Last year at this time I was pretty much doing the same thing I am now. Working every day trying to balance the bills, the family, the gym, writing, and getting in the occasional joy ride rather than just commuting back and forth to and from work. I really had no idea I would be attending Sturgis in just over a month, but as most of you know, I did attend the 65th rally.

If you read my report on the run to the Badlands with El Bandito himself, you already know of the adventurous trip we had.

A shot of Bandit and I drinking after a hard day of riding. Can you see how windburned my face is? I had 2” flakes of skin peeling off two days later and I looked like I was suffering from leprosy.

Between fighting off the opal pushers in Arizona, to dodging bone-shaking storms in Colorado, every day put an obstacle in our path that would turn into memories we could look back on and laugh about later.

The final stop before Sturgis. We would soon be saying good-bye. I will never forget the trip, but I didn’t realize the memories had just begun.

In my Sturgis run report, I never really reported on what I actually experienced at the rally. Since many that read this site have been to Sturgis, a lot of this will remind you of your first trip and hopefully it will allow you to travel back in time and smile on the memories. For the unfortunate folks that have yet to take the opportunity to travel to Sturgis, let me paint a picture of what you can expect once you get there.

This was the common view going into Sturgis. Waiting in line behind bikes just to get gas. The constant thunder wouldn’t subside until I was on my way home.

My report will be different from the others you have read, because I am in no way famous. I don’t write for the national magazines or build bikes for a living. I didn’t get to travel in the “known” groups and attend all the “in” parties. I am one of the unknowns. I was just a face in the crowd. This is a peek into my trip to Sturgis for the first time.

People heading to the mecca.

I left Bandit and the rest of the crew just inside Deadwood. I didn’t know where to go or what to do from there. He told me to just follow the signs and I would be fine. I had no idea where I would stay, my phone wasn’t getting a signal, and to top things off, my bank had cut off my account because I didn’t let them know I would be travelling. I found out later they did this for my “protection”, but I think it’s just another way they can fuck with you.

I followed the sign and rode in with Billy “Wheels” Marvin. He had rode with us from Arizona to Sturgis, this being his first trip as well.

Two virgins wandering into the darkness with no clue where to go.

Billy and I made our way through what seemed like 100 miles, but it actually turned out to be 19. Isn’t it funny how angst can multiply the unknown to make the future almost unbearable? We ended up on Lazelle St. and found a place to park the bikes behind one of the vendors. I remember it sounded like thunder because of the constant rumble of V-twins.

This was the first bike I saw once I started walking the streets.

I would later find out the rumble doesn’t stop for two weeks, 24 hours a day in some parts. We just started wandering up the street as we didn’t even know where to start looking.

A deuce that was customized by WCC. This all came about right as the news of Bill Dodge leaving WCC hit the streets. Strangely, there was a Bling’s decal on this bike.

Sturgis is unlike any place on earth. I would later find out the rally is actually spread out between several towns. I would travel to Deadwood, Sturgis, Spearfish, and finally ended up riding the Black Hills. I also made a detour to Mt. Rushmore on my final morning, but that’s getting ahead of myself.

Matt Hotch’s Biker Build Off winner, V-Lux.

So here we are a couple of cherries walking down Lazelle getting bombarded with sensory overload. I was walking, Billy was in his wheelchair. It still amazes me how this guy was completely independent and required absolutely no extra attention or help to travel across the country on a motorcycle. He still inspires me to this day.

Everything, and I mean everything, you ever wanted for your bike is at Sturgis. I meandered through one vendor to the next just amazed at the shit I was seeing.

I approached the West Coast Choppers booth, and there’s Chopper Dave sitting on the couch bullshitting with some people. It was surreal to see these people who I had only seen in magazines just sitting around shooting the shit.

The intricate detail magazines and television don’t show.

Another small but cool touch.

I ended up at Indian Larry’s booth with a great guy named Chase. He gave me a beer and I sat with him while he sold t-shirts for Larry’s guys.

Deacon’s boy, Chase. He told me how they were riding 120+ mph to hit the rally. Must’ve been a sight to see. Hey Chase, thanks for the beer!

While we were there, Billy started geeking over this old man walking up. Come to find out it was the famous Deacon, who builds kick ass motors and bikes out of Hawaii. I hadn’t even realized till then that Chase was his boy! These guys can do some amazing shit with their bikes and let me tell you, they are a couple of wildmen! It was a little funny to watch as some poor fool sat on Larry’s bike. Chase came unglued, screaming for the guy to get off. The poor guy looked like he was going to piss himself. I felt bad for the guy.

A couple of shots of Larry’s last build. The work by Pradke and CJ Allen are very underappreciated on this bike. Pictures do it no justice.

I ended up leaving Billy with them and unfortunately never saw him again at the rally. I was tired, broke, and I had no clue where I was going to stay. To tell you the truth, I was a little scared. I didn’t know shit about this area and I didn’t know what to do next. All I kept worrying about is where was I going to get the money to get something to drink and eat. God must’ve seen I was worrying, because he sent a rescue just as it was getting dark.

What the fuck is wrong with these idiots?

I had finally made my way to the Full Throttle and was spending the last of the cash in my pocket getting ass prints on my head from the beautiful Angie. If you don’t know Angie, get the fuck off your ass and find her. Anyway, I had just spent my last bucks on a beer and Angie gave me an ass print on my head when my phone rang!

I could get in trouble at a place like this.

I was happy to see it was my buddy from Houston, Mike. He had been at the rally for a day already and was worried when he hadn’t heard from me. My phone was breaking up badly and the only thing he got was that I was at the Full Throttle. The last thing I heard was he would be there in a half-hour. I finished my beer and watched a guy burn his tire until it popped in the burn out pit. Fucking crazy! As I left I saw a woman who could bounce her tits like a bodybuilder bounces his pecs. It was the strangest thing I had ever seen. She had some big, fat, tits too! I decided to go to the parking lot and wait for Mike.

Walking through a parking lot at Sturgis is an amazing experience in and of itself. Just taking in all the bikes that are actually ridden and checking out the distance people traveled. Granted, there’s no real way to tell if they rode all the way or just trailered to the hotel, but it was still neat to see all the different license plates. The bikes in the parking lot would win most of the shows I have been to, but they are just the bikes people ride to The Mecca.

I didn’t care for this bike personally, but it was loud as hell.

It was because of this common sight I wanted to get rid of the Fatboy. What’s the point when you go somewhere and see thousands of the same thing?

My buddy Mike pulled into the parking lot and I was never so glad to see a friendly face in my life. He just smiled as I explained my predicament and how I was lost.

I was beat.

“I’ll buy you a beer,” was all he said. He had a shit-eating grin and just laughed, as I seemed more flustered than he had ever seen before.

We went back into the bar and had a couple of beers. It’s funny how I was panicked just a few minutes before but now didn’t seem to have a care in the world. All the problems just seemed to wash away as I felt myself letting go more and more. Before I knew it, I was having the time of my life without a care in the world. I guess it was the power of Sturgis, or maybe I was just fucked up. Mike did buy a few shots.

Mike’s old lady was staying back at their campsite and she was blowing his phone up!!! It didn’t matter that he was with a choirboy like myself, she didn’t trust him. I tell ya, it put a damper on the whole trip!

The ladie’s yard we slept at.

My $7 sleeping bag inside of my $14 tent.

After a while we decided to leave and head to their campsite. Luckily they had found a woman in town who rented out her front yard. For $15 a night, you had a shower, toilet, and all the coffee you wanted. It was nice. I was so tired I could hardly put up my tent and woke up in the middle of the night wrapped in it like a plastic burrito. I didn’t care, I just wanted to go back to sleep. Just as I started to doze, I was woken up from the sounds of my buddy and his wife going at it. It sucked because I was alone; but then again I didn’t have to listen to any Bitchn either. You know, for a couple that was arguing just a few hours earlier, you couldn’t tell they were mad the way they were going at it. I finally just got up and went for a ride up the street.

View looking down the street.

My Fatboy ready to roll.

Main Street was littered with everything from beer cans, bottles, trash, to people wandering the sidewalk. I couldn’t believe they were still out at 4 in the morning. It was eerie and cool all at the same time. I didn’t stay out very long, but did meet a man from Oklahoma who had spent his retirement money to buy a brand new H-D Ultra, and was traveling the U.S.A. He was having the time of his life and I started to resent him. That’s when he told me he actually resented me because he waited his whole life to go to Sturgis and I was already there at 31 years old. Hey, some guys have all the luck!

The next morning we woke up and went to the local high school for a pancake breakfast. I don’t remember exactly how much it cost, but it was less than ten bucks and you got a decent serving of eggs, bacon, and pancakes; good enough to start the day. We left after breakfast and rode out to the ’06 Harley unveiling. The bikes were beautiful and the crowd was intense. I don’t care what your motorcycle preference; you cannot deny the kick ass design of Harley Davidson. Shit, even their motorclothes are looking good. My buddy’s step-dad bought a normally $600 leather coat for $200. I wish I had a thousand bucks to blow in there because I guarantee everything was 50-70% off the normal price.

We left there and just rode the streets for a while. I wish I could tell you where exactly we went, but I was lost in the moment. My senses were blurred with the sheer amount of stuff to process. Normally I wave to people who I see riding, but this would be impossible in Sturgis. The trail of bikes coming and going is practically non-stop in every direction you look.

The streets were crowded.

We eventually made it to Main Street to parade down the line. I enjoyed it, but my bike was getting hot. The line took too long to get through, so I only did the tour once. Pictures in magazines definitely don’t show the degree of heat you are dealing with when just waiting to go. I couldn’t believe the number of Fatboys, Heritage’s, and Road Kings I saw in Sturgis. I was glad I had the Apehangers and fucked up rattle can paintjob, otherwise I would have lost my bike LOTS of times. It is nice riding a new Harley, but it does suck when you see 200 of the exact same bike you are riding. Oh well, I guess if I wanted to be different, I could have built one from scratch. I did notice there were not too many kit choppers out and about, which surprised me. In Houston, they are everywhere and their riders’ look at Harley guys like, “Oh, you only ride a Harley.” I swear I want to shove my foot straight up their ass while pushing their fat-assed “custom” on top of them. I hate when people act like they are better than someone else.

Main Street was a zoo.

We ate some grilled chicken for lunch and just walked around Main Street and Lazelle. About mid-afternoon we decided to go back to camp and get cleaned up before our nighttime activities. Because I had spent 6 days getting to Sturgis, I had to leave the next morning.

I am not a fan of the cops there. I received warnings and citations for such petty shit as bars too high, pipes too loud, brake light not working, license inspection out of date. I was pissed.

After a quick shower and a pretty intense game of quarters, we were ready to see the Sturgis nightlife. We ended up parking at the opposite end of Lazelle as the Full Throttle. We walked the strip making pit stops into each vendor and just window-shopping. The atmosphere was amazing as people from all over seemed hell-bent on nothing more than having a great time. Almost everyone we approached seemed to be smiling and having fun. For those not having fun, well they all gathered at The Knuckle Saloon. Here was where the action seemed to grow exponentially by the hour. Guys and gals signed up to fistfight. It was amazing and I had a ball. I did notice that many of the guys strutting through town trying to “act” tough seemed to walk right past this bar. Trust me, I know it’s easier to act tough than to actually be tough. I have the crooked nose to prove it.

This guy was getting the lavish treatment.

We ended up at another bar named One-Eyed Jacks later and just had a blast. Drinking wasn’t all that happened either. It was just a fun party laughing and talking with all these people. I swear it was biker heaven. As it got later, the party seemed to grow. We went right along with it. The crowd seemed to flow like the tides; some had high tide, while others had low tide. We tried to go with the flow. We did travel through the Broken Spoke, Stroker’s, Easyrider’s, and finally back to Lazelle. It was a whirlwind of fun amplified by open pipes, laughter, beer, whiskey, and sometimes a little pot. Not only could you see the party, but also you could hear it, smell it, and even taste the fun.

I couldn’t get over the number of girls who got wild at the rally.

I awoke the next day wrapped up in my tent again. I don’t even remember the last part of the night, but Mike and his wife said I had a great time dancing on a few tables. Supposedly I helped some young kid who had let his alligator mouth overrun his canary ass and he was getting stomped. Mike said I surprised everyone by breaking the whole mess up and getting the kid out of there. I don’t remember, but it doesn’t sound like me. I would usually walk by assuming he got what he deserved, so there’s proof that alcohol will make you do stupid shit.

I had a shirt with this on it and it got ruined at work. I was pissed.

This guy was cool. Just sat there all night snapping his pictures. Not for anyone other than his own memories. I can respect that.

We packed up and headed out to Mt. Rushmore. The rock was beautiful, but a mountain goat almost raped me. I thought they were tame. We started the long trip home at around noon. We headed east out of Sturgis towards Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and eventually Texas.

I was surprised how white they looked. They had just washed the faces for the first time a few weeks before this was taken.

This damn goat chased me for 25 feet. He was with a nice looking sheep I was going to say hi to. Hey, I am from Texas.

Leathered up for the long haul.

I had 1300 miles to reflect on the trip and I was extremely glad when I got home. Now here it is a year later and I feel the pangs of travel eating away at me. I have no vacation left at work, no money for vacation, and I can’t afford to take a week off without pay. But to tell you the truth, that’s the whole point, isn’t it? That’s what makes it fun. We spend all year juggling life and trying not to fall, but what do we end up with in the end. Nothing, just the legacy we leave behind which starts with the memories we make for our families and ourselves. Sturgis is about saying fuck the house, yardwork, bills, and the job. Sturgis is about having fun and celebrating with all the other riders who share the same passion for life that you do.

Fuck it! I’m going again this year. Hopefully I’ll see ya there.

A shot of our first run to Sturgis.

This year has been nuts. I don’t know what got into me. At the first of the year we set a code to cut down on events and projects and take it easy. Here’s the glitch. We thought, mistakenly, we’d just build a bike to ride to Sturgis then take it to Bonneville. That V-Bike, the first Sportbike Panhead turned into two bikes, then three with a V-rod from Phoenix.

The plan seemed simple enough in the beginning. I caught the glitch in my prognosis and fortunately ducked out on the V-rod. I was down to building two bikes by myself, riding to Sturgis, joining the Hamsters again and riding home. Then three weeks later we would ride to Bonneville and get our salt feet wet at the Bubs International Speed Trials. Hell, I thought this was a breeze, just hit the salt once a year.

I’m not complaining. It’s all fun. I looked forward to the 2000 mile Hamster ride into the Badlands. They know how to do it, and have a blast along the way. The Hamsters take a lot of yuppie heat, but a great number of the 270-strong, group of custom bike enthusiast, ride. They ride a lot. I’ve known the core of the group over 25 years. In most cases many of the members are apart of this industry. Okay, so with a week to go before riding out, my V-Bike Panhead engine hadn’t arrived and it looked like a no-show.

Death was at our door. We had to ride. Photo by the Duck and the Chief.

Berry Wardlaw of Accurate Engineering recently completed a Biker Build-off with a fellow Hamster, Kim Suter, of KC Creations and Gypsy. His order desk was piled too high. A brother Hamster was due to arrive in a day or two to straddle my King and head out. The King was ready, but what the hell was I going to ride. I could jump aboard the Shovelhead from last year, but the aluminum tank started leaking again. I have a 1948 Panhead with dual carbs… Sin Wu suggested I contact Harley and see if they would like a long distance article on a new 96-inch 2007 King with a six-speed.

The Sturgis parties were calling. Photo by the Duck and the Chief.

Give her a couple of margaritas and she sprouts her finest thinking. I contacted H-D and within an hour arrangements were made to compare two Kings while blasting to the Sturgis and back. Dale Gorman arrived in LA from Cape Cod and threw his duffle bag in the Bikernet Barracks. So there you have it, two 230 pound, plus, men heading out of town on two Kings. One a bone stock 2007 King, sporting a radio with XM hook-up, windshield and hard bags.

My King is a blacked out 2003 classic, 100th anniversary, with soft leather bags, Screamin’ Eagle heads, Screamin’ Eagle mid-range cams, a Screamin’ Eagle air cleaner, an H-D tear-drop air cleaner cover, Screamin’ Eagle, two-into-one exhaust, H-D blacked mag wheels, a Street Stalker front fender, highbars, no windshield, and one more, non-Harley performance accessory, a Keith Terry closed-loop fuel injection tuner. It’s still a pure 88-incher.

We packed light, no tour-packs, just what we could squeeze in our bags and in one Bandit’s bedroll apiece. I planted mine on the glide front-end nacelle as a windbreak and strapped it to the 16-inch highbars. Dale attached his behind him on the seat with crossed bungies and we rolled into grizzly Los Angeles traffic.

It's been five years since I rode with the Hamsters to Sturgis. Seemed like a lifetime. Dale and I rode to Sturgis at least three times. I was looking forward to a comfortable, weeklong run with some old bros, partying all across the west. Dale and I would shift from King to King noting our impressions. Our first stretch was the Mad Escape from Los Angeles to the home of Daytec and Atlas frames in Hesperia, California, some 98 miles into the Devor pass leading most weekenders towards Vegas.

Dale rode the ’07 King first and noted the 80-90 mph chassis walk on the interstate. Rubber-mounted dresses seem to flex at speeds and it’s generally due to the lack of rake and the driveline movement, with the swingarm attached to the transmission between two rubber biscuits. There’s a solution, the True-Track system designed be Wil Phillips.

This system adds another Heim joint under the transmission preventing driveline side-to-side motion. It takes a measly 10 minutes to install, and adds 80 percent more confidence to the ride. I installed one on the ’03 a couple of months prior and it dialed handling completely.

Everywhere we turned was a sign. Keep rolling to the Badlands. Photo by the Duck and the Chief.

Dale also commented on the gearing. “It was hard to know what gear I was in,” He said. “All the gears seemed taller and I didn’t hit sixth until I was rolling along at 90 mph, but it’s cool.”

These highway pegs could be adjust into several positions.

The ’07 appeared to be the virtually the same as the ’03 from a structural standpoint. Except for the 96-inch mill and the 6-speed transmission, they were the same bikes. The all black ’03 rumbled up the highway feeling fine except for the Aeromach highway pegs I installed. They were too close to my foot controls and I caught my boots between them. I need to adjust those suckers.

We tested the Aeromach Dresser cruiser pegs with the peg on the outside of the bar and on the inside.

Here’s my thing about Kings. I tried to ride a customized dresser a few years back. The bike was killer, but it was a dresser. I grew up on choppers. I couldn’t handle it, but I can a King. Let me try to explain. It’s like a ’36 coupe guy driving a bus. A King works, like a hot rod aficionado in the seat of a ’59 Cadillac. It’s still cool. You can still pack your shit, and rock n roll, especially with apes. I actually think the factory could take Kings a step further and offer apes, a slightly stretched frame for bigger guys and stretched tanks for lowered ’59 Impala class. Something like Lake pipes slipping through traffic or across the country in style.Shot of Kings

So Dale and I slipped through traffic splitting lanes into the desert under a partially cloudy sky. The radio with the XM Satellite connection was a rush and a safety factor. Since no matter where that bike was the reception was as clear as a bell, so Dale wasn’t forced to precariously tune channels and volume surrounded by thundering 18-wheelers.

Dipstick temp gauge worked terrific until it rained.

For some reason I haven’t been able to pump 13 psi of pressure into my H-D air adjustable shock for a while and we threatened to fix it on the road. No chance. We started checking fuel consumption at every gas stop as another comparison. In Hesperia after a tour of the Daytec plant and dinner at Phil Day’s estate we gassed up. We covered 117 miles with 3.1 gallons for 38 mpg. I was expecting more. I checked the oil temp with my digital dipstick gauge and came up with 221 degrees, which is bitchin’ for my twin cam. They run hotter than Evos and it’s a good notion to run an oil cooler. I wanted to compare it with the ’07 but the dipstick wouldn’t fit into the 6-speed case. I’ll bet he was running 20 degrees hotter.

Wild new product frame at the Daytec Facility.

Daytec produces 7,200 frames a year, with 200 employees, in their 50,000 square foot facility on the edge of the Mojave Desert. As we drank whiskey in Green Valley Bar with Clyde Fessler, an ex H-D VP, we watched the weather report, pointing out the ensuing heat wave and warning to avoid heat stroke by curbing alcohol intake or coffee. We ordered another round, and coffee was our first morning beverage, then more whiskey.

One of the original Hamsters. He still knows how to run outta gas.

Let’s ride. We jumped up in the morning, grabbed a pot of steaming coffee, plus breakfast and lined up for the “Wind ‘em up,” call. We rolled from Hesperia behind Phil Day the back way, 70 miles into Yucca Valley, where the notorious Bob T. lives with the Chop N Grind racing team, in a tin shed. They were the sister team to our 5-Ball Racing crew. Dale and I gassed up. The girls with the rest of the Hamsters demanded breakfast, so we peeled out toward the Joshua Tree National Park, to avoid those sand snortin’ bastards in the Chop N Grind team. We had covered a brief 70 miles and both the ’07 and the ’03 took exactly 1.6 gallons for 43.7 mpg. That’s more like it.

Notorious Chop N Grind Brothers.

We slipped through the outlaw territory of Joshua National Forrest, past massive and smooth Skull Rock and Fried Liver Wash. It was my turn on the ’07 and that baby was a gearing delight. I found 5th gear to be perfect through the general desert curves, and 4th fit the bill through a more curvaceous mountain pass. I could buzz along until I hit 80 before I shifted into 4th and 90 mph before 5th. The new King ran smooth as glass.Shot of babe on keys

At General Payton’s Museum at the Chiraco Summit, Dale pulled my King keys out of his pocket. A super hot babe resides on one side of the key bound thermometer. The mercury ran damn close to 120 degree. I told the ex-arm wrestling champion, to keep his big fingers off the girl. We had another 70 miles before we could hit the helmet free Arizona state line.

In the grizzly town of Blythe on the Arizona border we accumulated 141 miles and our gas intake was virtually the same for 37.6 mpg. The 96-inch ’07 was running along at the same gas mileage as the slightly modified ’03. Generally stock bikes are tuned to the lean side, so it made sense that the bigger engine was pulling the same mileage. Rolling into Phoenix we experienced a mpg drop to 30, the lowest of the trip. We musta fucked up our calculations.

Valerie Thompson, champion 5-Ball Racing team rider for Bikernet.com.

Dale and I started a maneuver to avoid the morning pack and the afternoon thunderstorms. We pulled out about an hour before the scheduled departure time. In Scottsdale, we partied at Myron Larrabee’s Billet Bar and I hooked up with my lovely Bonneville racer, Valerie Thompson, who ran 2nd in her class in the Destroyer drag racing class. The slight girl, sponsored by Monster Energy Drinks, would ride our 120-inch Panhead on the Salt, in another month, and set a world record. Hang on for that story. ( Bedroll shot on the front of the king)

The next morning we loaded up to cut a dusty trail to Payson in the Tonto Apache Indian Reservation. We sliced through our second day and this was the best ride yet, with mild smokin’ curves through picturesque hills, Joshua trees and Yuccas. I also noted a trend. We were both packin’ Bandit’s Bedrolls. Mine worked perfect as a wind brake and Dale’s gave him some back support. His was bungied just behind his lower back across the seat and mine we tie-wrapped to the bars with heavy reusable ties. They are tough, strong and durable. I found that I could snap them in place easily each morning and they never budged.

The Famous Helmet Hogs.

Sin Wu ran out to the Kings just before we left and handed each one of us a Helmet Hog. They easily slipped into our small bag pockets for use with packing Helmets through free states. They worked like double DD bras over beautiful boobs, holding them comfortable and secure. Kinda gets me going. If you want one, try Helmet-Hog.com.

Visibility slipped away as we rode into the cloud.

From Payson we ran into rain heading to Holbrook. Out of 99 miles we thundered through 50 miles of rain. Another trend was emerging. Again we used the same amount of gas, 2.3 gallons for 100 miles for 43 mpg. That number was more in keeping with what I believed a big twin was capable of. I owned several old Shovelheads that did 48 mpg on a regular basis. These were much larger displacement bikes, but also more efficient.

We peeled along the 260 toward highway 377 onto Interstate 40, then through thunderstorms, lightening and blinding road construction into Gallop. It was a grizzly ride demanding all our attention to narrowing road conditions, gravel, beveled lanes, fluorescent cones and thundering 18-wheeler pounding us with spray. In a sense the danger heightens the excitement of the ride. We dug around town peering through wet glasses trying, in vein, to find the correct Best Western Motel. We found it and scrambled to the bar where I noted Dale’s impressions of the ’07 King. I also checked the oil temp gauge on the ’03, but condensation attacked the lens and for three days it was useless.

Just after we rolled onto interstate 40 we were able to open both bikes up and the ’03 reached over 117, but the ’07 couldn’t cross the 100-mile mark on the easy-to-read speedo. “You killed me in every gear,” Dale said after we performed a series or roll on tests in 4th, 5th, and 6th gear. Stock bikes are so restricted out of the box that the 96-incher couldn’t keep up with my slightly modified ’03 88-incher.

Dale enjoyed the mountain handling after he put 15 pounds air pressure in the rear shocks. “The tires are shaky and I could lock the front dual discs too easily on the wet pavement,” Dale explained. “These bikes are not designed for tall guys, although it handled well in the rain.” Over the last couple of years they have added 1-inch axles front and rear for more stability and a tougher front motor mount. Although I beat him in the roll-on test, it wouldn’t take much to wake up the thunder in that 96-inch engine. “Hey,” Dale added, “I hit 103 mph going down hill.”

Photo by the Duck and the Chief.

As we bellied up to the bar my cell phone rattled across the hard surface. It was Mike Lichter asking me to write a brief description of Old School and New School for his Journey Museum display. I ordered my first Jack on the rocks, while Dale and I discussed the ride, the weather, the blinding semis and made notes for Mike’s article. Maybe some of you read my blither about Old School and New. It’s all a bullshit way to describe one style or another. We had fun with the article. I dictated it to the lovely Sin Wu back in California and she sent it to Mike via e-mail. When I ride I leave the Internet connections at home.

The next morning we headed straight into Albuquerque for 150-mile blast to beat the storms. We were determined to make Sante Fe before the thunderclouds bunched against the hills and poured on our parade. Again we left earlier than the pack. Chaz, a Hamster prospect pointed out that my rear turn-signal bar was coming loose and I crawled around under the ’03 King with a new fastener to reposition the bracket and tighten her down.

Photos by the Chief and the Duck.

We took the straight shot, whereas Corporal Hamster scheduled trails meandering into beautiful, off-highway passes and valleys. We had no intention of trying to peer through soaked lenses at picturesque, pine-covered mountains, in a driving rainstorm. As we rambled toward Albuquerque I had various thoughts of past Hamster runs. I could imagine Arlen, who has ridden to Sturgis, 30 years in a row, Barry Cooney or some of the guys who rode out first on Shovelheads and stretched Sportsters, breaking down from town to town. It was a still blast, an adventure at every curve, in every town and running from every cop.

I thought about the times when we searched each town for a girl or a party. I thought about racing from town to town. I liked the reduced speed signs. I always sped up. Times have changed, or I have, as we peeled across New Mexico heading for Sante Fe.

Meet some strange riders in small towns.

We arrived in the early afternoon, way ahead of the pack, and fought mountains of traffic to our motel. We checked in and found a Sushi bar. By the time we finished a luscious lunch it was pouring and we darted across the crowded boulevard to the Harley shop. They knew customer service and offered to ship Dale’s bling for free, so he wasn’t forced to pack it on the King. I also noticed that Dale’s turn-signals quit, then his horn failed. We check fuses and discovered the culprit. Evidently turn-signals and the horn circuit shared the same fuse.

Photos by the Duck and the Chief.

Everything in Sante Fe changed from the last time I roamed through the seemingly southwestern artsy haven ten years prior. It went from a small town to a bustling tourists Mecca surrounded by 4-lane boulevards, new buildings, upscale restaurants, shopping centers and slick motels. Everything was crowded, congested and plastic. It set me in a mood of deep thinking that carried over to our dinner conversation. We discussed the stages of life for men and how women torture us and we torture them, with little understanding in between. We pondered how families work, how they don’t and how there are no generalizations about anyone. We all struggle, learn, succeed, fail and survive, or not.

Photo by the Duck and the Chief.

We decided a plethora of books exist for women but few for men, and we should write one. On our way to Sturgis we ran into two major industry marriages unglued, the Daytec family and the Bourgets. It disturbed my heart, because I’ve been through it many times and know the pain, the rush, the desire and passion that shifts gears through life and often takes whole families and businesses down the tubes. Watch out! I ordered another Jack on the Rocks and voted for legalized prostitution. I believe, in my slanted thinking, it would save families from breaking up over fresh sex, but what the hell do I know? I just don’t believe that tying anyone, men or women, down with rules and restrictions stops the libido from functioning as nature designed.

Photo by Duck and the Chief.

Like Sedona, Arizona, maybe there’s a collision of creative stars over Santa Fe. An emotional Bermuda triangle vortex hanging over the clear starlit skies of Sante Fe, snagged my tired senses, or maybe I was just horny.

Photo of LA Choprods booth in Sturgis, by the Duck and the Chief.

After a day’s rest in Sante Fe, checkin’ the jewelry selection for the girls and working out for the first time in a week, we were up at the crack of dawn and motored out of town with full tanks of gas. As we rolled away from the lobby, we noticed the bearer of bad weather, Harlan, out front polishing his dresser. Either he drank a dose of over-confidence or he was nuts. According to Dawson the storm clouds were bunching up against the mountains already.

Photo by the Duck and the Chief.

Just another stop on the road.

We rolled out of Sante Fe away from the interstate onto 285. Somehow when we drifted into Antonito, Colorado, where we jiggled our empty tanks, on fumes. We tested the maximum mileage capacity of the two Kings. We scraped through 182 miles before we were bone dry and shaking the tanks for enough drops to whisk us into any gas station. We both took 4.5 gallons for 40.4 mpg.

Even Hugh King, The Chopper King, Build-Off Producer for Discovery Channel, rode in Sturgis this year. There were three Build-Off events.

Taking a break for a bite to eat.

Photos by the Duck and the Chief.

When we arrived in the mighty upscale ski haven, the weather cleared and we dried out at a terrific Barbecue Rib joint, south of our Hotel and just north of downtown. Dale and I stumbled into Arlen Ness several nights in a row and had dinner with the Chopper Doctor and a couple of his customers. Arlen has always been Mr. Mellow, but one of his buddies had a fascinating story. From a kid, Mike Avila raced speedboats and became a 7-time world champion water skier. Ten years ago he was in a terrible, high-speed skiing accident and was listed as DEA a couple of times. He didn’t give up, and although he’s still somewhat handicapped, he’s at the brink of another World Championship, as the boat driver and team leader. He rode with Arlen and the Hamsters to Sturgis this year and fell in love with the area. “He bought a condo in Spearfish,” Arlen said, “and he’ll ride every year.”

I knew there was a serious reason I ride to Sturgis every year. Photo by The Duck and the Chief.

We wanted to hang out with the smiling New Zealand babe in the barbecue joint, but the next morning, headed the other direction down the 82 toward Glenwood springs on Interstate 70 that curves through the White River National Forest toward another skiing Mecca of Vail through Frisco, Colorado and dropped us into Denver. Again, we hit the road early and prayed for a highway that slithered around the city, onto the 25 north to Cheyenne.

Art Cowboy Boots in Cheyenne.

Seems like everywhere we roam there’s a party, including Cheyenne.

Bikes were already rolling into town. We were burnin’ daylight. Photos by the Duck and the Chief.

Riding through Denver is much like LA, in its level of congestion. Interstate 70 is a fantastic roaming highway bordered by rivers, sharp mountain passes, and greenery. On an open day, you could fly through this pass, as if it was cut from the mountain just for choppers. Roaming down the Loveland pass at 11992 feet, we came face to face with the city of Denver, increased traffic, trucks and construction equipment. I remembered breaking a primary belt 10 years ago on that pass.

Suddenly the highway peppered us with gravel and dust as we looked for the bypass to avoid as much city congestion as possible, and we found it. Less than ten miles up the road we slipped onto 25 North and pulled off for Gas. Jeff Levy tagged along with us, on his bright orange ’04 Electra, in the morning, and we hooked up with a couple of other fast-riding Hamsters.

Photo by the Duck and the Chief.

Ran into a Jack Daniels Bike rider on the highway running into Denver. He had these badass bike cuffs clinched to his downtubes.

Highway 25 is another interesting ride. It’s the yellow brick road out of Denver, a vast expanse of golden fields, and nothing much else surrounds an almost straight asphalt ribbon leading us north, past one of the largest H-D dealers I’ve ever scene. H-D of Longmont or Loveland is across the freeway from a massive Budweiser plant in the middle of no-place. Like the 15 out of LA heading toward Vegas, the nature of suburban sprawl may gradually connect small bergs together until Denver reaches the Wyoming border, just like Los Angeles spreads toward Vegas daily. Denver was hot as hell as we sped toward Wyoming and Cheyenne. We figured 260 miles for the day. It actually trip- gauged at 298 miles. We started at 8:00 a.m. and rolled into dusty Cheyenne at 3:00 p.m.

The Biker Homeland. Photos by the Duck and the Chief.

It was Saturday morning as we were headed home (our Biker Home of Sturgis), along 25 north from the bottom of Wyoming to almost the top, virtually on one highway, 85 roaming into the Badlands. Ten miles out of Cheyenne we rolled off 25 onto two lanes of 85 and zagged north to Torrington for one quick left on 26 then a right back onto 85 where we remained true into Lusk, then New Castle, 4-Corners and Lead, passed the outskirts of Deadwood into Sturgis 16 miles away.

The first wild rat we ran into at 4-Corners in the Badlands.

Most of the Hamsters, at that point leaned west toward Spearfish along the same 90 freeway. In Deadwood we gassed up on a back street and I was already shouting to brothers I knew, who rode past. We were almost home.

Kings at the Daycare center. Home at last.

Dale trying out the kiddie furniture.

We ran into girls from the moment we rolled into town.

One of my favorites. The Lemonade girl.

We snuck in the back part of town to avoid the traffic and found our Sturgis abode at 1147 4th street. We parked, but couldn’t get in. We locked up the two Kings, strolled into downtown and visited Arlin Fatland at Two Wheelers, then Pepper at the Sturgis Museum. The town was bustling and we were trying to call for lodging assistance to our Sucker Punch Sally and Saxon connection, Ken Conte. We reached him and discovered we were parked at the wrong location. Our home was a Day Care Center for kids a block up on the corner of Willard and 4th. Whatta trip, sand boxes, miniature furniture, dinky lockers and toys scattered around the yard. We were home.

I love to wander up and down the streets, shows and booths just checking the bikes, Like Aaron Greene’s wild ride from Paramount Choppers.

Hookin’ up with the GOB girls at the HardBikes booth on Lazelle. Photo by George Najar.

It was damn good to kick back, have a beer and relax, we arrived—Sturgis 2006. I’m not going to blither through every move on the Streets of Sturgis. We always seemed to have a mission or a goal. Bikernet supplied the Girls of Bikernet to the Hardbike Booth on Lazelle. We had to check it out.

I would like to personally thank these two girls for entertaining on Lazelle, with the Hardbikes crew, for the entire week, solid. I wanted them to wear something that touted Bikernet, but where the hell would they put it?

Livia with a Lucky Devil custom in the Thunderdome photo studio. Shot by Sam Dixon.com

We sponsored the Thunder Road location on the outside of town, and Sam Dixon and Livia took over our booth in the Thunderdome, so we investigated and I became a celebrity judge for the AMD Championship of Bike Building.

Livia with the master of Von Dutch motorcycles.

I dig the artsy details found on the bikes at the AMD show.

Mike Lichter always on the job.

Journey Display bikes.

We wandered through Michael Lichter's Journey Museum display of bikes, checked-out my writings, words from other authors and his photography. We visited friends from far and wide, industry guys, builders, broads and whiskey drinking partners.

Billy at his breakfast. He’s facing tough times, but he’s still a brother. So much of life is just a roll of the dice. Once it a while it comes up snake-eyes.

Since I sponsored Billy Lane’s Blood Sweat and Gears program and the Kids And Chrome charity banquet to support the Kids Rapid City Hospital and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum we got up early to attend the builders breakfast at the Broken Spoke, then we snuck out the back door and headed for home. We had a Bonneville bike to build and hit the salt with.

Rick Fairless, owner of the Strokers Sturgis Bar at the Thunderdome.

Tim from Negotiable Parts had a scheme for drawing customers to his booth.

Too many broads can get a man down. Photo by the Duck and the Chief.

Sturgis was cool, crowded, yet the official numbers indicated attendance dropped a severe 40 percent. Was it gas prices, Middle East war, economy? Everywhere we turned new facilities were being built for the future.

Photo by the Duck and the Chief.

Jay Allen from the Broken Spoke plans a new camping facility and concert center. Samson Exhaust, Kenny Price, bought a massive lot in Spearfish, brothers are moving to the region to support the growth. Confidence is high that Sturgis will continue to grow and draw 400,000 plus numbers annually.

It’s a blast, from the girls, the bikes, the shows, the concerts, the food and bars. The entire chopper industry is there, as if the sign at the beginning of town said DisneyChopperWorld. If you want to see it, it’s there. Did I mention the Lemonade girls?

John Reed at the 50th Anniversary of the Black Hills Rally. He was a lot better looking then. He's now in the Sturgis Hall of Fame.

John, would it help if I could score you a squeeze?

I have one major regret. I was inducted into the Sturgis Hall of Fame last year. This year I recommended John Reed, for an appointment into the Hall of Fame. He didn’t plan on attending the Black Hills Rally but I forced the issue, when the appointment was confirmed. He jumped on one of his wild motorcycles and rode to Sturgis in just over 24 hours. John’s an English madman who has designed new products for Custom Chrome for 25 years. I discussed the induction breakfast with Pepper and she told me the format was changed to speed up the process, and I didn’t need to attend.

I will always regret peeling for the border Tuesday morning, instead of staying for the Wednesday breakfast. My apologies, John.

Instead of blithering on about Sturgis, I’m going to run a couple of sidebars about the rally from other industry individuals. Below is Hardbikes, Bob Kay’s report and a report from S&S on their activities. Ah, but keep going, there’s always an adventure tagged onto any Black Hills Rally and this one will snap your head back, so keep reading.

Bob Kay on SturgisHardbikes Working Sturgis 2006

Back from Sturgis and I’m just now getting back hitting on both cylinders. I know what you’re thinking, Babes, Bikes and Booze, right? Well that has changed if you are working the Sturgis show and we were w-o-r-k-i-n-g it! I had a drink at the start and end of the show and worked the entire week straight through.

In order to be successful you have to work the crowd and make sure you have a reason for the crowd to stop in at your booth. We brought in the Girls of Bikernet. Bandit knows his ladies and the Girls of Bikernet were very frisky. You can see them doing their thing right here.

HardBike contest winner.

The Biker and Rat's Hole Show crew came by and asked us to enter a bike. We rode our fat-ass drag race-style 330 Pro Street Tattoo Bike. Our production bike was placed in the ultra-custom class. Now only radical bikes end up in this class and in Sturgis you see the best bikes from the most renowned builders. So it was a big honor to participate.

It was even a bigger honor to take the 2nd place trophy away from some big name customizers. You just don’t see production bikes performing in this class. It’s truly a reflection of our engineering, design and paint team to make this happen. It also shows what Hardbikes is able to produce. It’s our goal to deliver a custom bike at production prices and the marketplace is sitting up and applauding.

We had daily Girls of Bikernet/Hardbikes fashion shows, gave out water, free t-shirts and of course the Girls of Bikernet were on hand posing for free pictures.

A new design trend in the industry is a jewel-like vintage look. The winner of the AMD bike show was a combination of bobber and board track racer with each component part a work of art. The time and energy put into the components is really taking the design to the next level.

Our two GOB girls were always happy to each other.

The 2006 edition of Sturgis seemed to be a little less well attended. Usually we see the rally building throughout the week. This year it hit the high level mark the first few days and by the last concert of the week everyone was gone.

What I came away with this year is that competition is up. And that means enthusiasts have more to choose from than ever before. At Hardbikes we are ready for the challenge. We offer what no one else can offer. An ability to custom fit a bike to your exact specifications and allow the owner to build their own custom motorcycle with custom parts just like you see on TV. The difference is, owners build it at the Hardbikes website instead of the OCC garage.

Hope you all had a good Sturgis. Keep the rubber side down!

-Bob Kay, Hardbikes

Eric Herrmann’s Sturgis Report

Hope to see you at Bonneville. Here’s some Sturgis info if you’d like. Dustin Herrmann (age 15) on his first trip to Sturgis with his father Eric Herrmann, took 2nd place in the amateur hill climb. Dustin’s 1st two attempts were on a muddy hill shortly after a rainstorm. With no extended swing arm, Dustin came within 9’ of the first place finish in his category.

With help from industry friends Metzler / Pirelli Tires and tools borrowed from Bikers Choice / Tucker-Rocky, Dustin’s wide-open throttle clearly made him the crowd favorite. With a second place trophy, the 6:00 news, and a place in the record books, Dustin is already planning for Sturgis 2007. Father Eric Herrmann also challenged the hill and was victorious only by not ending up in the hospital. And I taught him how to ride.

The Proud Parent.
–Eric Herrmann
www.EricHerrmannStudios.com

S&S Sturgis Report

Sturgis 2006 was a busy time for the S&S crew. After successful appearances in Daytona, Laughlin, Myrtle Beach, and Laconia, the World Builders Showcase once again wowed the huge crowds. The Big Twin West Show (December 1–3, 2006 in Las Vegas) will be the last chance to catch this prestigious showcase of international talent.

Other S&S supported events included The AMD Pro Show, featuring the most talented and innovative builders from around the globe and the Kids and Chrome Benefit for Children’s Care Hospital & School, which generated over $8,000 through the auction of an S&S donated SH93 engine.

“What is the best way to promote our product? It is by letting the customers experience it for themselves,” stated S&S president, Brett Smith. Given this directive, the crew put together S&S’ first demo ride program at Sturgis Dragway. Carefully screened customers were given the chance to ride a test bike equipped with an S&S T124 Hot Set Up Kit, 6 Speed All Helical Gear Transmission, S&S High Performance Clutch Assembly, and S&S Slip-On mufflers. “Judging by their ear to ear grins and colorful comments, I think that they were thoroughly impressed with the brute power and tractability of the 124,” said S&S Events Manager, James Simonelli.

Hamster 2006 Pack riding into Sturgis.

S&S collaborated with Rick Luebeck, of Luebeck’s Customs, and introduced a custom 106” Victory® at Sturgis’ popular Broken Spoke Saloon. This bike featured the new S&S 106” Hot Set Up Kit®, available exclusively through Victory dealers. Justin Bramstedt, S&S Testing and Development Engineer, put the 110+ horsepower to work, smoking the tire to the delight of the cheering crowd. “Based on the crowd’s reaction and the number of people who hung around to check out this custom Victory up close and personal, this Hot Setup Kit will be a very popular product line for us and an exciting new option for Victory riders,” said S&S’ new Director of Sales and Marketing, Timm Fields.

For more information about S&S Cycle, visit www.sscycle.com.

Are you ready for the wrap up? We blasted back into Southern California ready to work toward our first attempt to go fast on the Bonneville Salt Flats since 1990, and I was on the ER Streamliner team. We set the World Land Speed Record for Motorcycles, 321 mph.

The run home wasn’t without a Wyoming ticket for highbars, and meeting old Stage Coach Bob in a bar on the edge of Utah.

There’s Stage Coach Bob. He managed old coaches for the Studios.

We rolled into LA and jumped off the freeway in Compton, Califa, a strange industrial ghetto next to downtown Los Angeles. At a stoplight a naked young black man stepped into the street wearing only tennis shoes and socks. He walked across the street as if he was walking from his home to the corner to buy a pack of gum. Dale looked at me as if he expected abhorrent behavior from LA, and he finally found it. He’s from Cape Cod, Mass, way back east.

Kyle on his hell ride with the ’07 King.

We had less than ten miles to rumble through before our journey was over, but Nyla met us with her son who was anxious to ride the ’07 King. Kyle jumped aboard the King and sped off. We arrived home safely and unloaded, but Kyle didn’t show. He decided to show off the flashy King to his uncle in San Pedro.

On the way up a winding accent into a residential community a woman in a van slowed in front of Kyle and swung to the right as if to park. Then she abruptly turned left into Kyle’s path. He slammed into her front fender and flew over the hood onto the pavement. The King was severely damaged and Kyle met with his first case of road rash.

So ended Sturgis 2006. Helluva ride on two Kings, with a good brother and the Hamsters. Sturgis rocked and Bikernet was everywhere. Unfortunately the San Pedro PD found Kyle at fault. Michael Hupy is investigating the accident, and goddamnit, we’re going to appeal the ruling.

BIKERS AND PEDISTRIANS DOWN, PRESIDENT HIGH ON HARLEY-DAVIDSON, THE WORLD WANTS HELMETS AND CANADA WANTS TO OUST COLORS

THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought to you by Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and is sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. For more information, call us at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit us on our website at http://www.ON-A-BIKE.com.

COAST TO COAST BIKER NEWS
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists

FALLEN FREEDOM FIGHTER It is with deepest regret that we report the death of Marty Schultz, ABATE of Maryland state director, who was riding home on the morning of August 30th after picking up his bike at a shop when he was struck and killed by the driver of a Jeep Liberty who ran a stop sign, violating the 44-year old rider?s right-of-way.

?Since that time there has been considerable speculation in print and heard over the airwaves about whether or not he was wearing a helmet,? said ABATE of Maryland in a prepared statement. ?Yes, in fact he was wearing a helmet that came off during the collision or its devastating aftermath. The focus should not be on the helmet, which in many cases provides little or no protection. A helmet can become dislodged or come off during a collision; which is precisely what happened in the collision that took Marty’s life. Instead, shift the focus to what happens before an accident occurs and strive for accident prevention.

Legislation advocated by ABATE of Maryland, Inc. during the 2006 session of the Maryland General Assembly sought to increase the penalties for right-of-way violations that result in serious injury or a fatality.

The National Coalition of Motorcyclists and the motorcyclists rights community extend our sincerest sympathies to the officers and members of ABATE of Maryland and the family and friends of Marty Schultz for their tragic loss.

?Another Freedom Fighter falls in the line of duty, thanks to one of the many irresponsible motorists out there,? said Tiger Mike Revere, ABATE of Oklahoma state director and member of the NCOM Board of Directors, who further expressed a sentiment shared by our entire board; “I’m sick and tired of burying my Brothers and Sisters for America’s right to drive stupidly!”

NHTSA REPORTS RISE IN MOTORCYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN DEATHS An increase in motorcycle and pedestrian deaths contributed to an overall rise in highway fatalities in 2005, reports the U.S. Department of Transportation?s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). According to the federal agency, the total number of fatalities rose 1.4 percent from 42,836 in 2004 to 43,443 in 2005.

Acting Secretary of Transportation Maria Cino noted that a 13 percent increase in rider fatalities from 4,028 in 2004 to 4,553 in 2005 and an increase in pedestrian fatalities from 4,675 to 4,881 offset an overall decline in highway deaths.

In 2005, new motorcycle and scooter sales topped the one-million level for the third straight year, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council, and increased from 1,063,00 in 2004 to 1,116,000 in 2005, marking 13 straight years of increased sales.

Cino added that the number of people injured in motor vehicle crashes declined 3.2 percent from 2.8 million in 2004 to 2.7 million in 2005. Passenger vehicle occupant fatalities also dropped by 451, from 31,866 in 2004 to 31,415 in 2005, the lowest level since 1994.

MORE MOTORCYCLES, MORE NOVICE RIDERS Not everybody is screaming bloody murder over rising gasoline prices, reports ConsumerAffairs.com — motorcycle manufacturers are ecstatic.

According to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, more than 350,000 people will take its new-rider course in 2006 — a 10 per cent increase over the year before. So many people want to ride that there’s a waiting list for spots in the class. The wait can sometimes take months.

The Motorcycle Industry Council, also based in California, knows the number of riders is rising rapidly. Sales of motorcycles and scooters climbed 8 per cent in the first quarter of 2006, compared to the same period of last year, and is expected to continue its upward spiral.

Because of rising fuel prices, there are a lot more novices on motorcycles. In fact, the American Motorcyclist Association reports that 35 per cent of motorcycle owners plan to be on their bikes more as a direct result of pumped-up prices at the pump. The typical motorcycle gets 50 miles per gallon of gas, while the average passenger car gets less than half of that — 22.4 miles.

PRESIDENT IMPRESSED WITH HARLEY-DAVIDSON President George W. Bush became the third American president to visit Harley-Davidson when he toured the York, Pennsylvania plant on Wednesday, August 16, but told reporters ?I?m just looking so far.?

Cheers and applause erupted inside the Harley-Davidson Inc. vehicle operations plant when Bush straddled a blue and white Softail and revved its engine again and again.

After meeting employees, the president shouted, “I’m impressed with the quality of the product here,” over the sounds of the assembly line. “I’m impressed by the fact that these people really enjoy what they’re doing,” Bush told national and local media.

Later, following an economic sit-down discussion with company workers and management, Bush vowed to make the quality American product he’d seen firsthand open to more international markets. “There’s a direct correlation between exports and jobs,” Bush said. “The more Harleys that are sold in places like Vietnam, China and India, the more likely someone is going to be able to find work.”

Harley-Davidson’s worldwide dealer network sold more than 125,000 motorcycles in the second quarter of the year, a 10 percent increase from the prior year. International retail motorcycle sales grew by 17.3 percent. The motorcycle maker also set a milestone this year when it opened its first dealership in China, a large new market for the company.

Bush also promised to help make permanent business tax credits for research and development, citing the company as a model for, as the president put it, “one of America’s finest products.”

WHO WANTS HELMETS The World Health Organization (WHO), a specialized health agency of the United Nations with 191 member states, is stressing the need for mandatory helmet laws worldwide and has published a road safety manual giving technical advice to governments on how to assess current helmet use and design programs to increase helmet wearing.

According to their estimates, motorcyclists account for more than 50 percent of the 1.2 million killed in road crashes every year, adding that the majority of those who die or are disabled in motorcycle accidents are from low and middle income nations, which is why the WHO is intensifying efforts to support governments to increase helmet use through their new publication ? ?Helmets: a road safety manual for decision-makers and practitioners.?

The manual is a follow-up to the World Report on road traffic injury prevention, published in 2004 by WHO and the World Bank, which provided evidence that establishing and enforcing mandatory helmet use is an effective intervention for reducing injuries and fatalities among two-wheeler users. The manual has been produced under the auspices of the UN road safety collaboration, in collaboration with the Global Road Safety Partnership, the FIA Foundation for the Automobile and Society, and the World Bank, as one of a series of documents that aim to provide practical advice on implementing the recommendations of the World Report.

“We want to make helmet use a high priority for national public health systems,” says Dr. Anders Nordstr?m, Acting Director-General of WHO. “We need to stress not only the effectiveness of helmets in saving lives, but the fact that helmet programs are good value for money. Countries will recoup their investment in these programs many times over through savings to their health care systems, as well as savings to other sectors.”

Many countries have succeeded in raising rates of helmet use through adopting laws that make helmet use compulsory, enforcing these laws, and raising public awareness about the laws, as well as the benefits of helmet use.

?The importance of increasing helmet use follows dramatic growth in motorization around the world, largely from increasing use of motorized two-wheelers, particularly in Asian countries. In China, for example, motorcycle ownership over the last ten years has increased rapidly. In 2004 it was estimated that more than 67 million motorcycles were registered in the country, and approximately 25% of all road traffic deaths were among motorcyclists and their passengers,? reports the WHO.

The manual will be implemented in a number of countries over the next two years, starting in the ASEAN region through the Global Road Safety Partnership’s GRSI initiative, but extending to cover countries from Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.

In addition to the publication of this manual, WHO has also established a network of experts working to increase helmet use, and supports helmet programs directly in its country work on road safety.

CANADIAN CITY INSTITUTES ?NO COLORS? POLICY ?Wearing colors of known criminal biker gangs is now officially unwelcome on city property,? reported the Alberta Daily Herald Tribune, as Grande Prairie Mayor Wayne Ayling put up the first no-gang-colors policy sign on the front doors of City Hall to officially start the city’s public campaign against criminal biker gangs.

“We believe it is inappropriate for people to advertise that they belong to a criminal gang on city property,” said Ayling. He said although Grande Prairie is the first city in Western Canada to have such a program in place, three other major cities in Ontario – Barrie, Durham, and Toronto – already have similar programs.

Ayling said the goal now is to get local businesses to put up no-gang-colors signs on their premises, though he admitted that may be a hard sell for some local businesses that regularly have motorcyclists as customers.

Quality Hotel, for example, is involved in the Canadian Championship of Bike Building in Wembley and was involved with the Western Canadian Bike Builders Showcase last year. The hotel’s general manager, Felix Seiler, said volunteering to support such a policy would put staff into the role of enforcers, something many are not qualified to do or should not be asked to do.

Mark Rodacker is manager of Countryside Motor Sports Inc., which deals with many clients that are into motorcycles. He felt the policy was “ridiculous” therefore his business wouldn’t be involved with the program. “They seem to label anyone who owns a motorcycle as a biker and that being part of a biker club means they’re going to be bad. They’re stereotyping all bikers,” he said.

The National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) has long fought against discriminatory legislation and opposes dress codes in public accommodations that unfairly discriminate against bikers. NCOM supports anti-discrimination laws that prevent establishments from discriminating against motorcyclists based on style of dress or mode of transportation.

WEIRD NEWS: NEW STAMP ISSUE MISSPELLS ?MOTORCYLE? The Postal Service recently, with great fanfare, issued a new set of stamps depicting motorcycles. Collectors who buy copies issued on the first day the stamps are available can get them with a special commemorative postmark. Unfortunately, the colorful postmark issued during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota misspells it “motorcyle.”

Having discovered this, the post office announced Friday that new orders for first-day envelopes will have a corrected postmark. Unless the buyer wants it spelled wrong. In that case they can still order the version with the incorrect postmark. Just include a note asking for the incorrect version.

Any collectors who already have misspelled versions can trade them for the corrected version by sending them to INFORMATION FULFILLMENT, DEPT 6270, US POSTAL SERVICE, PO BOX 219424, KANSAS CITY, MO, 64121-9424.

QUOTABLE QUOTE: ?To believe is very dull. To doubt is intensely engrossing. To be on the alert is to live. To be lulled into security is to die.?

Oscar Wilde (1854 – 1900) Anglo-Irish poet/playwright

BIKERNET NEWS FLASH – LONGER DAYTONA, BUSH VISITS H-D, H-D VAVIGATION SYSTEM, SENATOR DAVE ZIEN NEEDS YOUR HELP AND WHO IS WATCHING YOU?

Continued From Page 3

HANG ON FOR THIS ONE–Big Brother will be watching you for sure by 2008 — the year a proposed requirement that Event Data Recorders (EDRs) become mandatory standard equipment in all new cars and trucks will become law unless public outrage puts the kibosh on it somehow.

EDRs are “black boxes” — just like airplanes have. They can record a wide variety of things — including how fast you drive and whether you “buckle-up for safety.” The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) wants EDRs to be installed in every new vehicle beginning with model year 2008 — on the theory that the information will help crash investigators more accurately determine the hows and whys of accidents.

But EDRs could — and likely will be — used for other purposes as well.

Tied into GPS navigation computers, EDRs could give interested parties — your local cash-hungry sheriff, for example — the ability to take automated ticketing to the next level. Since the data recorders can continuously monitor most of the operating parameters of a vehicle as it travels — and the GPS unit can precisely locate the vehicle in “real time,” wherever it happens to be at any given moment — any and all incidents of “speeding” could be immediately detected and a piece of paying paper issued to the offender faster than he could tap the brake. That’s even if he knew he was in the crosshairs, which of course he wouldn’t. Probably they’ll just erect an electronic debiting system of some sort that ties directly into your checking account — since the paperwork could not keep up with the massive uptick in fines that would be generated.

Already, 15-20 percent of all the cars and trucks in service have EDRs; most of these are General Motors vehicles. GM has been installing “black boxes” in its new cars and trucks since about 1996 as part of the Supplemental Restraint (air bag) system. Within a few years, as many as 90 percent of all new motor vehicles will be equipped with EDRs, according to government estimates — whether the requirement NHTSA is pushing actually becomes law or not.

The automakers are just as eager to keep tabs on us as the government — in part to keep the shyster lawyers who have been so successfully digging into their deep pockets at bay. EDRs would provide irrefutable evidence of high-speed driving, for example — or make it impossible for a person injured in a crash to deny he wasn’t wearing a seat belt.

Insurance companies will launch “safety” campaigns urging that “we use available technology” to identify “unsafe” drivers — and who will be able to argue against that? Everyone knows that speeding is against the law — and if you aren’t breaking the law, what have you got to worry about?

But if you get edgy thinking about the government — and our friends in corporate America — being able to monitor where we go and how we go whenever they feel like checking in on us, take the time to write a “Thanks, but no thanks” letter to NHTSA at http://dms.dot.gov/

–from Rogue

www.samdixon.com

WISCONSIN SENATOR DAVE ZIEN NEEDS YOUR HELP!– Wisconsin State Senator Dave Zien has always been a steadfast advocate for motorcyclist’s rights, beginning when he returned from service as a United States Marine in Vietnam to help repeal Wisconsin’s mandatory helmet law in 1977, and continues to this day as a member of the State Legislature.

But Senator Zien is facing a tough re-election this fall and needs our help to continue serving the bikers of America. He has been targeted for defeat by ultraliberals who plan to spend hundreds of thousand of dollars to remove him from office. As freedom-loving motorcyclists, we cannot afford to let this happen!

Since being elected, Zien has been instrumental in passing numerous pieces of pro-motorcycling legislation, including Wisconsin Act 148 in 2003 that was enacted in response to the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling in Stehlik v. Rhoads that ruled not wearing a helmet could be considered negligence by the biker in a civil case. In essence, the ruling was as de-facto mandatory helmet law. The result of Dave’s bill was that if a motorcyclist is not wearing a helmet, he or she can not have that fact used against him or her when a court is awarding damages.

Earlier this year, Zien authored the “Roadway Users Responsibility Act” that improves highway safety for all roadway users. This act increases penalties for right-of-way violators that cause bodily harm to motorcyclists. The new law also requires driver education courses to include motorcycle safety in order to make all drivers aware of the rules of the road and how motorcycles and cars can safely share the road. Another provision allows bikers to proceed with caution after waiting 45 seconds at a stoplight.

Zien is not just a legislator who rides; he was one of the first bikers ever elected to political office, and was inducted into the National Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Sturgis, South Dakota in 2000, and has received the National Coalition of Motorcyclists Lifetime Achievement Award. As a member of the NCOM Legislative Task Force, he has worked tirelessly to protect the rights of motorcyclists across the country by lobbying their state legislatures. He is a World-Record holding motorcyclist with 858,000+ on his 1991 FXRT Harley-Davidson as of August 15, 2006. He holds the record for most miles on a Harley ever in 11 consecutive days (11,225 miles), and Dave’s ride of 31,111 miles in 31 days has been submitted for official recognition.

We need to keep Wisconsin’s biker Senator in office, and your contribution to his campaign will keep him in Madison, looking out for the interest of the motorcyclists.

Please send what you can to keep Dave fighting for us. The maximum amount an individual can contribute is $1,000. Contributions should be made to “Friends of Dave Zien”, P.O. Box 1858, Eau Claire, WI 54702. If you have any questions about other ways you can help Dave Zien, call (715) 723-1694.

NEW HARLEY-DAVIDSON ROAD TECH QUEST NAVIGATION SYSTEM–MILWAUKEE (August 21, 2006) – The new Road Tech Quest Navigation System (P/N 92313-06, $599.95) from Harley-Davidson Genuine Motor Accessories is a rugged, waterproof, portable GPS receiver designed specifically for motorcycle use.

The compact Road Tech Quest unit is loaded with 115 megabytes of internal memory for powerful mapping capabilities, and includes fully unlocked MapSource City Select CDs with mapping coverage of the entire United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. A built-in USB data connection port allows fast downloads of MapSource information.

The high-speed internal processor provides fast automatic off-route and detour recalibration. The detailed street maps are displayed on a bright, LED backlit color screen that readable in sunlight, and the large control buttons can be activated while wearing gloves.

$$79.95) is hard-wired to the motorcycle electrical system and automatically powers the Quest unit and recharges the internal lithium-ion battery, which provides up to 20 hours of off-bike use. The entire unit is easily removed from the mount when parked, and can be used as a portable navigation tool.

Road Tech Quest fits most 1996-Later Harley-Davidson models, except VRSCR.For additional information on Harley-Davidson Genuine Motor Accessories, see your local Harley-Davidson dealer or visit the Harley-Davidson Web site at www.harley-davidson.com. To find a dealer near you, call toll free 1-800-443-2153 in the U.S.A. or Canada.

BIG TWIN CUSTOMS INVITATIONAL ANNOUNCES CALL FOR ENTRIES– Santa Ana, California ? August 21, 2006 Big Twin Customs Invitational is catching the industry’s attention! Due to the overwhelming response from builders, the deadline for bike submissions has been extended to October 6, 2006.

“We’re more than pleased at the interest being generated in this. Launching a new custom bike showcase in an industry that has its share of prestigious bike contests, we’re thrilled that builders recognize the distinctiveness of a showcase that celebrates excellence in design and the individual talents of all the builders involved,” said Dave Scott, Show Manager for Big Twin West.

A call for entries was extended to all custom bike builders in July. Big Twin Customs Invitational is open to all builders of custom American or Metric Big Twin motorcycles. Variations on the Big Twin theme are allowed, including trikes, 4-cylinder, 8-cylinder and single cylinder variations.

A celebration of design excellence, this premier invitation-only event will feature 100 bikes from around the world and will be showcased at Big Twin West 2006, a trade and enthusiast event for the American and Metric Big Twin markets. With over 7,500 buyers and spectators expected to walk the show floor over the course of the weekend, Big Twin West provides the ultimate platform for custom bike building anywhere in the world.

While Big Twin Customs Invitational is a showcase, and not a contest, we will be honoring builders with best of honors in six categories: best paint, best fabrication, excellence in engineering, best old school, exhibitors? choice and excellence in design.

Big Twin Customs Invitational will take place December 1 – 3, 2006 during Big Twin West, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV.

For more information or to download an entry form, visit www.bigtwinwest.com and click on the Big Twin Customs menu button. “

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MASSIVE BIKER MURDER CASE FORGING AHEAD–Edmonton Sun, Canada – LONDON, Ont. — A preliminary hearing into the deaths of eight Bandidos bikers – one of the worst mass slayings in Ontario’s history – may start as early as January.

That appears to be the plan after yesterday’s brief court video appearances – the first in London – by seven of the eight people charged after eight men were found shot to death and stuffed into vehicles April 8 near Shedden, Ont.Wayne Kellestine, 57, and Frank Mather, 32, both of Dutton-Dunwich, Brett Gardiner, 22, of no fixed address, and Michael Sandham, 35, Marcelo Aravena, 30, and Dwight Mushey, 38, all of Winnipeg, are facing eight counts of first-degree murder.

Eric Niessen, 45, of Dutton-Dunwich is charged with accessory after the fact.All of them were ordered to return to court Sept. 8 to set the January hearing date, including the eighth person, Kerry Morris, 46, of the Moncton area, who is also charged with being an accessory and is out on bail. She wasn’t required to attend yesterday’s proceedings.

The dead men were all associated with the Bandidos motorcycle club.George (Crash) Kriarakis, 28, John (Boxer) Muscedere, 48, Luis Manny (Porkchop) Raposo, 41, Frank (Bam Bam) Salerno, 43, Paul Sinopoli, 30, and George (Pony) Jesso, 52, were full-patch gang members. Jamie (Rogue) Flanz, 37, and Mike Trotta, 31, were associate members.

The case has moved from St. Thomas to London to take advantage of a high-security courtroom refitted three years ago for another lengthy biker-related case. That case, involving members of the Outlaws, has not been completed.While the expected January preliminary hearing date seems earlier than expected given the nature of the case, Kellestine lawyer Clay Powell said, “It’s doable.”

“It’s going to be a bit of a crush, and they have to make sure the courtroom is made available,” he said.During the brief court appearances yesterday, there were several key developments:

– Eight charges of accessory after the fact faced by Niessen and Morris have been reduced to only one charge each.

– Senior Crown attorney David Arntfield said more case disclosure will be given to the defense before the next court appearance.

– Anthony Bryant, who acted for notorious schoolgirl murderer Paul Bernardo, has taken over Aravena’s defense from Toronto lawyer Daniel Brodsky.

– Powell said in court he was planning to apply to the court for the information to obtain search warrants and the affidavits in support of extensive wiretaps.

–from Rogue

New artwork from Chris Kallas. Coming soon the The Gulch!

PRESIDENT VISITS HARLEY FACTORY– A White House official waved at President George W. Bush as he exited his Marine One helicopter at Harley-Davidson, then gestured as though turning the throttle on a motorcycle.That brought a brief smile to the president’s face yesterday before a limousine whisked him off to the Springettsbury Township plant around 3 p.m., where workers were busily assembling a mix of Softail motorcycles.

After 15 minutes of meeting and greeting with employees, the president shouted, “I’m impressed with the quality of the product here,” over the sounds of a conveyer belt running overhead and motorcycles slowly moving along an assembly track.

Later, following an economic sit-down discussion with company workers and management, Bush vowed to make the quality American product he’d seen firsthand open to more international markets.

With a backdrop of a dozen Harley employees and several motorcycles — including a purple Screamin’ Eagle Ultra Classic Electra Glide that momentarily got nearly as much attention as the president — Bush also promised to help make permanent business tax credits for research and development.

Bush is the third president to visit the Harley-Davidson plant, using the company as a model for,as the president put it, “one of America’s finest products.”

“I’m impressed by the fact that these people really enjoy what they’re doing,” Bush told national and local media in a 21/2-minute statement.

The president spent less than two hours at the plant before jumping back into his helicopter, Marine One, around 4:30 p.m., and heading to Lancaster for a fund-raising reception for Republican gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann.

Roundtable with workers: Eight Harley-Davidson employees — from company CEO Jim Ziemer to assembly line worker Ryan Britton — sat down with the president.

The president said he assured the company he agrees there is a need to open more markets for American products such as motorcycles made by Harley-Davidson.

“There’s a direct correlation between exports and jobs,” Bush said. “The more Harleys that are sold in places like Vietnam, China and India, the more likely someone is going to be able to find work.”

Harley-Davidson’s worldwide dealer network sold more than 125,000 motorcycles in the second quarter of the year, a 10 percent increase from the prior year. International retail motorcycle sales grew by 17.3 percent.

The motorcycle maker also set a milestone this year when it opened its first dealership in China, a large new market for the company.

Discussions: Fred Gates, general manager of Harley-Davidson’s York operations, said opening foreign markets to the company was the crux of the meeting.

“We tried to make sure we were up front about the things we’d like to see in the government to help us sell more motorcycles in foreign markets,” Gates said. “I think we got our point across on things we need his help on.”

Harley employees also asked the president about health benefits for single mothers, worker retraining programs and making business tax credits for research and development permanent, Gates said.

Bush addressed the latter concern with the media after the roundtable discussion.

“And I assured them that when I said I’m for it being permanent, I meant I was for it being permanent,” Bush said. “And we hope Congress makes the research and development tax credit a permanent part of the tax code.”

Before the president left for Lancaster, Harley-Davidson presented him with a special plaque with a gas tank attached and a nylon jacket with the Harley-Davidson, York Operations logo on the back. Bush already received the iconic Harley leather jacket when he visited the company’s headquarter and operations in Milwaukee in 2001.

Gates said the president had shown interest in owning a Harley, but it’s unlikely he’ll get the opportunity.

“He said he liked our motorcycles,” Gates said. “But he wasn’t sure the Secret Service would let him ride one.”

— CHARLES SCHILLINGER The York Dispatch

–from Rogue

LONGER DAYTONA BIKE WEEK DISCUSSED–Are you ready for a longer Bike Week?Biker events could start a week earlier for some businesses under a plan being proposed by a pair of biker event committees.

Longer Bike Week?

Arguing that many bikers arrive early, a chamber of commerce proposal would allow Daytona Beach businesses to sell merchandise outside their shops as many as seven days before the official start of biker events. Critics fear the proposal would extend the length of time residents have to put up with extra traffic and noise. Upcoming dates for the events:

? Biketoberfest: Oct. 19-22
? Bike Week: March 2-11

The Bike Week Festival Task Force and the Biketoberfest Development Committee last week recommended giving local merchants up to seven days before the official start to sell merchandise outside of their stores, hoping it would give them a leg up against neighboring cities that already can sell days earlier.

But the idea has caused a fury with some beachside residents who worry it will stretch out the party — and the crowds, traffic and noise they have been fighting to restrain.”We were starting to make headway,” said Pam Woods, a beachside resident who helped draft limits on biker events several years ago. “Things were getting so much better. We don’t want to take a step backward.”

Kevin Kilian, vice president of events for The Chamber, Daytona Beach/Halifax Area, said the week-early start would have restrictions and shouldn’t make a major impact.For starters, it won’t be advertised and would be optional only to businesses that operate year-round, he said. Businesses could sell only the merchandise they normally carry, like a “sidewalk sale,” and can’t create any additional sound. In other words, no concerts on stages until the actual start day.

The plan, which must be introduced to the City Commission by October for it to go into effect in time for Bike Week in March, also won’t permit out-of-town vendors to get started early — only locals, Kilian said.

It should help Daytona Beach business owners compete with their neighbors in unincorporated Volusia County, where they can start selling goodies at least four days before the official start of Bike Week and Biketoberfest.”The intent is to give local businesses the opportunity to capture some business when the stragglers come early,” Kilian said.

That may be the intent, but Paul Politis, owner of Gator Sports on Atlantic Avenue, which competes with itinerant T-shirt vendors, said it won’t stop out-of-towners from selling early because they know it would be hard for city officials to enforce.

“This could open up a can of worms,” Politis said. “We’re going to end up with a bike month.”

Tom Guest, owner of Choppers World on Main Street and chairman of the Biketoberfest Development Committee, said the plan would help businesses that have struggled, including his. He hopes to make some extra cash during Bike Week by selling leather goods and other items outside his store the weekend before.

“We did this after the hurricanes and it didn’t attract that many more people,” he said. “This is not going to be a real big deal.”

— Daytona Beach News-Journal, FL – DAYTONA BEACH —

–from Rogue

GRAB THE WRENCHES AND RUN–Back to the shop. I need to hit the local fastener store for supplies and find a oil pressure switch for the 120-Pan. I’m sure I have one in the shop. I will install the BDL primary drive, the Compu-Fire regulator, a coil, the LA Chop Rods Shifter, the Terry Components battery cables, oil lines, Gas line, etc. and fire this puppy to life. Wil Phillips from True-Track is making my steering dampner set-up and I’ll be inspected by an SCTA official tomorrow.

Hang on for the Sunday News. Let’s hope it’s all good. Once I have a few miles on her, I will work with Berry Wardlaw and D&D on a set of exhaust specifically designed for the Salt. We will hand make these puppies right here in the Bikernet Headquarters. Next week we roll out Wendover, Nevada and set up for racing.

I’m still going to shoot for finishing my Sturgis Twin Kings run article. We have a couple of Girls of Bikernet about to run in the Cantina and a tech for the Tech Department.

I want to thank everyone for joining the Cantina. Hope you enjoy it. More and more hot material slips into the Cantina for the members. I’m posting a new “Chance” book and more girls? contantly. It’s a blast, and we appreciate your support.

Ride Forever,

–Bandit

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