Stallone is grateful and takes them on board. One way ticket indeed.
The 4 kids are strapped as bait in a brokedown city in a defunct nation. The entire building setup with C4 explosives. A normal team would have 90 seconds to get out. So Mel Gibson offers them 45 seconds to survive the blast. The young ones step in and jam the receivers from getting the blast signal. The defunct nation army therefore has to set loose upon these 9 Expendables.
What follows is an epic battle and gunfire. It is an education in weaponry and assault. If you thought you knew all about war and guns, here is something to jog the memory and add some more to your collection.
Harrison Ford really does want his target alive. He recruits Arnold and Jet Li to get to the target and support Stallone. Few know that Harrison Ford in real life is a registered rescue pilot and really does know how to handle a helicopter. He does well as the pilot while Arnold has his favourite big guns to blast holes into the heads of pawn soldiers of defunctistan.
An epic climax awaits with one on one unarmed combat between Mel Gibson and Stallone. The building blasted through shells of military Tanks is about to go up in the wired C4. The only way off is the roof and Ford collects them all except Stallone duking it out with Mel Gibson.
Well, the epic nail biting finish is picture perfect as the entire building goes down while Stallone runs up the roof and jumps to hang on to the chopper.
The Expendables are back home and safe and now a big team with average age dropping like extras in an action movie. Yes, the new young ones get their tattoo and even Antonio Banderas is an Expendable now.
Arnold however has not retired and instead poached off Jet Li who now works for him.
Thrilling and massive and spectacular. Watch it to believe it.
Powwow of Native Iron American Heritage Motorcycle Party
By Bandit |
It’s never too late to party especially on the coat-tails of America’s Independence Day celebration, so when Deus ex Machina, L.A.’s popular gathering spot for bikes, surfboards and a great cup of java, threw a day-after-July 4th celebration of Motorcycles Made in the U.S.A., all flavors of red, white and blue bikes showed up. Plus plenty of burgers and hot dogs, cold brew and hot tunes served up by the San Diego band LowVolts.
Strategically located on the corner of Venice Blvd. and Lincoln Blvd., the Deus shop is easy to find and just a couple minutes from the Santa Monica Pier and beach. It throws bike parties with various themes twice monthly. Inside the shop several bikes were on display including a fire engine red Indian “on loan” from the prestigious Los Angeles Petersen Museum as well as a 1942 Big Tank Crocker, rare as dragon’s teeth, brought over by the new Crocker company.
As the event’s organizer Ryan summed it up, “Today we at Deus wanted to tie something in for the Fourth of July so it was the perfect opportunity to spotlight vintage American bikes… Harleys, Indians, Victory, Crocker…and everyone else is welcome, too. We’re all about two wheels and having fun.”
Ryan, in addition to being assistant manager at Deus, happens to be the apprentice for Deus ex Machina’s in-house bike builder Michael “Woolie” Woolaway who crafts one-off masterpieces of all shapes and forms. “What I love about it is working with your hands and stepping back at the end of the day and see what you’ve built.” Ryan also rode his very rare and iconic “Fatz Noriega” 1972 Iron 900 Iron Head Sportster, literally a time machine that he found in storage where it had sat in near mint condition since 1974.
Another of the highlights of the gathering was a trio of bikes brought by Scott Jones from his Santa Ana, CA shop Noise Cycles. One was freshly minted, orange and black 2009 Dyna powered by a 120R motor that he won in the bike builder contest at last year’s Born Free rally. The bike’s concept was to pay homage to Harley history circa 1920-1970 with parts from all those decades integrated into the build with a special nod to Scott’s favorite bike, the 1940s Harley WR. Another Noise Cycle’s bike looked like it’s wearing a welder’s mask for its fairing along with #5 racing plate. A third bike was a classic Panhead chopper with kind of a giraffe pattern paint job.
Says Scott when asked when he first starting making noise, he laughs and says, “Probably about nine years with a blog I started. About 2 ½ years ago it turned into a full-blown business. Fabrication is our specialty, a lot of ground up bikes, mostly Harley, but others as well. We also have a signature line of parts including handlebars.” Shortly Scott’s heading for Milwaukee for a bike movie premier and for Factory’s Knucklehead Reunion.
Many of the customs rallying up for the party were wrenched together by their owners with a little help from their friends, including a home brewed hardtail ’89 Sporty owned by Ed from the South Bay area featuring a multi-hued prism painted coffin gas tank, Paughco frame, six-over girder and a sticker that reads, “This Machine Kills Hipsters.” One of Ed’s buddies, Justin Dehaven aka “Uncle Jonzy” rode in with his buddies on his ’93 Evo, stretched out on 14-over girder forking by Franks. Justin makes custom seats under the banner High Noon Classics, several bikes at the party saddled up with his work.
Bikes rumbled in and out all day long enjoying the SoCal perfect riding weather and the chance to check out a wide range of custom bikes. They don’t call America the melting pot for nothing!
Partying, Fighting and Biking
By Bandit |
The common thread of the following books is a passion for motorcycles and adventure. Adventure can be found in riding great distances and crossing state and national borders and finding yourself. Adventure can be more localized and involve urban turf wars against other clubs and law enforcement agencies and finding yourself in jail or prison. What is it about the two wheeler that attracts the outsider, the weird, the loner and the misfit? Does the general dislike and mistrust of the motorcycle and its rider by normal society push the outsider into the motorcycle fold or do they naturally go there on their own? Is it a conscious decision or a process of elimination? Is it a fascination with the mechanical aspects of the machine itself? Is it an early imprint of a parent’s reaction to a loud machine on a child’s developing psyche? Is it a case of: My parents hate motorcycles therefore, to bother the shit out of them, I will like motorcycles? I don’t know. Maybe I just think too much.
Soul On Bikes The East Bay Dragons MC And The Black Biker Set – Tobie Gene Levingston- with Keith and Kent Zimmerman– A car clubber turned motorcycle clubbers life story. Starting in the fifties, Tobie relates the trials and tribulations of guiding a group of black Harley riders through the turbulent sixties and into the funky seventies and beyond. Soul relates the philosophies and insights of the founding member and president of The East Bay Dragons MC.
Publisher: Motorbooks.
Paperback: 272 pages. (Black and white and color pictures.)
Phil Cross Gypsy Joker to a Hells Angel by Phil and Meg Cross.
The life and times of Phil Cross. An attractive collection of black and white and color photographs interlaced with tales of fightin’, fuckin’and bikin’. The photographs really make this book interesting with tons of pics from the old days. Phil relates his life story from the streets of San Francisco to a spot on the FBI’s most wanted list.
Publisher: Motorbooks.
Hardcover: 240 pages.
Down and Out in Patagonia, Kamchatka, and Timbuktu – Greg Frazier’s Round and Round and Round- the World Motorcycle Journey by Dr. Gregory Frasier.
Down and Out is a long and rambling narrative from Dr. (of Economics ) Gregory Frasier’s tales of his endless round the world motorcycle journey. Beginning with his recollections of riding in a push car as a one year old and ending with fond memories of bullying his only round the world passenger (who suffers from Parkinson’s) the weird Dr. Greg makes his way around the world in his own unique way; Self admittedly the hardest way possible. Plan ahead? Why? What fun would that be? The self-described ‘eccentric elitist’ relates his life story in clunky prose in chapter after chapter after chapter that made me not want to continue reading. But I did. It is full of color pictures of exotic lands captioned with an annoying cursive style print. If you enjoy reading about another’s misfortune and want to learn from his mistakes, grab Down And Out off the shelf. If not there are plenty of books out there that will offer advice about motorcycle touring.
Publisher: Motorbooks.
Hardcover: 224 pages.
The Essential Guide to Motorcycle Travel Second Edition Planning, Outfitting And Accessorizing by Dale Coyner
The title says it all. The Essential Guide To Motorcycle Travel guides you on the path to an excellent motorcycle journey. Dale Coyner starts out with three questions relevant to any journey: Where to? How long? How much? From the answers to those questions he proceeds to lay out how he plans his trips. Dale goes into gear for the rider and bike in great detail, keeping up with the newest developments in material and technology for the ride. Full of color photos of people, places and things related to the text and plenty of illustrations. Motorcycle Travel is a great book for touring pros and beginners alike.
Publisher: Whitehorse Press.
Paperback: 189 pages.
Hell On Wheels An Illustrated History Of Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs -Bill Hayes.
From the first organized motorcycle club in America in 1903 to the outlaw clubs formed in the forties and fifties to the televised saga of SAMCRO in the oughts Hell On Wheels is a comprehensive history of outlaw clubs worldwide. Packed with color and black and white pictures of outlaw bikers riding, partying and getting arrested. Bill Hayes does a good job of cramming a lot of facts into a readable format. There are plenty of movie posters, news clippings, police reports and memorabilia between the covers of Hell On Wheels. From Hollister to Altamont to Laughlin, Hayes chronicles the bad boys of the motorcycle world in one easy to read and easy to look at book of knowledge.
Publisher: Motorbooks.
Softcover: 192 pages.
(Photos from www.amazon.com)