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by Rogue

Mr Lucky is Gone

It is with great sadness that I write about the passing of Dennis Sanfelipo. He affected so many people’s lives, mine included. So many stories, but too many write here. More as time goes on.

Celebration Of Life For Dennis Sanfilippo
Saturday December 17th 2-6 PM
Old Corner Saloon
574 Main St. Copperopolis CA 95228

Click here to know more. Our condolences to all his friends and family.

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May you ride free forever

by Bandit, Reg Kittrell, Lance Onan and Willie G. Davidson

What Happened to the Sportster?
H-D Factory Built the Last Traditional Sportster in November 2022

Last week the final production Sportster rolled off the Harley-Davidson assembly line with grand fanfare including signatures by each member of the crew. I’m sure they were very proud.

So, what killed the iconic Sportster? Was it diminishing sales, technology, the EPA, a marketing push, Indian competition, what gives?

And will it ultimately die or be kept lively and vibrant with the current technology afforded the aftermarket?

Click Here to Read this Report only on Bikernet.com

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DON’T MISS This Week’s Thursday News, only on Bikernet.com – click to view News Department.

As many of you have noticed and have been calling us about, a storm is hitting So Cal this weekend, especially in Ventura, CA, where multiple weather apps forecast an inch or more rain between Sat-Sun. With this news, we have made the tough decision to reschedule the event, as we did back in 2018.

The rescheduled date will be Sunday, February 12th, 2023. All GA tickets, bike show registrations, and vendor spaces will transfer to the new date. The artists, bike builders, vendors, and sponsors work too hard all year to create great stuff for the show. We can’t put on the show in the rain and risk poor attendance for them.

We wanted to give you as much notice as possible to adjust your plans. Please help us spread the word so as not to inconvenience anyone. Thank you for understanding, and we hope to see you in February.

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It is with great sadness that I write about the passing of Dennis Sanfelipo.

He affected so many people’s lives, mine included.

 I meet him in 2004 when Berry Wardlaw and I flew out to California for the Love Ride and to meet with Charlie Brechtel.

Berry and I did an interview with Charlie about himself, his music, band and other things he wanted to do in the future. Some of the others taking part in that were Dennis, Kim Peterson, Bobby Reynoso, Wild Bill, Sam Burch and Beeb.

 Charlie and Dennis were friends through the music business and over the years they had become closer.

 We stayed at one of Dennis’ houses on a lake and then at a different one where he had the third Dodge Viper ever built.

I later learned he was a big blues fan and had a music production company and recording studio in Sunnyvale, California named Mother Lode Productions. Some of his friends were Deacon Jones, Gregg Allman, Lydia Pense, Lester Chambers and many others. Dennis grew up in Sunnyvale and attended high school there.

 He also had a 280-acre, Damn Ranch in Angels Camp CA. It burned down some years ago. Dennis continued to live in Calaveras County CA for the rest of his life.

 It is reported that he owned over 100 properties in Calaveras County

   Dennis had won the California Lottery on March 7, 1992 for $32 Million. The story that goes with this is that Dennis was a huge fan of the numbers 7 and 11 and he bought the ticket in Milpitas CA at a 7-11. It was one of 11 quick pick tickets bought at exactly 11 PM. At the time it was the largest lottery prize ever won in CA.

 Shortly after Dennis won the lottery his very good friend Johnny Lee Hooker honored him with the nickname Mr. Lucky.

 At the time he was living in Murphys California where he was running a roofing company left to him when his father had died.

 He immediately started doing wonderful things for the community, like helping the hungry and homeless.

 Dennis was a hard worker before and even after he won the lottery. He was a builder and spent a lot of time working on his properties that were mostly rentals.

 He like to travel and Belize was a favorite and after a time he bought an island there. He also liked Mark Twain and knew a lot about the Mexican desperado outlaw, Joaquin Murrieta, and his history in Calaveras County around the mid 1800’s

 Dennis was the only child of an American Italian father and American Spanish (Spain) mother. He has three sons Josh, Dennis and Albert.

Celebration Of Life For Dennis Sanfilippo

Saturday December 17^TH 2-6PM

Old Corner Saloon

574 Main St. Copperopolis CA 95228

A lot happened after that meeting in 2004. Charlie continued to make music any place he could. The biker world would get to know him. Dennis always there to help.

 So many stories, but to many write here. More as time goes on.

 

Then there were two movies made with Bikers and Musicians.

Hopefully you will take the time to view them.

Rebel On The Highway – https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.46b76936-b193-08bb-4d45-0b57c38ec649?autoplay=0&ref_=atv_cf_strg_wb

Rough Boys

https://roughboysthemovie.live/?fbclid=IwAR2l-_fQZqyFSU-WK01bVWT0HZDjOb-DsC4MxixPClPFMAhsyf1pJ09JJSI

Some Comments

Berry Wardlaw

  Another big loss this week. Honestly, it’s just too much to write about, to share, at the moment. Another time perhaps. Gone are Sam, Bobby, Mickey, Deacon, Guitar Shorty, Goodtime Charlie and now Dennis Sanfilippo. I can think of no others that brought more diverse people together, from all over the world, than the dynamic duo of Charlie and Dennis. Charlie had the outlandish ideas and Dennis had the money to get things done. They were the best of friends and the perfect symbiotic relationship. I once called them the Heckle and Jeckle of “hell yeah”. It still rings true today. Since 2004, I have had more experiences with these two. These experiences were mostly afforded to us by the unselfishness and giving nature of Dennis. There isn’t enough ink is this old computer to even write about it all. I’ll put pen-to-paper one day. Not today, though. Thank you for all you did for us Dennis. I’m so glad that I told you this many times. I’ll just share of few pictures with y’all at this time. May Godspeed, Dennis Sanfilippo. Much Love my Brother. In the words of our late Brother, Sam Burch, “Until such Time.”

Sean Mcintire

  I’m heartbroken to hear about Dennis also known ?as Mr.lucky. I have so many great memories with him and Charlie. I think of the stuff that happened along the way and make me laugh and smile. I got to see and meet a lot of amazing people and places. Thanks for the great adventures. RIP Dennis

Felicia Morgan

  I can’t keep up, anymore. People I love are leaving this earth faster than I can process the grief. Yesterday’s heart-wrenching memorial for Shifty was appropriately shrouded in a soft misting of rain, then last night the heavens opened

up as an ode to the loss of another precious soul. Godspeed, dear Dennis. You were a brightly shining star during your time here on earth, now we’ll keep an eye on the night skies to see you there among your brethern.

Sabrina Mounkes

  There’s a moment in life where u look back and just really take a look at how u got to this point in life. My family will forever be greatful for what Dennis Sanfilippo did for us. Not alot of people know what he did for us and it really doesnt matter if you do. What matters is he gave my family a chance and we took it by the horns and ran. My kids had an opportunity they would have never had if he had not cared, We all had the opportunity. I watched him do this for many people he just cared all he wanted was for u to be successful and was always proud of our accomplishments. This is another tough hit for us and will take awhile to heal but we will all miss you greatly and will forever be appreciative of the kindness you showed us. RIP my friend

Rest In Peace My Friend. You And Charlie Are Teamed Up Again In Heaven Doing Good Things And Making Music.

by DaCat

Tuning the Ride with Saddlemen, Legends and Khrome Werks

Since buying this 2017 M8 trike, I’ve been working on refining the ride as possible. This entailed changing the shocks to coil over Legend Revo A’s, adding a lift kit and adjusting everything as optimally as possible.

Also, the front springs were removed and replaced with Legend Axio canister front suspension. The combination of the modified front and rear suspension really made the ride much, much better.

CLICK Here to Read this Road Test and Tech only on Bikernet.com

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Since buying this 2017 M8 trike, I’ve been working on refining the ride as possible. This entailed changing the shocks to coil over Legend Revo A’s, adding a lift kit and adjusting everything as optimally as possible.

Also, the front springs were removed and replaced with Legend Axio canister front suspension. The combination of the modified front and rear suspension really made the ride much, much better.

At this point I really needed to change the rider ergonomics as these trikes from Harley are really a one size fits all seat and leg room combination. Shorter riders may feel comfortable with the leg room but for anyone with long legs 6 feet or over, the seat is way too short and the handlebars are too far forward.

So, starting with handlebars I selected Khrome Werks 2+2 12-inch-tall bars (part number 300517). They make a wide version and a narrow version of these bars, and I selected the wide version because the hand position is a little more natural for me.

These bars will work with the OEM wires, clutch and brake lines. This is a job that if you’re not comfortable pulling the fairing off you may want to have your local mechanic do it for you.

It is a little pricey so if you can do it yourself, you’re only out the price of the bars, otherwise you’re looking at five to $800 in labor. These bars bring your hands back 2 inches and up 2 inches, which I find much more comfortable and allows me to sit back up against my back rest. Huge benefit is also that the steering is considerably lighter because it changes the leverage on the bars.

These trikes can be a bit of a truck to steer, so by adding the lift kit and the handlebars it really becomes like having power steering. You may decide that you prefer the meat hook style of bars or regular style ape hangers, and they also add benefit to the steering but leave you forward. You may prefer this, but I was after a comfortable position to ride long distance and this was my preference.

I still had the same problem with the seat being too short, and I felt like I was sitting on the tank, and my legs were cramped unless I used the highway pegs. This started the hunt for a new seat.

I did look at the offerings from Harley-Davidson but I did not feel that the quality or the ride was much different than the stock seat. One of the problems I believe with Harley-Davidson seats is the pan is made out of a flexible plastic. The foam is not very dense and with the flexible seat pan you do feel a lot of the road bumps.

Also, the shape of the seat in the front is a little too wide and thick which can play havoc with the family jewels. I settled on a road sofa from Saddleman, and it was just what the doctor ordered.

I’ve had a few seats from Saddleman and they’re always beautiful and of great quality. Their customer service is excellent and they always follow up after you’ve purchased a seat with updates on how the seat is progressing.

When the seat is in final inspection, they send you a text and within one day it is sent out. Since these seats are custom made to order you do have a choice of the stitching and the particular material. Mine took about three weeks from the time it was ordered.

I have to say this seat is beautiful and it really added a lot to the look of my trike. I also ordered the tour pack backrest, so that I would have a matching seat and backrest for the passenger with the diamond stitching with black thread.

As you can see in the pictures it really flows with the lines of the trike. The feel of the seat is very different from many other seat manufacturers, it’s firm and supportive not squishy and soft like the Harley seat. By the way, I also got the rider’s backrest at the same time and it has proven to be more than I expected.

The stock Harley backrest is very firm and feels like you have a knee in your back. The Saddleman backrest is easy to adjust to find just the right height and it floats from front to back so you barely notice it, but it is still very supportive. With the handlebars brought back 2 inches from stock, this lets you sit up against the backrest and is just great for cruising long distances.

Aside from the suspension modifications, which really help the ride and handling, this seat takes out, the sharp small bumps much better than the stock seat. Most riders don’t consider how much the seat helps the overall ride. I have my touring foot rests on the crash bar. so with the modifications of the handlebars and this wonderful seat from Saddleman the ergonomics are perfect.

Sources:

Khrome Werks
https://www.khromewerks.com/page-handle-bars/

Legends Suspension

Saddlemen Seats

All Ye Custom Motorcycles, Cars and Camping + Music Lovers

Mark the Calendar for this Weekend on Saturday December 10, 2022.

Enjoy the Countryside and Tell ‘Em Bikernet.com Says RIDE FREE FOREVER (click it) !!!

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by Janaki Jitchotvisut from https://www.rideapart.com/

It features subtle styling changes from the Gold Star on which it’s based.

In November, 2021, the revived BSA Motorcycles proudly presented its first new motorcycle in decades, the 2022 BSA Gold Star. Fittingly, the reveal took place at the 2021 Motorcycle Live show, which is the U.K.’s biggest annual motorcycle event—and which, let’s not forget, is also held in the BSA birthplace of Birmingham. The new Goldie—powered by a liquid-cooled, dual overhead cam, 625cc single—was met with a mostly positive response.

Fast-forward to 2022, and the latest edition of Motorcycle Live rolled into the NEC Birmingham events hall for visitors to see all the latest motorcycles on display. Of course, BSA was there, and of course it brought the Gold Star along. The company also brought along something new—a shiny new scrambler.

At this point, we must caution you that it’s only a design concept at the moment—but this, friends, is our first look at a conceptual BSA Scrambler. According to BSA, this is the first design that was developed entirely in-house at BSA’s new West Midlands facility. While the team didn’t offer a whole lot in the way of details, since it is only a concept, it’s meant to “offer a snapshot of what the future could look like,” as well as “showcase the customization capability of BSA’s Gold Star platform.”

The BSA Scrambler concept is built around same 652cc single found in the production BSA Gold Star. If you need a refresher, that engine makes a claimed 45 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, in addition to 55 newton-meters (or 40.5 pound-feet) of torque at 4,000 rpm. It’s also mated to a five-speed gearbox.

The concept boasts a sportier look, with a particularly grippy-looking seat cover, high front mudguard, and what at least looks to be a beefier front fork setup. Without knowing more details about what, precisely, was changed, it’s difficult to offer a full assessment. The dual, slash-cut exhaust looks more modern than the extremely traditional styling found on the Gold Star—but still exits low down on the right side of the bike, instead of featuring the high-mounted routing that’s common on some other scrambler-styled bikes.

The BSA Scrambler concept rolls on a pair of Excel Takasago spoked wheels, wrapped in dual-sport Pirelli Scorpion rubber, as opposed to the Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp tires mounted on the Gold Star. There’s a bit of a bash plate mounted up front, just under the radiator—though it’s clearly not meant to be a serious off-roading machine.

What do you think of this concept? Would you like to see it come to life as a future production model? What would you change about it? Let us know in the comments!

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Go get yourself your passion — visit the Free Departments Menu at www.Bikernet.com — click to get going….

by Janaki Jitchotvisut from https://www.rideapart.com/

Allegedly, New Royal Enfield Electric Bike Concept Photo Leaks Online

Is it a pre-production glimpse into the future.

When you think of the name “Royal Enfield,” the first thing that comes to mind probably isn’t electric bikes. Yet, since it’s nearly 2023, of course Enfield has a plan for electrification that it’s currently in the midst of undertaking. Now that it’s November, 2022, it seems that the OEM has recently reached the Quality Function Development concept phase.

As recently as late October, we learned that the company is currently aiming for a 2025 release date. If that hasn’t changed, then the timing of the QFD model and product brief that our colleagues at Autocar Professional recently got to see makes total sense. For those unfamiliar, a QFD concept helps product developers integrate customer wants into a given product design. While it’s a part of the design process, it’s not necessarily what the finished production version will look like.

Dubbed ‘Royal Enfield Elektrik01,’ the front right closeup that we’re able to see in the single QFD model shot that’s leaked so far is a fascinating design. There’s a glossy black ‘tank’ piece, which catches your eye via a reflection that highlights the matte silver frame that surrounds it. Is it a frunk? Is it an airbox? I mean, since it’s so early in its development, chances are excellent that we’re a long way off from knowing.

Royal Enfield plots entry into the world of EVs; early stages of development seen in its Electrik01 concept motorcycle https://t.co/Lv17Wvfdmp pic.twitter.com/CrGUu7EAzx

— Autocar Professional (@autocarpro) November 23, 2022

What is incredibly clear here is the girder front fork design, picked out in matte black. It leads up to the single round headlight, which is also matte black on this concept bike. Additionally, the photo shows a black alloy front wheel wrapped in Avon rubber, and not much else. Since girder forks are mainly seen on either extremely vintage machines or custom builds in the current era, that design choice is certainly one way to set the Elektrik01 apart from the pack if it makes it to the production version.

Since Autocar also got a sneaky peek at the product brief, the team there has some additional insights into what they read. For those already familiar with Royal Enfield’s design choices in the 2020s, though, the idea of “neo vintage/classic” styling may be the least surprising combination of words that you would probably expect to see. They know what their fans like, they know who they are, and they’re not afraid to integrate those styling cues and choices into future designs—no matter how they’re powered.

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