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Read More A HISTORY OF BIKERS RIGHTS IN AMERICA
By C.S. Berg |
About 30 years ago, bikers across America got sick and tired of beingtold by a bunch of Washington bureaucrats and local politicians who’d neverthrown a leg over a motorcycle what they HAD TO WEAR, how they HAD TO RIDE,and what our BIKES HAD TO BE BUILT LIKE!!
And over the years, motorcyclists have organized themselves into a viablepolitical force. We are one of the few TRUE grass roots movements in thecountry. Others may share an avocation, profession or recreation, but theydon’t share the passion.
Bikers have succeeded in taking their passion and turning it into amovement…a “Freedom Movement,” because we have the passion for freedom.Freedom is something we believe in, and that motorcycling is just one veryenjoyable way to experience it. Well folks, that passion will always beinside you, each of you, the Harley, Honda, Yamaha, BMW or Triumph rider,from the doctor to the construction worker. And that motorcycle will remainan outlet for that passion…as long as we continue to bypass the barriers ofappearance or ego and work together to preserve our right to ride.
And that’s what our movement is all about…a diverse bunch of people,most of us staunch individualists, but with one common denominator and acommon goal…Freedom Of The Road.
The kind of camaraderie that brought the first two motorcycle riderstogether to share a ride down a country lane is the same kind of camaraderiethat formed our early motorcycle clubs and associations and, eventually, ourmotorcycle rights organizations.
Motorcycle Rights Organizations (MRO’s) as we now know themstarted developing in the early 70’s, after the first national helmet effort causedalmost every state to pass mandatory lid laws. Since then motorcyclists have never beenstrangers to political activism.
In fact, early motorcycle riders were among the first special interestgroups to lobby for better roads. At the turn of the 20th Century as Indianfootpaths and trails became rough and rutted dirt roads, motorcycles servedas a primary form of transportation, and motorcyclists became vocal aboutimproving the road conditions. Later, riders were among the first groups topush for an interstate highway system.
YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHERE YOU’VE BEEN TO KNOW WHERE YOU’RE GOING!
My name is Bill Bish, and I’m the former Executive Coordinator of theNational Coalition of Motorcyclists and Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (AIM &NCOM), and have been active in bikers rights for over fifteen years. I haveserved in various state positions with ABATE of California, including twoterms as Chairman of the Board and two terms as State Director.
Sooo, for you history buffs, I’ll try to piece together some of our earlybeginnings, with apologies to those who were there from the start. I wasn’t,so this is only from my early conversations with people like Deacon DavePhillips, Ron Roloff, Keith Ball, Sherm Packard and others who WERE there, aswell as my own research and admittedly spotty memory. But, to help validatethis version of Biker History, I ran the article by most of the peoplementioned herein.
Through NCOM and ABATE of California, I have traveled across the UnitedStates to preach unity and spread information, and I will always treasure mymemories of the places that bikers’ rights has taken me and the friendlyfaces that have greeted me. Because our issue is so emotional and deeplypersonal, I have developed close relationships with many Freedom Fightersthroughout the country who I am proud to call Brothers and Sisters.
It was this deep sense of “family” within the motorcycle rights communitythat inspired me to trace our Family Tree. Much has been said of the comingnew millennium, and of the opportunities and pitfalls our future holds instore, but one thing is certain…YOU CAN’T KNOW WHERE YOU’RE GOING UNLESSYOU KNOW WHERE YOU’VE BEEN!
With that thought in mind, I’d like to take you on a brief trip downmemory lane, as we open up our Family Album and retrace our History as abikers’ rights movement here in the United States. Don’t worry, there won’tbe a test, and hopefully this brief history lesson will be at least asinteresting as your High School History classes!
Easyriders magazine editor Lou Kimzey issued a plea in issue #3, October1971, for bikers to come together to fight impending restrictions from theNational Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) by joining anew national bikers’ rights organization called the National Custom CycleAssociation, but because of a conflict with the acronym the name was changedin February 1972 to A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments (ABATE).
Irecall Joe Teresi, publisher of Easyriders, telling me that they had acontest around the office to come up with a new name, and one of thesecretaries came up with “ABATE”. He told me they were on deadline and hadto come up with a logo real fast, so they took a stylized German eagle andtransformed it into the logo used by many ABATE’s to this day.
Keith Ball was just 22 when he became the original ABATE managerin 1971, and he later became editor of Easyriders and the National Director of ABATE. He recently retired from Easyriders as the Editorial Director and Executive Vice President of Paisano Publications and went intoretirement, though he now operates an internet site called Bikernet.com whichstill focuses on bikers’ rights. Easyriders began granting state charters in1974, and ABATE’s which came into existence around this time were charteredin Kansas, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and New York; andalso MMA of California, MMA of Massachusetts, New Hampshire Motorcycle RightsOrganization, Rhode Island Motorcycle Association, Connecticut MotorcycleRights Association, and the Wisconsin Better Bikers Association. Easyriderspublished phone numbers, contacts and legislative news, and the bikers rights network began to grow. The Modified Motorcycle Association of California was founded at the same time as many ABATEs.
The original federal helmet mandates, which were instituted in 1966 byCongress and later repealed in 1976, were designed by the U.S. DOT (Department ofTransportation) as a means to restrict modified or customized”choppers” which they deemed unsafe. Especially extended forks andapehangers which were popular.
Deacon, founder of ABATE of California, once related to me thatthe 60’s fad of ridiculously high sissy bars came about because thegovernment started requiring “grab bars” for passenger safety, so the ridersof the day flaunted the law by building them as long and garish as they couldget by with.
Almost every state during this time began passing handlebar heightrestrictions, eyewear requirements, motorcycle licensing requirements,lights-on laws and other equipment regulations and many other restrictions. The government claimed that the restriction against our “Freedom Machines” were coming down the pike to make motorcycle riding”safer”. Funny, but back in the sixties they just wanted to force bikers offthe streets. Publicly they tooted that they wanted to SAVE US from ourselves!
In most states, before motorcyclists became politically organized, theclubs were the first to fight helmet laws and other restrictions. In manyinstances clubs founded the states’ motorcycle rights organizations.
Before MMA or ABATE of California came intoexistence, the Hells Angels M/C and Ralph “Sonny” Barger in particular hadsucceeded in keeping the state of California helmet-free even though Congresshad passed legislation in 1966 requiring every state to pass a helmet law orlose 10% of their federal highway funds, (this should sound familiar, since wejust recently faced the same type of national helmet law in the nineties).Rumors still circulate around Sacramento about 1,000 Hells Angels on theCapitol lawn, and HA’s camped outon the door steps of legislative opponents. Soon the old intimidation tacticswore thin and club leaders realized that they needed tolegitimize their efforts by creating a more sophisticated political lobbyingarm. In the case of California, the Hells Angels founded the MMA of California. Various states have similar history with local clubs which were the roots of their MRO.
About this same time, the American Motorcyclist Association began torecognize the motorcyclists rights movement and they established the AMAGovernment Relations Department, but not until 1976.
As the rights movement grew, Don Pittsley, a member of the Huns M/C inConnecticut convinced his congressman, Rep Stewart Mckinney, to introduceH.R.3869 to end the Federal authority to withhold highway funds from stateswithout helmet laws. In July of 1975, Rob Rasor of the AMA, Ron Roloff ofMMA and Ed Armstrong of ABATE of Chicago presented the House Sub-Committee onSurface Transportation with convincing testimony to repeal the mandates. California was being sued by the DOT, because GovernorRonald Reagan refused to comply with the federal mandate. Roloff helpedconvince California Senator Alan Cranston to offer the language of the billas an amendment to the 1975 Federal Highway Act, which passed withoverwhelming support from the California delegation because of the impendinglawsuit. It was signed by President Gerald Ford on May 5, 1976. Not bad fora rag tag bunch of bikers with little or no previous political ambitions.
Spurred on by many successful protest rallies around the countryfollowing the national helmet law repeal, 30 state laws were repealed. ABATE, MMA and other motorcycle rightsorganizations sprang up in every state across the country and are now afixture in state houses.
There were several failed attempts to start a national motorcycle rightsorganization, including Easyriders’. In 1985 the Motorcycle Rights Fund (MRF – later changing their name toMotorcycle Riders Foundation) hosted their first Meeting of the Mindsconference, and a few months later, in 1986, the National Coalition ofMotorcyclists (NCOM) held their first National Convention. Motorcyclingleaders realized the need for a united voice and the necessity of networkingand communications, and both the MRF and NCOM grew and have become effectivepartners with state MRO’s in protecting riders’ rights on the federal, stateand local fronts.
The concept of unity was put to the test in the early 1990’s, whenCongress again attempted to force states into passing helmet laws, andAmerican motorcyclists came together en masse, and in a coordinated effortbetween the MRF and NCOM virtually every state sent representatives fromtheir State MRO to walk the hallowed halls of Washington, D.C., in search oftheir U.S. Senators and Representatives. The grand lobbying experimentWORKED, and in just FOUR YEARS bikers were able to convince Congress to onceagain repeal their misdirected and misguided “nanny” law and return thedecision to the individual states. That same legislation also repealed the55 mph minimum speed limit! Soon afterwards, Arkansas modified theirmandatory helmet law to allow Freedom of Choice for adult riders 21 andolder. Texas soon followed, as well as Kentucky, Louisiana and, mostrecently, Florida.
Today, the scoreboard reads 20 Helmet Law States vs. 30 Free ChoiceStates!
As a result of our newfound political clout, motorcyclists havesuccessfully approached Congress twice over the past few years, first in 1996to grant federal protections against insurance discrimination based on modeof transportation because many companies (most notably Ruger Firearms and theTeamsters Union) were denying medical benefits to employees injured inmotorcycle accidents). Although this legislation was recently nullified bynew federal regulations written in the waning days of the ClintonAdministration, this nationwide effort was textbook politics at its best. The fight continues but the movement WILL succeed in reinstating the intent of Congress to protect us againstinsurance discrimination.
Then, in 1998, motorcyclists united once again to put together apro-active agenda for bikers, and succeeded in lobbying it through Congress.Included in this “wish list” for bikers was a guarantee that motorcyclistswould be included during the development of the Intelligent TransportationSystem (ITS) technology, which ensures that motorcycles are guaranteed access toany and all roads built with the use of federal highway funds (no road bans).This effort will restrict anti-motorcycle lobbying efforts by NHTSA and provides $131 millionfor recreational trails development and maintenance!
During this active span of time, many state rights groups have become proactivewithin their states instead of RE-acting to legislative threats. Minnesotapassed our nation’s first law to make it illegal to discriminate againstsomeone because they ride a motorcycle. Arizona, Iowa, Oregon and Washingtonhave successfully repealed or modified their state’s handlebar height laws.Virginia and Illinois have lobbied their states to reinforce the federallyguaranteed access to roads by passing laws to protect our rights to ride onany roads within their state boundaries. Virginia and Maryland amended theirstate’s parking laws to allow more than one bike per metered space. Andseveral states have fought and defeated “No Fault” insurance proposals thatare unfair to motorcyclists.
Also, now, through the work of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists,patch holders in nearly 40 states and two Canadian Provinces have cometogether to form Confederations of Clubs to fight discrimination and policeharassment through the courts, bringing the motorcycle rights network fullcircle with the rejuvenated interest of the motorcycle club community.
While our early bikers’ rights leaders paved our way, other dynamic andconcerned riders have come forward to take the reigns and lead us into thenew millennium.
We should never forget the efforts and sacrifices of our predecessorswho faced intimidation from law enforcement, indifference from legislatorsand animosity from a public that saw “The Wild One” one too many times.They got the job done. Were it not for their perseverance and dedication,we would not have become the respected and effective grass roots lobbyinggroup that we are today.
So, there you have it. The roots of ABATE and the Americanmotorcyclists’ rights movement run deep in the hearts of those of us who haveaccepted and, in turn, passed on the torch of Freedom of the Road. To allthose who came before, we salute you.
Where will the future take us? That’s entirely up to you. New restrictions onour freedom and our motorcycles are coming at us now from across the big pondIf we don’t increase our political strength, we may be looking at thelast days of motorcycling as we know it.
W need to protect the future of motorcycling against theupcoming European invasion! The biggest threat facingmotorcyclists today is not necessarily from our own Government. It may verywell be the EUROPEAN THREAT, as the strictest motor vehicle standards in theworld are adopted as global standards.
On June 25, 1998, the global motorcycle came closer to reality, as theUnited States, Japan and the 15 member countries of the European Union (EU)signed an agreement in Geneva, under the auspices of the United Nations, todevelop global regulations concerning the safety performance of motorvehicles and equipment. So, the UNIVERSAL motorcycle is on it’s way.
The automotive and motorcycle industries have long advocated globaluniformity of standards, because conflicting standards mean expensive designchanges for each market. Unfortunately for motorcyclists, this means thatEuropean threats such as leg protectors, air bags, noise limits, horsepowerrestrictions and anti-tampering measures, will now become global issues. There are 300,000 new bikes sold in the USA eachyear, and 1,000,000 new bikes sold in Europe. Which standards do you thinkwill apply?
Construction standards could ban:Air-cooled engines, open chain drives, 2-stroke motors, self-tuning andcustomizing. Regulations will include Catalytic Converters to reduce emissions, along with reducingpower and increasing fuel consumption, while driving up the cost ofmotorcycles.
Medium/Long Term Threats in Europe include the following:
Vintage/classics banished to museums, due to End-of-Life issues
Construction standards mandated
Using “Anti-Tampering” Sheer Bolts to prevent home maintenance andperformance work.
Armored, high visibility clothing.
Bike bans on certain roads, in certain tourist areas and when pollutionlevels rise.
Massive road tax increases and heavy-handed taxes on motorcycles.
Multi-stage (tiered) licensing to ride a motorcycle, and very expensive.
Yes, and research continues, even today, on leg protectors and air bags!
Vision Zero:There’s no such thing as an “accident” with today’s technologically advancedvehicles. BUT motorcycles will always be subject to human error?thereforethey would be BANNED under this proposed Swedish plan which almost becameofficial policy!
Intelligent Transportation System:Basically, the purpose of ITS is to use technology to achieve a moreefficient flow of traffic. But while the goal is safer, quicker travel,ultimately ITS technology will eliminate human error by taking control of thevehicle away from the driver.
NHTSA promises active public participation in the development of the newglobal motor vehicle safety standards, with public meetings and commentperiods as the plan is implemented, and Congress has promised thatmotorcycles will be included in any future ITS developments. Motorcyclistswill have to ensure that our collective voice is heard during the planningstages.
So, if we want to continue to ride free, we must spread the word toother concerned riders, to our youth, and to our legislators. Join a motorcycle rights group and support their efforts. Freedom will never die.
–Bill Bish
March 21, 2006
By Bandit |
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
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists
NOT SO PATRIOTIC PATRIOT ACT: a few grand moments in the Senate, the final version of the Patriot Act signed by President Bush on March 9th imposes no meaningful restraints on the vast power Congress granted the government to spy on its own citizens in the fear-ridden wake of the 9/11 attacks, reported the Baltimore Sun on March 13, 2006.
Senators demanding greater privacy protections gained traction late last year when it was revealed that the Bush administration has been secretly wiretapping Americans for years without any sort of court approval. In the end, though, nearly all settled for minor concessions that leave the worst features of the Patriot Act intact.
Lawmakers are betting that if forced to make a choice, Americans will favor security over liberty, haunted as they are by a post-9/11 fearfulness recently on display in the frenzy over the prospect of an Arab-owned company running some U.S. port operations.
Among the most important changes:
Recipients of court-approved subpoenas for information in terrorist investigations will have the right to challenge the requirement that they not tell anyone about the subpoena. In addition, recipients of such subpoenas will no longer be forced to provide the FBI with the name of their lawyer. Also, the civil liberties package clarifies that most general-purpose libraries are not subject to demands made in so-called National Security Letters for information about suspected terrorists.
But not even the secret seizure of library, medical and business records without probable cause was adequately addressed. So the job isn’t done. And it won’t be unless outraged citizens demand it.
offered new legislation that would demand evidence of a link to a foreign power before library, business and medical records could be obtained; eliminate a one-year period before gag orders on requests for such records could be challenged in court; and require that the target of a “sneak and peek” search warrant be notified within seven days of its execution.
Now that the expiring provisions of the Patriot Act have been restored, though, pressure for further action is off. Senator Specter’s bill is likely to languish unless umbrage at the needless intrusion into the lives of innocent Americans makes itself heard.
Some of the Patriot Acts most important provisions will face another reauthorization in four years. Among them are Sections 206 and 215, which allow roving wiretaps and permit secret warrants for books, records, and other items from businesses, hospitals, and some libraries.
BIKERS ROLL TO SOLDIERS? FUNERALS Wearing vests covered in military patches, a band of motorcyclists rolls around the country from one soldier’s funeral to another, cheering respectfully to overshadow jeers from church protesters. They call themselves the Patriot Guard Riders, (www.patriotguard.org) and they are more than 5,000 strong, forming to counter anti-gay protests held by the Rev. Fred Phelps at military funerals.
“The most important thing we can do is let families know that the nation cares,” said Don Woodrick, the group’s Kentucky captain. “When a total stranger gets on a motorcycle in the middle of winter and drives 300 miles to hold a flag, that makes a powerful statement.”
At least 14 states are considering laws aimed at the funeral protesters, who at a recent memorial service at Fort Campbell wrapped themselves in upside-down American flags. They danced and sang impromptu songs peppered with vulgarities that condemned homosexuals and soldiers.
Westboro Baptist Church is made up mostly of Fred Phelps’ extended family members who, during the 1990s, were known mostly for picketing the funerals of AIDS victims, and they have long been tracked as a hate group by the Montgomery, Ala.-based Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Project.
The project’s deputy director, Heidi Beirich, said other groups have tried to counter Phelps’ message, but none has been as organized as the Patriot Guard. “I’m not sure anybody has gone to this length to stand in solidarity,” she said. “It’s nice that these veterans and their supporters are trying to do something. I can’t imagine anything worse, your loved one is killed in Iraq and you’ve got to deal with Fred Phelps.”
MASSACHUSETTS PRO-MOTORCYCLE BILL CLEARS SENATE The Massachusetts State Senate has passed Senate Bill 2368, which contains numerous provisions beneficial to motorcyclists:
Increasing civil and criminal penalties to motorists who cause accidents when they violate the ‘right of way’ of all other road users (including motorcyclists), and shifting the financial burden (excess medical costs and lost wages) from injured victims to the at-fault operators;
Allows owners of motorcycles to ‘opt-out’ of the existing motorcycle insurance system and go to a competitive market, opening the doors for more insurers to write coverages in Massachusetts;
Allows experienced motorcyclists (6 years or more) or those to take the Rider Education Course, and have private health insurance or $50,000 in optional medical payments coverage, ‘choice’ of helmet wear;
A $125 assessment to those who violate the law, with the assessment going to the State’s Head Injury Trust Fund Program;
Changes in the existing motorcycle exhaust laws to limit the noise of motorcycle pipes.
The bill goes next to the House of Representatives for action.
“A lot of effort from a lot of motorcyclists the past several years lead to today’s success,” said Kevin Griffin of Plymouth, Chairman of the Massachusetts Motorcycle Association (MMA). “We also challenge riders who want to lower their motorcycle insurance premiums, not be victimized twice in motorcycle crashes with excessive medical bills and lost wages, and the opportunity to choose wearing a helmet or not with some restrictions, to enlist their riding friends to join the MMA or buy raffle tickets, and plan to STORM the STATE HOUSE with us Thursday, May 18th. Membership, tickets and STORM products can be purchased on-line or downloadable forms are available at www.MassMotorcycle.com.”
TENNESSEE BILL WOULD BAN KIDS ON MOTORCYCLES Senate Bill 3032 has been filed for introduction in the Tennessee legislature on February 16, 2006, to prohibit children under nine years of age from riding as a passenger on a motorcycle:
Filed for intro on 02/16/2006
SENATE BILL 3032
By Harper
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55, Chapter 8, Part 1, relative to riding on motorcycles.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-8-164, is amended by adding the following new subsections thereto:
(e) No operator shall carry as a passenger on a motorcycle any person who is less than the age of nine (9) years.
(f) A violation of this section is a Class C misdemeanor.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2006, the public welfare requiring it.
BIKERS VS. DISNEY The Hells Angels Motorcycle Corp is suing Walt Disney for trademark infringement.
A suit filed in the US District Court in California claims Buena Vista Motion Pictures, a division of Disney, and a film production company are illegally using the Angels’ trademark — a helmeted, horned and feathered skull — in the film Wild Hogs.
The movie, in which John Travolta and Tim Allen are scheduled to star, is described as a comedy about “middle-aged wannabe bikers looking for adventure out on the open road, where they soon encounter a chapter of the Hells Angels”.
The group says that characters in Wild Hogs are identified as members of the club and wear its skull logo. They assert that Disney did not give them a copy of the film’s screenplay which has yet to start production.
“The words Hells Angels and the Deaths Head Logo are property of Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation, Inc. (HAMC) and protected by one or more Trademarks, Service marks, and Collective Membership Marks owned by HAMC. All unauthorized use is strictly forbidden, including reproduction in any manner,” asserts the club.
WEIRD NEWS: Safety Test Burns Club To The Ground A strip club owner burned his club to the ground while trying to prove it was fire-proof to health and safety inspectors. The owner of the Cabaret Club in Kienberg, Switzerland, started the blaze to show how fire-proof it was when he was visited by safety inspectors. They had questioned whether his decorations were in accordance with fire safety rules, and he used his lighter to set fire to the paper ornaments in a bid to prove there was nothing to worry about. But the fire quickly took off and spread throughout the club and the neighboring restaurant – burning both establishments to the ground. According to local police no one was hurt in the fire, but the damage amounts to more than $500,000.
NCOM CONVENTION The 21st annual NCOM Convention will be held Mother?s Day weekend, May 11-13, 2006, at the Executive Inn, located at 978 Phillips Lane in Louisville, Kentucky. Reserve your room now for the special NCOM rate by calling (502) 367-6161.
Hosted by the Kentucky Motorcycle Association/KBA and the Kentucky Confederation of Clubs, this annual gathering draws over a thousand motorcyclists rights leaders from across the country to discuss topics of concern to all riders. Meetings, seminars and group discussions focus on safety issues, legal rights, legislative efforts and litigation techniques to benefit our right to ride.
Registration fees for the Convention are $75 including the Silver Spoke Awards Banquet on Saturday night, or $40 for the Convention only. All motorcyclists welcome. To pre-register, call the National Coalition of Motorcyclists at (800) 525-5355 or visit www.ON-A-BIKE.com.
The National Coalition of Motorcyclists is requesting that MRO’s, motorcycle clubs, and riding associations submit the names of those members and supporters who have died since May 2005, so that we may honor their memories during the traditional ?Ringing of the Bell? tribute to fallen riders during the opening ceremonies. Dedications can be e-mailed to NCOMBish@aol.com.
March 16, 2006 Part 4
By Bandit |
Continued From Page 3
STEALTH NORTH CAROLINA REPORT–Around here it seems that the old Triumphs are making a comeback. In the past couple of weeks we have had two real cool Triumphs show up at STEALTH BIKE WORKS. I have never paid a lot of attention to Triumphs but these bikes have a lot of heart and soul. One thing about these bikes is that you don’t have to mortgage the house to have a nice bike. Here at SBW we are set up with British Cycle Supply to get Triumph parts. We also have Bob Engels who has agreed to help SBW out when we have a Triumph to work on. Bob built the cool Triumph you see in the pictures.
One thing I really dig here at SBW is when we get the older bikes to work on. One reason being is that these bikes bring back a lot of memories and they all have heart and soul and they all have their own story to tell. I think that is one thing about STEALTH BIKE WORKS too, is that the shop has heart. When things seem to be taking a down turn we somehow seem to bounce back. We are probably the underdog around here but we have a lot fight and we never quit.
Here at SBW we have a plasma cutter on site now. We are going to be doing our own sissy bars. We have some cool designs layed out. We have quie a network going on here at SBW. Within a mile we have a Chrome Plating shop, we also have our Painter within a mile and our Powder Coater is within 15 miles . We can get things turned around real quick if we need to. As small as SBW seems sometimes we have BIG capabilities!
I feel I am really blessed to have this opportunity in life. There is nothing I would rather do than be at SBW. I hope it never ends. No matter how busy you are, business could always be better. As long as I make a living at SBW, I am satisfied doing it on my own terms.
Hey, if you miss the way shops used to be give us a call at STEALTH BIKE WORKS, 704 -882-0889. You will be glad you did! SBW, “BIKERS SERVING BIKERS!”
Until next week, RIDE!
–STEALTHMAN
BIKERNET WIFE CHOOSING ADVICE–A man wanted to get married. He was having trouble choosing among three likely candidates. He gives each woman a present of $5,000 and watches to see what they do with the money.
The first does a total make over. She goes to a fancy beauty salon gets her hair done, new make up and buys several new outfits and dresses up very nicely for the man. She tells him that she has done this to be more attractive for him because she loves him so much.
The man was impressed.
The second goes shopping to buy the man gifts. She gets him a new set of golf clubs, some new gizmos for his computer, and some expensive clothes. As she presents these gifts, she tells him that she has spent all the money on him because she loves him so much.
Again, the man is impressed.
The third invests the money in the stock market. She earns several times the $5,000. She gives him back his $5000 and reinvests the remainder in a joint account. She tells him that she wants to save for their future because she loves him so much.
Obviously, the man was impressed.
The man thought for a long time about what each woman had done with the money he’d given her.
Then, he married the one with the biggest boobs.
Men are like that, you know.
–from Rev CarlR
THE BROTHEL—Two Irishmen were sitting in a pub having beer and watching the brothel across the street.
They see a Baptist minister walk into the brothel, and one of them says, “Aye, ’tis a shame to see a man of the cloth goin’ bad.”
Then they see a rabbi enter the brothel, and the other Irishman says, “Aye, ’tis a shame to see that the Jews are fallin’ victim to temptation as well.”
Then they see a catholic priest enter the brothel, and one of the Irishmen says, “What a terrible pity…one of the girls must be dying.
–from Nick Roberts
HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION DOESN’T SUPPORT TROOPS–WESTCHASE, Fla., (March 10) – When Stacey Kelley’s husband, Army Pvt. David Kelley who is serving in Iraq, sent her a cardboard sign expressing support for U.S. troops overseas, she put it up in the yard of her suburban Tampa, Fla., home.
Kelley, 24, never imagined that it would raise controversy, or that she would be threatened with a $100-a-day fine if she refused to take it down.
“I’ve been in tears. I couldn’t believe that they wanted me to take it down,” she said. The Westchase Homeowners Association threatened her with the $100 a day for up to 10 days because the sign is in violation of association rules, but Kelley said she was ready to pay.
“If I have to pay, I’ll pay the fines. My husband says the same thing,” she said. “If we have to pay them, we’ll pay them. If they’re gonna try to give us more than a thousand-dollar fine, there’s enough people out there that are willing to help me out.”
It was an issue that caused a conflict for the association’s president, who is also an Army reservist. Daryl Manning, an Iraq War veteran, said he hoped that some compromise could be worked out.
–ABC News affiliate WFTS-TV in Tampa, Fla., contributed to this report.
GRAVESITE FLAGS STOLEN AGAIN–Well, it’s happened again. My bro’s been at Historyland Memorial Park on Rte. 301 in King George, Va since we lost him to cancer in October 2003 at the age of 45. We have always flown Harley flags for him at his gravesite. His flags are visible from the highway because he is right under one of the three large crosses that line the road. We never had a problem until the first of this year.
This time not only was the flag removed but the flagpole as well. Just yanked right out of the ground and off it went somewhere. I can’t ride by a house between there and Colonial Beach where I live without checking everyone’s front yard. I have visions of seeing it somewhere and ripping it out of someone’s front yard and hoping no one calls the cops.
Just let me find the person doing this – I’m a redhead with a temper – maybe I’ll rig up a camera of some sort…Probably some wannabe on a Yamahaha.
Thx for your help last time, Bandit. I kind of hoped when I went to visit Woody, which I do every week, that some thoughtful biker might leave him a memorial of some sort.
This is so wrong man..
–Gayle Maxine
MANCUSO HARLEY BURNS RUBBER WITH D&D PERFORMANCE EXHAUST– When enthusiasts come into the MancusoHarley-Davidson Dealership in Houston, Texas looking for more power for theirHarley, Walter Birmingham, Assistant Parts Manager, recommends a performancepackage that includes exhaust pipes from D&D Performance Exhaust.
A common way to add ponies to a V-twin engine is to add a high flow aircleaner, jet kit or fuel injection module and a high-performance exhaustpipe. These three upgrades working together will show the biggest bang forthe buck.
“We have four criteria in selecting a pipe that include performance, fit,finish and heat shields,” said Birmingham. “If D&D didn’t meet theperformance standards we wouldn’t recommend them. They are that good. Theyconsistently out perform Samson, Reinhart and Hooker.”
Birmingham has indicated that Service Technician, Jeff Skipski, is on thedealership’s dynamometer daily and acknowledges the difference betweenmanufacturers. “As an example, we started with a stock Sportster that produced60 HP at the crank,” said Skipski. “We added a pipe, high flow air cleaner anda jet kit to the package. When finished running it through its paces we weremaking 78HP. That’s a great bump in performance.”
“Horsepower at the drive-ability range from idle to 4,500 rpm is the sweetspot for Harley riders,” said Dave Rash, Mr. D&D. “You can see, feel andhear the difference immediately. Our pipes not only look good, they make theHarleys sound just the way they are supposed to.”
D&D Performance Exhaust pipes are torture-tested on D&D’s state-of-the-artin-house Super Flow Eddy Current Ram Air dynamometer. This is done incombination with the Super Flow Bench and the first in the industry, multicylinder Lambda Fuel Air Ratio Sensors. They are interfaced with the Dynofor real time meter and graph analysis. Each pipe is dyno tuned for maximumperformance and sound.
AMERICA’S MOST EXCITING AND UNIQUE MOTORCYCLE EVENT —The LA Calendar Motorcycle Show Sponsored by Bikernet.com – July 15 &16th 2006.
The Los Angeles Calendar Motorcycle Show Weekend takes place every 3rd weekend in July at the Queen Mary Event Park in Long Beach / Los Angeles.The July 15-16th 2006 weekend was the the Show’s 15th annual event. Its extraordinary growth and success is credited to its unique and exciting motorcycle pinup calendar theme based on the popular FastDates.com Calendars produced by Show producer Jim Gianatsis, and featuring America’s top custom builders, bikes, and manufacturers together with beautiful calendar models. The Calendar Motorcycle Show Weekend has grown to become the biggest Custom and Performance Streetbike Show in America (and possibly the World) focused on the custom, cruiser and high performance sport / streetbike markets.
Spectator attendance reaches close to 20,000 hard core motorcycle enthusiasts at the exciting 2-day weekend. Exhibitors include 195 major motorcycle and parts manufacturers, with selected product and apparel venders added into the mix to keep it fun for the entire family. Spectators have a chance to meet top celebrity custom bike builders and attend free Iron & Lace Calendar Bike Builder Seminars with America’s top celebrity builders including Russell Mitchell, Jesse Rooke and Roland Sands and Chica. All weekend long you can watch or enter your own bike in the exciting Jardine World Record Horsepower Dyno Shoot Out.
Then on Sunday see the world’s top custom bikes in the Performance Machine Calendar Show Bike Building Championship with a record breaking purse of our $70,000 in cash and awards featuring the new RoadBike Magazine Metric Class, while enjoying the exciting new Metric Midway featuring Japanese Cruisers, European and Japanese Sportbikes.
BCCOM NEEDS VOLUNTEERS–We are currently looking for volunteers to help out at the BCCOM booth atthe Westcoast Custom Motorcycle Show on March 25-26th at the Tradex Centrein Abbotsford.
The shifts are as follows:
Saturday, March 25th:
10-1pm
1-4pm
4-7pm
7-10pm
Sunday, March 26th:
10-1pm
1-4pm
4-7pm
Volunteers will receive free admission to the show the day of their shift.
If you are able to help out please contact us at office@bccom-bc.com , (604)580-0111 or 1-877-580-0111.
Thank you for your support!!
WESTCOAST CUSTOM MOTORCYCLE SHOW
DATE: MARCH 25-26, 2006
LOCATION: Tradex Centre, Abbotsford, BC
Westcoast Custom Motorcycle Show Inc.
Phone: (604) 580-0111 or 1-877-580-0111
Fax: (604) 580-0114
Website: www.westcoastcustom.ca
Email: office@westcoastcustom.ca
AMA BONNEVILLE RACING RULES AVAILABLE–The AMA supplemental regulations are now available for free download on our website! These rules are also available on the AMA website and printed copies will be available from the AMA soon.
Now both AMA and FIM rules are available and please do not hesitate to call if you have any questions regarding any of the rules. we can help point you in the right direction.
We have also got another great hotel dicount deal at the Wendover Nugget for the duration of our meet. Only $19.95 a night during the week (Mon-thurs) is hard to beat. Over the long weekend their rates are almost half their regular rate so get in early as rooms are limited at this great deal! Check out our website for the prices and discount codes to make your reservation.
Entry details are being finalized and details will be updated soon. An email will be sent out as soon as they are available.
There have been a number of changes to our website. We hope this helps you navigate better to find your way around (if you discover any broken links please let me know!!).
Once again if you have any questions regarding rules, or about the event in general please don’t hesitate to drop us an email or give us a call.
International Motorcycle Speed Trials by BUB Information http://www.speedtrialsbybub.com
PH: 530 272 4310
FAX: 530 477 7489
Email: eventinfo@speedtrialsbybub.com
OUR THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: Pingel Ent, American Dealer News/Dealer-world.com, Wendover Nugget, NHRS V-Twin Performance, Buell Bros Racing, Bikernet.com
TURN UP THE VOLUME BIKERNET RADIO RUMBLES WITH MR. D&D–Bikernet Radio interviews Dave Rash, Mr. D&D Performance Exhaust, at the V-TwinExpo in Cincinnati. Branscombe Richmond provides the on-air talent.
Tune In and Turn On – To hear the show logon to Bikernet Radio PodcastShow.
Industry Leaders Know D&D – Industry insiders know what a set of D&D pipes cando for a Harley-Davidson V-Twin engine. Dave’s years at Bonneville androad racing has allowed him to extend the performance aspects of the pipe intothe product line. “D&D provides the best combination of power and sound and theyoffer the best finish in the business,” said Bob Kay, Vice President Sales and Marketing,Hardbikes.
SMOKE OUT WEST IN DATE LIMBO–Please don’t plug the Smoke Out west yet.Well, you can say we are having itbut the weekend we had planned seems to also bea jazz weekend that we weren’t told aboutand all the rooms are booked for that date.So we are probably are going to move it back a weekendSept to the 14 and 15.
–Geno
BUILD A BIKE TO FIT THIS PIPE– Doug Keim Creative Cycles’ (DKCC) 3-Oh-Nine Bare exhaust pipe is offered in raw steel, ready for your finishing touches. Features include: stepped head pipes, a 2-into-1 merge-style collector, a huge 3-inch outlet and ultra-heavy gauge steel tubing throughout the pipe. The 3-Oh-Nine Bare pipe will fit all H-D Evo and Twin Cam big twin models (except ’06 models with ’02 sensors) as well as most custom applications with forward controls.
Note: Rear head pipe may interfere with some large diameter OEM air cleaner covers. This pipe is pure potential.
For more information, contact: Doug Keim Creative Cycles, (732) 751-1403, http://www.creativecycles.com.
DEAL OF THE WEEK–Wanted to drop a line your way, as you may know someone (or a visitor toyour site) interested. I’m selling the Pyrotec feature bike that was shownon Bikernet.
I’m jonesing to build another. BAD. Anyway I’m asking $22K, ora close offer.
–John Beck j3mbeck@sbcglobal.net
DROP THE HAMMER–We finished the news. I need to find a Happy Hour and grab a couple of shots. It’s my goddamn birthday. I’m 58 and it’s all bullshit. Why do we celebrate getting old? I’ll tell you guys something. Grab all the adventures you can while you’re young. Don’t be proud of missing vacations and working your ass off. There’s really not any amount a man can pay you for a slice of your life. You could be gone tomorrow, disabled or old. Then what the fuck are you going to do. Can’t chase girls if you can’t get out of bed in the morning. Get it. So take good care of yourselves and make sure you treat each minute like gold.
Enough of that bullshit. I’m still on the move, but slower. I’m riding to Sturgis this year, then back to LA. Then we’re riding to Bonneville to the Bubs International Speed Trials. We’re working on our bikes like crazy, tearing up this building and busting our asses on Bikernet to make it the hottest, most informative, most fun, Biker media on the planet.
We got wheels on the Bonne Belle this week and I’m pumped. We may add Performance Machine brake calipers and rotors next week. Oh, and I discovered the perfect rear fender this week from Kraft Tech. We will mount it this weekend and all the sheet metal will go to paint. I need to find a source for aircraft fasteners with safety wires. I need to hit up my connection.
Time to hit the little dive joint down the street for a stiff drink. Oh, get this from Time magazine. Some 48 million dollars was an AIDS prevention grant that the U.S. refused to renew because Brazil will not state formally that prostitution is dehumanizing. Unbelievable. I’ll bet that prostitution will be legalized here in the next five years.
Ride Forever,
–Bandit
March 16, 2006 Part 2
By Bandit |
Continued From Page 1
EYE CANDY CUSTOM CYCLES PANHEAD SPORT BIKE–This was my Panhead sportbike project. I have since bought a house and had tosell the Panhead engine. Looks like it may end up being a Shovelhead.
They make some killer taillights. I ran the ’59 Cadillac on my Sturgis chop and I’m running the horizontal Model A design on the new Panhead Sportbike.–Bandit
vince@eyecandycustomcycles.com
THROWBACK PARTS TAKE MC ADVANTAGES TO THE CRIME–The boys at Crime Scene Choppers have been putting out some of the moststylish throwback and radical retro parts for years. MC Advantages is proudto carry their vintage-inspired air cleaners, oil filter mounts, oil tanks,belt drive cover, gas caps and Hard-Ass solo seat.
The unique features of these parts include their finned designs. Withquality materials used in and out, the parts may look old, but will last alifetime. Contact your MC Advantages dealer for complete fitment and pricinginformation.
MC Advantages is a distributor of high-performance V-Twin parts based inGrimes, Iowa, serving dealers in the U.S. and abroad. MC Advantagesdistributes many brands including: S&S? Cycle, Martin Bros.?, Spyke?,Stampede, Prowler?, Bulletpr?f, D&M Custom Cycle, Rivera Engineering?,Platinum Air Suspension, Tauer Machine? and many more.
MC Advantages
1-800-726-9620
http://www.MCAdvantages.com
BIKERNET WATER STUDY…… It has been scientifically proven that if we drink 1 litre of Water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of escherichia coli bacteria found in feces, in other words, we are consuming 1 kilo of Doo Doo.
However, we do not run that risk when drinking rum, whiskey, beer or Other liquors because alcohol has to go through a distillation process of Boiling, filtering and fermenting.
It is my duty to communicate to all of you people who are drinking water, to STOP doing so, it has been scientifically proven that it is UNHEALTHY and BAD for you.
WATER = Doo Doo
ALCOHOL = HEALTH
Free yourself of Doo Doo, drink ALCOHOL!!!
It is better to drink alcohol and talk Doo Doo than to drink water and be full of shit.
HERE ENDITH THE LESSON
–from Joe Franks
WOMAN GETS BEER FROM HER KITCHEN FAUCET–OSLO, Norway – It almost seemed like a miracle to Haldis Gundersen when she turned on her kitchen faucet this weekend and found the water had turned into beer.
Two flights down, employees and customers at the Big Tower Bar were horrified when water poured out of the beer taps.
By an improbable feat of clumsy plumbing, someone at the bar in Kristiandsund, western Norway, had accidentally hooked the beer hoses to the water pipes for Gundersen’s apartment.
“We had settled down for a cozy Saturday evening, had a nice dinner, and I was just going to clean up a little,” Gundersen, 50, told The Associated Press by telephone Monday. “I turned on the kitchen faucet and beer came out.”
However, Gundersen said the beer was flat and not tempting, even in a country where a half-liter (pint) can cost about 25 kroner ($3.75) in grocery stores.
–from Tande
MIKE HUPY WINS ABATE LEADER’S BRUTALITY CASE–Attorney Michael F. Hupy recently negotiated a six figure settlement for Paula White, former Northern Illinois A.B.A.T.E. president. Other lawyers would not take her case.
Paula sued the Village of Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, as a result of being assaulted by police on July 18, 2002. She was injured as a result of the use of excessive force and charged with a crime she did not commit.
She was acquitted of theft charges and the complainant was charged with filing a fraudulent insurance claim.
For more information, see http://www.hupy.com and refer to current news for bikers section.
HELLBOUND STEEL CONSOLIDATES OWNERSHIP–Hellbound Steel Motorcycles, a leading producer of custom production motorcycles, has consolidated its ownership to principals that are directly involved with the production of their motorcycles. As outlined by Mike Molloy, President and Co-Founder, Paul Cavallo, who was a co-founder of HBS, has sold his, interest in HBS to concentrate on his other company, American Made MFG., which is also a supplier to HBS. Mike Salyer, currently VP of Production, has now purchased a stake in the corporation.
Mr. Salyer will assume the duties of Executive Vice President. He came to HBS from American Made Mfg. in 2002 and has guided HBS from its infancy to a production volume of 500 units in 2005. His target for HBS in fiscal 2006 is 650-750 units. Mike Molloy has been the driving force in obtaining Canadian and Australian certification for HBS motorcycles and is now working with the importers to establish dealer networks in both of those countries. Mike Molloy said that he could not have accomplished the expansion into the international market without the support he gets in the day to day operations from his partner Mike Salyer.
Hellbound Steel is the first U.S. production custom motorcycle manufacture to obtain Australian certification.
Hellbound Motorcycles are available through select motorcycle dealers. For further information and to find the closest Hellbound Steel Motorcycle dealer call, FAX or write: Hellbound Steel Motorcycles, 8613 Helms Ave. Rancho Cucamonga, CA. 91730
Phone (909) 484-8800;
FAX (909) 484-8809
or visit www.hellboundsteel.com
RUMBLE DOLLS INVADE LAKE ELSINORE BIKE SHOP–WE JUST MOVED IN TO OUR NEW SHOP THIS LAST WEEK AND LOVE IT HERE. THE DOLLS ARE LEARNING THE ROPES HERE, TO HELP CUSTOMERS GET THE LOWEST PRICE ON BIKE PARTS. THEY RUN SHIPPING, PHONES AND CLEAN-UP, AND LOVE TO MODEL OUT NEW KILLING MACHINE SHIRTS FOR MEN AND GIRLS.
DAMMED IF THEY DONT CUT UP EVERY MENS SHIRTS THEY GET THERE HANDS ON. BUT EVEN DAMNDER,THEY LOOK SO FINE IN ‘EM. WHAT CAN I SAY. YA JUST GOT TO LOVE EM.
THE BIKE IS A NEW CHOPPER WE BUILT HERE CALLED THE RANDLE SCANDLE, 100 CI POLISHED REV TECH, POLISHED 6-SPEED, 3 INCH B.D.L. BELT DRIVE, 10 OVER SPRINGER, SPOKED WHEELS, CUSTOM DIAMOND TANK. IT’S DONE IN TRUE CHOPPER STYLE, A ONE OFF. FRED’S FRAME HOLDS IT ALL TOGETHER. BLACK WITH FLAMES.
–ALGIE
KILLING MACHINE CHOPPERS
18630 COLLIER AVE UNIT H
LAKE ELSINORE CA 92530
1 888 900 KILL
ROCKY’S NEW SOLO SEAT SPRINGS–The Devil girl II Bikernet Tech came out killer. I am still doing the David Mann Seat still. I have just been really really busy, I am going to document the DM seat also. So I can do another article.
It will be mounted on my new stainless steel pans. I also have a new product, They are called Kleen Springs. What do you think? They are totally adjustable as far as mounting goes (they can be mounted on top of the frame rail or on the side for a lower stance.
–Rocky
:rocky1@purekustom.com
They’re killer. I want to test a set out, maybe on our 120-inch Pan that I’ll ride to Sturgis. We’ll report on the installation and how well they work.–Bandit
BIKERNET MOTORCYCLE NOISE TESTING SCHEME–The concept is that, like emergency vehicles, motorcycles need to make noise–they’re vulnerable.Motorcycles have but two means of protection, sight (and you know how that goes) and sound.So we need to develop a sound level that can be heard from 3-5 car lengths behind a car with the windows rolled up and radio playing. That sound level must be heard across an intersection so a motorist can hopefully see and hear a motorcycle coming across an intersection. They also need to be heard a block away, so a motorist knows that a motorcycle is coming up on an intersection from a side street.
We can easily prove that between 70-85 percent of all accidents are cause by car drivers and if we curb motorcycle noise we will kill motorcyclists.
We can also prove that (and I would like to do testing to support it), as you experience noise daily, like trucks constantly (see noise levels above), that motorcycles only make up a small, brief percentage of that noise, so let ’em be.
Our exception to the above will be excessive use of noise in residential areas after 10:00 p.m., and through the MRF I’ve found that Daytona cops created a anti-revving ordinance. They only ticket abusers who overtly make excessive noise.
Brett Smith from S&S suggested that universal testing and equipment be established and I agreed. Unfortunately the cost to have every cop carry the same meter and use it under the same circumstances every time may not be cost effective or practical.
I’ve run this concept and notions by NCOM, the MRF, ABATE, SEMA representatives, a senator and Bikernet Readers. They all applaud the notion. One reader, Paul, suggested that to admit that we are vulnerable could mean the end of motorcycling. We need to handle that aspect carefully. On the other hand, I spoke to freedom fighters across the country and they believe strongly, that we must stay right in the face of legislators, which if we acquiesce, try to hide, we’ll be toast, quick. One guy said, “We’re the Indians, now. We need to keep up the fight.”
If we can create the first platform for this and create a ground-swell of activity, we can hopefully accomplish the following:
Additional testing and implementation by higher ups
Continued motorcycle freedom
Heightened motorcycle awareness
Maybe save a life or two
Keep the bastards off our backs
I’ll report back as we begin testing.
Don’t hesitate to drop me a line or discuss this in our Bikernet Forum department.
–Wilburn Roach
NEW PHOTOGS ATTACK DAYTONA–So here’s the deal: we’re not exactly fresh out of college, we’ve been around, beenhere, been there, done this, done that. But we are new in this particular business.This is our first attempt at shooting a serious bike rally. We are quite new in our otherbusiness as well: music photography. We started that one a year ago. But sincethen we’ve worked for quite a few artists, both famous and not so famous. And frankly,we finally both decided that this is what we wanna do the rest of our lives.
So, hopefully you like these collages of some of our Bike Week 2006 photos.
–The Duck & The Chief
http://www.CCBIKEART.biz
Continued On Page 3
Bikernet Brings You The Rarest Motorcycles of All
By Bandit |
I have known Don Nowell for ten years. I’ll never forget the first time I witnessed one of his completed custom creations. It was one of those mundane days when I ran across every franchise excuse for life from McDonalds to Winchell’s Donuts, only to have Don walk into my office with something so different, so creative, so well made that I was slack-jawed for an hour. I wondered how and why a man would painstakingly build a quarter scale custom using every ability and skill he had mustered in 50 years of hot rods and riding.
“After thirteen years of designing and working for other companies, Don said, “I needed to make my own statement, create something new with my own stamp on it. So in 1994 I arrived at the idea of making a model bike. It took thirteen months from a blank sheet of paper to the first finished example. It was debuted at the Peterson Automotive Museum.”
His designs and manufacturing skills are on a level with the famed house of Faberge. Each motorcycle is hand made to the customer’s requirements and certified to be one of a kind. Don began his long successful career with models, “There is a saying, ‘Time flies when you’re having fun!” Don said, “Fifty years have gone by for me working with my hands and building neat stuff! I started at ten years old with model airplanes, coasters, etc. Then in high school I won the Rotary Club contest in electric shop with my electric motor. Winning that award was my first taste of the satisfaction you receive when you build something exemplary.”
In this case greatness is in the details. These ultra-unique, hand-fabricated, hand-assembled, hand-painted marvels require a trained eye to appreciate the depth and dedication involved in their creation. They are not plastic models or stamped-out “collector specials” made in the thousands. They are as rare as Bugatti’s.
“Unfortunately, people are used to seeing plastic models that are glued together in a few hours and sometimes give my work a passing glance,” said Don, who has spent several years and hundreds of thousands of dollars in the tooling for his two-wheeled wonders.
His story of artistic achievement stretches back some decades during which Don built and raced his own hot rods, wrenched together hypo car and boat engines, restored Pebble Beach winning antiques, and built custom motorcycles as well as prototype metal and die-cast toy vehicles.
“After school I started to hang out at Bob’s Big Boy in Van Nuys during cruise nights,” Don said, “sure there was little street racing with my ’57 Bel Air. I wanted to go faster, so I started building a B/Gas ’37 Chevrolet Coupe. In ’64 I raced the gasser. I won at the drags and at the car shows as well. In December ’66 “Hot Rod” magazine featured my car. I also set a record at the time of 121.80 mph at Irwindale drag strip.”
I took a little time away from racing to work for J.B. Nethercutt at SanSylmar, restoring cars for his classic car collection. I am proud of being ableto say that the 1924 McFarlan I put together won its class at the PebbleBeach Concourse Show in 1975.”
Don incessantly sought ways of building new products and even improved tooling to make products faster and more efficiently. He used a full-sized bike to determine his dimensions, opting for a quarter-scale adaptation. After calculating the correct ratios, his next step was figuring out how to make a laced wheel. He designed and built fixtures to hold rims and hubs in place. By hand he drilled holes and laced the wheels with stainless spokes and nipples.
“Once I had accomplished building the wheels,” Don said, ” I knew I could build the rest. But I needed the correct tires to match the wheels. I chose a tread design later provided and approved by the Avon Tire Company, down to the Avon logo and arrows indicating tire direction.” He designed and fabricated his own mold for the tires, a 21-inch scaled down front and a 16-inch rear.
In ’76 I went back to engines full-time, also working on motorcycles. I started to build disc brake rotors for flat track racing bikes. In 1980 I started to build prototype and production toy trucks for Smith-Miller.”
Work on the frame came next, a long, painstaking and expensive period of R&D. It required bending the raw tubing, fabricating fixtures to hold the sections in place, milling and metering all the joints. Try welding with a magnifying glass. The body parts also required equal effort. After making a die set for the front fender, it was stamped out of sheet metal. “I finally decided to cast the gas tanks out of thin wall investment cast aluminum,” Don explained, “and then fabricated the rear fender out of one-piece aluminum using a CNC milling machine. This guaranteed a straight, parallel finish.”
The next hurdle, a big one, was the engine and transmission. Don made all the prototype components from 6061 aluminum billet utilizing his milling machine and lathe.
In ’67 I started building engines at “Bartz Engines” for “Can-Am” cars and became shop foreman,” Don said, “I decided to start my own engine shop which opened in ’69, building engines for stock cars and circle racing boats. In 1970 I received a U.S. Patent for a valve job tool called the “Qwik-Seat.”
His model engine prototypes were taken to a foundry that was able to take molds for the engine lower ends, cylinders, transmissions, and carburetors. “Then I had them cast out of aluminum, and it was a great joy to see them come out perfect,” Don added.
As with any custom bike, the customer has the choice of engine, in this case an Evo big twin or a classic Knucklehead power plant.
Take a look at the seat. It’s fashioned from soft foam rubber covered with glove leather. The tiny speedometer features the correct red tip on the indicator arm and last odometer number. The shifting levers all function and feature a ball detent on the transmission so that it clicks seemingly into gear when the shift lever is moved up or down. Don’s scale model seems more true than real. The hand levers are fitted with springs, with a piece of rubber inserted on both the clutch and brake side to simulate the real feel of their operation. The bike features a working suspension, both front and rear with 3/8-inch travel, again mimicking full-sized machines. The front end sports down tubes cut from ground stainless tubing. Don’s gone so far as to make molds for the headlight and taillight lenses, again made from plastic like the real article. Even the derby and inspection covers are separate pieces and literally bolted on. The fasteners are created from special stainless hardware. You can see them on the swingarm pivots, triple clamps, axles, and elsewhere. Some 152 individual, very tiny bolts.
Paint is of utmost importance, and Don offers a list of pearl tones including candy orange, blue, red, and black with hand rubbed custom paint available to match corporate colors or even a real bike. As for the metal finish, all are polished aluminum other than the castings, which are also polished to a spectacular shine.
“As I was doing design work full-time,” Don explained, “I would see a story or photos of high-end car models from around the world, and that planted the seed in me to do that same kind of work. With my passion for motorcycles that has lasted until this day, I decided to build 1/4-scale custom motorcycles.
As of now Don has six bike styles available:Softails, Fatboys and Choppers plus a Springer front end and three-spoke Billet wheels. He can build custom bikes to match full-sized ride or whatever a client would dream of. Each hand built custom is 24 inches long, 8 inches wide and 13 to 15 inches tall depending on the bars. The bikes weigh 12 pounds and you can check his operation at http://www.motorcyclefineart.com or call (818) 363-8564.
March 09, 2006 Part 5
By Bandit |
Continued From Page 4
LUCKY DEVIL METAL WORKS BUILDING CONCEPT VICTORY IN HOUSTON–Here is some of what I took for the Cruising Rider story, they used the one with the grinding and a few others. Would have been better if we did not have the speaker shadow on the sign. Which has now been moved. The article series on the build will run in Cruising Rider then on Bikernet.com where the articles will be archived in the same department for easy access.
Lucky Devil is also building a motorcycle for the Queen of Bikernet, an exclusive one-off Frisco style chopper that’s small, tight and right for this demur woman. It’s based on a Harley black and chrome 80-inch engine and 5-speed transmission and Harley-Davidson smooth spoked wheels, a Krafttech narrow rigid frame with very little stretch and rake. The front end will be a Paughco and the Devil modified VL. Reports are due in soon.
–RFR
BIKERNET NUMBERS REPORT–Thanks to you, our numbers jumped again last month: 270,000 unique users, 540,000 visits, 913,000 impressions and 8.7 million hits. Thanks for coming back, and let us know if Bikernet can ever do anything for you, your bike or travels.
NEWEST PERFORMANCE MACHINE CATALOG NOW AVAILABLE–The 2006 Performance Machine catalog is 20% larger then last years and full of cool new stuff! New wheels, new brakes, a completely new line of engine covers and for the first time in PM history, complete body kits for both the Softail and V-Rod.
As if that wasn’t enough, check out the 35 year timeline of photos dating back to the company’s inception across the bottom of every page. It’s what’s old and what’s new all in one catalog!
Performance Machine, Inc.
6892 Marlin Circle,
La Palma, CA 90623
714-523-3000
http://www.performancemachine.com
Call or drop them a note for a new catalog and tell ’em Bikernet sent ya.
NOTES FROM PAUL THE NOISE DOCTOR ABOUT OUR BIKERNET NOISE TESTING NOTIONS–I’m thinking that we need to stress the transitory nature of our machines, and Isuppose I would tentatively support the ‘national standard’ for decibel meters andtheir use, but I still would find such a standard must, by necessity, be linked tosome sort of national standard for noise and that scares the hell out of me. I feelthat along the way we’ve abrogated too many of our rights and would not want toimpose such a standard on the more relaxed municipalities, although I would alsolike the more restrictive places to lighten up.
What I meant on the cost prohibitive side is the need for a national bureaucracy todetermine ‘acceptable noise limits.’ The specification process alone is a nightmareto accomplish, and is so fraught with the opportunity for misuse (witness CAFE andEPA) that I just cringe at the thought of national noise standards.
Paul E. (Tin Man) Vasquez
Actually Paul always brings up excellent points. We are going forward with noise testing to demonstrate the need for motorcycle noise in a safety environment, but not as a nation wide enforcement rule. Kirk from the MRF agrees with the premise that all cops can’t carry decibel meters and handle the testing in an equitable fashion; hence it’s hardly anything that would hold up in court. Daytona handles noise enforcement with a revving ordinance. They won’t generally mess with anyone unless they are overtly over-revving their engines to create more noise. In addition a curfew on overt noise after 10:00 is residential areas is another way to appease the public.
According to Kirk, motorcycles are not a major problem, but the most obvious one and the one most complained about by citizen groups.–Bandit
DO YOU HAVE A DYNA GLIDE? YOU COULD WIN A SET OF PERFORMANCE PIPES FREE–Each set of high-performance Fat Cat DYNA Pipes from D&D Performance Exhaust are tuned for Horsepower and that satisfying Harley sound. And a new set of pipes can increase your performance by as much as 12 additional horses.
These 2 into 1 Fat Cat Pipes can be yours FREE. Just send us a picture of your DYNA with your name and telephone number to dandd@horsepowermarketing.com and we will post them on bikernet.com and have the community at bikernet.com vote for the ‘Most Desirable DYNA’ of Bikernet.
To get a performance pipe for your Harley or custom V-Twin logon to www.danddexhaust.com..
Bandit Defender
With over 6 million Remington standard 12-gauge shotguns sold since it’s inception in 1949. They’re a natural security device. Many different products will enhance the users experience, in particular, accuracy. We’re working closely with Larry Crow of Competitive Edge Gunworks. He has developed felt recoils, grip an trigger pulls, magazine capacity enhancers and even combat light options. So master gunsmith Larry Crow has put all these developement together in one amazing product.
The Bandit Defender is a first for the Master craftsman. Because this will first time that some one elses name will grace one of Larry Crow’s fire arms.
I hope that Bandit can live up to honor.
One can be yours for $1,195.00 PLUS $35.00 SHIPPING Or Larry Can do the conversion on Your firearm for $795.00 shipping includedmore
THE NEWS WAS DEEP–So I’m going to take a break and work on my old bench. Brother Brad gave me a massive Snap-On vice and I need to give it a few coats of battleship gray to make it work with the Bikernet shop (not the vice, the bench).
Then I’m going clear off one of the shop lifts and prepare to run the 2003 King up for a couple of upgrades. We will install Will Phillip’s new touring True Track device designed to take the wobble out of rubber mounted chassis. It’s a proven fact that rubber drivelines should run four links to stabilize them, in particular Dyna Glides. True Track heim joint systems save the day, tighten rubbermounted drivelines and improve handling. Talk to anyone who has one. You’ll see an entire tech in the next week or two.
We will also install Keith Terry’s newest closed loop Terminal Velocity Fuel Management System from Terry Components. It’s a bolt on system with an exhaust sensor that I will weld to the rear exhaust pipe. This device will tune my King over the next 100 miles for optimum performance. We will also deliver a tech and a follow-up report.
We received a small classic Triumph fairing from Jim Murrillo (our Bonneville project bikes painter) that I will consider for the Salt Shaker. Check it out and while the wheels are being laced, trued, balanced, bearings plugged in and tires mounted at Settle’s Cycles in Harbor City we need to grind out the axle landings so I can run larger 3/4-inch axles.
Hang on for this coming week and an article about the new products built by TJ Carlini, a Girl of Bikernet posed with Johnny Chop’s Seminole Hard Rock Road House custom, Techs on new products from Compu-Fire, a hot rod street/drag Sportster from Gene Jr. Thomasen, fiction from India, fortune cookies from Dr. Neon and an article on the totally carbon fiber chassis. Hang on.
Ride Forever,
–Bandit
March 09, 2006 Part 4
By Bandit |
Continued From Page 3
MRF POSTS COMMENTS TO NHTSA–(This is another reminder to take the time to write).The MRF recently submitted comments in response to each of the eleven amendments proposed by the safety experts at National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The MRF identified aspects of amendments in need of serious change and classified others as being steps in the right direction. “It is imperative NHTSA hears from all riders on this issue” said Jeff Hennie, Vice President of Government Relations for the Motorcycle Riders Foundation adding, “NHTSA updates these guidelines every six years or so. The opportunity to voice your opinion is now”.
To view the comments visit: http://dms.dot.gov. Use the “simple search” function, reference Docket Number 23090 and you will be able to view the comments. The MRF encourages all riders and rider organization to submit comments.
Furthermore, the MRF first reported the NHTSA guideline amendments and, at the time, believed the agency’s standard thirty day open comment period would not be lengthy enough to provide ample time for the motorcyclists of America to register their opinions and concerns. Working with NHTSA, the MRF successfully had the comment period extended resulting in a new deadline date of March 27, 2006. In addition, as stated in the Federal Register notice, “to the extent possible, NHTSA will consider comments received after the comment period ends”.
Therefore, while the “official” period ends on March 27th, the government will continue to accept all submissions until the arbitrary decision to close the “unofficial” period is made.
To mail a hard version of your comments send them to NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street SW, Washington, DC 20590.
HARLEY’S 2000 AND 2450CC NEW V-TWIN ENGINES– EPA documents show design basics and performance info a 2450cc V-twin, but they also raise a few questions.
Is Harley about to join the displacement race? That topic has been buzzing around the internet with the discovery of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) documents mentioning a 2450cc V-twin engine. With Harley now running at the bottom of the big-twin displacement class, it’s only a matter of time before Harley, which was once distinguished by having the largest motorcycle engines on the road, produces a bigger V-twin.
The EPA emissions document in question (scroll down to the last three pages, 8 through 10, of this PDF) shows testing results for liquid-cooled 2450cc and 2000cc Harley-Davidson V-twin engines. Power for the 2450cc version is listed as 98 kilowatts (131 horsepower) at 5000 rpm with 133 newton-meters (98 foot-pounds) of torque at 3500 rpm. The weight (presumably the GVWR) is listed at 1260 pounds. Since the fuel-tank material is listed as nylon, it would presumably be an under-seat style. The fuel-injected engine uses air injection and catalyst to reduce exhaust emissions.
SNEAK PREVIEW OF WHAT’S NEW IN THE WHITEHORSE GEAR SUMMER 2006 MOTORCYCLING CATALOG–Our new Summer 2006 catalog with almost 100 new products is at the printer and should be in your mailbox in just a few weeks. For a sneak preview visit
NEW WOMENS’ WEBSITE– WomenRidersNow.com is a new motorcycling news and information network designed to be the definitive resource for all things women and motorcycling. Founded by Genevieve Schmitt, former editor of Women Rider Magazine, the site is packed with information for and about women at any stage of motorcycling. Share stories, photos, and information on products, places, and people.
HOLD THAT DATE-WHITEHORSE OPEN HOUSE–If you live in the Northeast, or want to ride in New England this spring, put May 20th on your calendar for a visit to our first and hopefully annual “Club Day.” All riders are welcome to stop by our warehouse from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM to enjoy some free BBQ, great shopping, and lively tire-kicking talk. A great chance to ride the notches of the White Mountains and enjoy spring in our beautiful Mount Washington Valley. If you need help locating places to stay and things to do, call the MWV Chamber of Commerce (800-367-3364) for advice or get yourself a copy of Marty Berke’s
http://www.whitehorsepress.com
KTM BECOMES POLARIS’ DISTRIBUTOR IN GERMANY–Minneapolis, March 7, 2006 – Polaris Industries Inc. (NYSE/PSE: PII) today announced that effective March 1, 2006 KTM-Sportmotorcycle AG has become Polaris’ exclusive distributor in Germany for Polaris All Terrain Vehicles, Quadricycles, Snowmobiles and Polaris RANGER vehicles.
“KTM has established a dedicated sales force to manage the Polaris brand and product sales. KTM will leverage our back office operations in Germany to increase sales, build the Polaris brand, and increase dealer service and satisfaction while minimizing distribution costs. We are excited to get this project started” said Hubert Trunkenpolz, KTM’s Vice President of Marketing & Sales.
“Polaris is excited to leverage KTM’s strong presence and understanding of the German Powersports market to further develop the Polaris brand and sales in Germany” said Mark Blackwell, Polaris Vice President Victory Motorcycles and International Operations. “Polaris dealers in Germany will sign a separate Polaris dealer contract with KTM and be managed by a separate sales force dedicated to the Polaris product line. While there will be some common KTM and Polaris dealers in Germany going forward, market conditions in specific areas and individual dealer capabilities required for the KTM and Polaris product lines will dictate how many common dealers there will ultimately be.”
HAMSTER CONNECTION TO CELL PHONE INDUSTRY–“There’s an attack of sales call being unleashed on unsuspecting cell phone users in the next couple of days,” Said Harlan, a member of the Hamsters Motorcycle Club, in an undercover investigation. After several house of questions, Harlan, a suspect of interest admitted, “Yep, you will be charged for each sales call. Toprevent this, call the following number from your cell phone:888-382-1222.It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years.”
HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDSOR GO TO: http://www.donotcall.gov/
Harlan was release by the Bikernet judge with time served.
DEAL OF THE WEEK, KOMATSU HIGH DEFINITION 120 AMP RASOR PLASMA CUTTER– Komatsu High Definition 120 amp Rasor Plasma Cutter for sale, 6’x12′ table, new in 1999.Cut up to 1″ thick.Can be seen under power. MAKE OFFER ! Need to move.
–SHAPELINE@aol.com
REGION RALLIES TO DRAW BIKERS–DeLAND — A few Central Florida cities are trumpeting a message to the more than half-a-million motorcycle riders expected at Daytona Beach’s Bike Week.Go west!
DeLand, with a quaint downtown better known for antiques shops and art galleries, hosted its second annual bike rally Saturday. Seminole Harley-Davidson has just opened a new store in Sanford, just off Interstate 4, and Orlando Harley-Davidson is offering its sixth annual round of free concerts and a bike show.Seeing the multimillion-dollar payoff that Daytona Beach businesses gain from bikers has made other cities eager for a piece of the action.
“The biker culture has changed and includes professionals, doctors, lawyers; and they spend a lot of money,” said Wayne Arnold, one of the organizers of the DeLand Bike Rally. “It’s a win-win situation for us.”And the strategy seems to be working. Pittsburgh biker Larry Collins had never heard of DeLand, but decided to cruise over from the Daytona area to see the town.
“I like it because it’s a big difference from Main Street, Daytona,” said Collins, 57. “It just seems more relaxed, while Main Street is nothing but bars.”
Bike Week, the 10-day biker rally that runs through March 12, has been a Daytona Beach tradition for 65 years. Motorcycle riders ran their first race on the beach in 1937 and raced each year except during World War II with a party afterward on Main Street.
As more bikers came each year, venues mushroomed throughout the Daytona Beach area to the point where there are now dozens of east Volusia businesses, from Ormond Beach to New Smyrna Beach, offering biker events.
Motorcycle riders pump $744 million into the economy when they roar in for Bike Week and the autumn rally, Biketoberfest, according to one economic study.
Other cities knew they could capture some of that business because bikers simply love to ride.Some businesses are offering free maps that read “Daytona Bike Week” on the front but that actually plug other Central Florida businesses and give directions for scenic routes throughout the region.
–from Rogue
WILLIS R. MILLER SENTENCED TO DEATH OF JOE AUGUST–Man gets 10 years in road rage deathMotorcyclist was run down after verbal confrontation.
03/02/2006DOVER — Willis R. Miller, 27, of Dover, was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison for causing the death of 40-year-old Joseph D. August, the victim of what prosecutors and a judge described as a road rage confrontation with two motorcyclists near Hartly.
Miller, originally charged with second-degree murder, pleaded guilty Jan. 11 to a reduced charge of manslaughter — acknowledging that he chased down the victim in his Chevrolet Suburban and hit his motorcycle from the rear on Aug. 14, 2005. He faced up to 25 years in prison, but Superior Court Resident Judge William L. Witham Jr., resisted a plea from a family member to impose the maximum term.
“We feel strongly that, with his past record, he should get the maximum of 25 years,” said the victim’s sister, Maxine August of Bear, who spoke for about 25 relatives and friends gathered in a small courtroom for Miller’s sentencing.
“When he died, part of us died. I’m not the same person I was before he died,” she said. Her brother’s two children still are struggling to come to terms with his death, August said.
In addition to imposing prison time, Witham ordered Miller to pay $6,000 into the state Victims Compensation Fund and imposed two years of probation. He also directed Miller, who has a wife and two children, to use the probation time for public speeches on the pitfalls of road rage and urged him to share his story with inmates who might be prone to drive with too much attitude.
–from Rogue
S&S CYCLE ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF HELICAL GEAR SIX-SPEED TRANSMISSION–LA CROSSE , WI (March 03, 2006) S&S Cycle announces the release of its Helical Gear Six-Speed Transmission with shipping to authorized S&S Dealers starting on March 25th, 2006.
The power produced by big S&S Proven Performance engines can be brutal on driveline components. Knowing that, S&S spent the last few years working on a transmission capable of taking on the incredible power delivery of the mighty 145 Tribute engine while still offering quieter operation than a stock transmission and incredibly smooth shifting characteristics.
“We did our part to develop a tough, Proven Performance transmission. No mercy was showed as test bikes with S&S Helical Gear Six-Speed transmissions went down a 1/4-mile drag strip thousands of times,” said Justin Bramstedt, S&S Powersports Lead. “We managed several sore butts, a few broken final drive belts and chains, but not a single missed shift or mechanical failure with our new transmission!”
The S&S Helical Gear Six-Speed Transmission is the first all-helical gear transmission in the V-Twin market. Designed as a true six-speed, not an overdrive transmission, the S&S Helical Gear Six-Speed has a final drive of 1:1. An ordinary overdrive transmission requires a set of gears to drive the input and output shafts, a process that adds noise, heat and robs final drive power. The S&S Helical Gear Six-Speed locks the input and output shafts together in sixth, eliminating additional gears and assuring true power transfer. S&S includes a 34-tooth pulley weighing 30-percent less than a comparable stock unit, that when used with the Helical Gear Six-Speed transmission ratios, yields a final drive ratio equivalent to an overdrive transmission. Additionally, it offers the greatest aperture ratio of gear interface, assuring better engagement between gears and no missed shifts.
“We didn’t leave any stone unturned during the design of our new six-speed. From the full helical gear set to the light-weight final drive pulley, we took every opportunity to raise the status quo,” said S&S Vice President of Product Development, Scott Sjovall. “Heavy-duty bearings and retainers, high-aperture, low-backlash shift rings and heavy-duty forged shift forks, the list goes on and on. All of these features add up to a very strong, quiet and easy to shift transmission that I am proud to add to our line-up,” concluded Sjovall.
The S&S Helical Gear Six-Speed Transmission is available in a complete version and as a Cassette Unit. The complete version is available in three case finishes; natural, polished and wrinkle black and fits all 1991-’99 Softail models-as well as custom frames utilizing this style of transmission mount and can be retrofitted to 1986-’90 models. The cassette will fit 1991-2005 FLT and Softail models, and most aftermarket cases with very minor required. Gear ratios in the S&S Helical Gear Six-Speed Transmission are evenly spaced to optimize engine RPM between shifts which helps gets the maximum power to the road.
BIKERNET WOMAN RIDER OF THE MONTH–ORLANDO, Fla. – When Roe Hyer was diagnosed with breast cancer so advanced that doctors gave her only a month to live, the single mom decided to finally start living. The spunky hairdresser, then 39, was tired of “being a passenger” in life. She moved to Florida, took up body building and bought her own motorcycle – a metallic blue Suzuki Intruder 800.
Hyer is one of thousands of women across the country finding camaraderie in women’s motorcycle clubs. From the Chrome Divas in Columbia, S.C., and the Women on Wheels in Lincoln, Neb., to the Throttle Queens in Landover, Md. and the Motor Maids in Erie, Mich., women are increasingly taking to the open roads.
“I didn’t have control of the cancer, there’s nothing you can do, so riding is something you have control of,” said Hyer, now 54.Women bikers aren’t your stereotypical bar-brawling, tattooed, leather jacket biker chicks. The new wave of female riders are soccer moms, even grandmas, corporate attorneys and nurses with an average income of $55,850, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council.
The number of women who own their own bikes is on the rise – jumping 36 percent to 635,000 between 1998 to 2003, according to the most recent numbers from the Motorcycle Industry Council, a trade group based in Irvine, Calif.
Manufacturers such as Harley-Davidson and Ultra Motorcycles are capitalizing on the trend, designing bikes with lighter frames, custom fit gears and lower seats.”It’s pretty much been a men’s market, but a lot of ladies really like riding motorcycles and I think they feel left out so that’s why we created something just for women,” Ultra Motorcycles sales director Dan Houston said of his company’s Groundpounder and California Kid models.
At Harley-Davidson, motorcycles sales to women are at an all-time high, jumping from 600 in 1980 to 30,000 in 2005. Women make up about half of new-rider classes on the test track at Harley-Davidson Orlando, said Tony Cianciotto, marketing manager at Harley Orlando.
“I think for so long women have ridden on the back, but nowadays women are very independent,” Cianciotto said.The winding roads offer women an escape from crying babies, stressful jobs and high-maintenance relationships. When Army nurse Edna Valesquez returned from Iraq in 2003, riding helped to melt away horrific memories of wounded troops. Despite her petite 5-foot frame, Valesquez, nicknamed Lil’ Bit, rides a 640-pound Harley Low Rider.”It’s a little escape. You can get on those back roads and you just go,” said Valesquez, who started the Chrome Divas in August 2005.
Many female riders plan this week to roll up to Daytona Beach’s annual Bike Week, which started Friday, to gab with the thousands of fellow bikers from around the country who gather to scope out the merchandise and ride the test tracks.”We’re definitely seeing a trend in more female riders” showing up at Bike Week, said Kevin Kilian, official for Daytona’s chamber of commerce.
–Rogue
Continued On Page 5
March 09, 2006 Part 3
By Bandit |
Continued From Page 2
BIKERNET RADIO INTERVIEWS THE EDITOR OF EASYRIDERS–Branscombe Richmond chats up Dave Nichols of Easyriders Magazine fame on Bikernet Radio. Easyriders is celebrating their 35th Anniversary and the boys talk about the new TV show on Speed call V-Twin TV, the legacy of Indian Larry. You won’t want to miss it! Tune In, Turn On and enjoy your show right here at Bikernet Radio.
-Jeffe
NAVY RETIREMENT BONUS–The Navy found they had too many people, and decided to offer an early retirement bonus. They promised any officer or senior nco who volunteered for retirement a bonus of $1,000 for every inch measured in a straight line between any two points in his body. They would get to choose what those two points would be.
The first officer who accepted asked that he be measured from the top of his head to the tip of his toes. He was measured at six feet and walked out with a bonus of $72,000.
The second officer who accepted was a little smarter and asked to be measured from the tip of his outstretched hands to his toes. He walked out with $96,000.
The third one was a noncommissioned officer, a grizzly old Chief who, when asked where he would like to be measured replied, “From the tip of my weenie to my testicles.” It was suggested by the pension man that he might want to reconsider, explaining about the nice big checks the previous two officers had received. But the old Chief insisted and they decided to go along with him providing the measurement was taken by a medical officer. The medical officer arrived and instructed the Chief to “drop ’em,” which he did. The medical officer placed the tape measure on the tip of the Chief’s weenie and began to work back.
Dear Lord!” he suddenly exclaimed, “Where are your testicles?”
The old Chief calmly replied, “Vietnam.”
BIKERNET BONNEVILLE 2006 EFFORT SPONSOR SPEAKS OUT–I’m sponsoring three of the bikes, all Harleys, that will be competing in these trials. I’m furnishing Amsoil lubricants for all three. I’m also planning to ride there for the event.
It’s not like me to take sides buy I know, with Valerie Thompson behind the bars, the Salt Shaker and Bonne Belle 45 Flathead from Bikernet will mow the Chop And Grind, sand snortin’ bastards into the salt.
Here’s a link for more info if you are interested. http://www.bikernet.com/bubs/
–Nick
For All Your High Performance Lubrication Supplies.
http://www.synthetic-oil-tech.com/1124190/
Nick’s Performance Accessories
Independent Amsoil Dealer ZO# 1124190
9608 Tiverton Way
Louisville, Kentucky,40242
Phone: 502-548-3023 Fax: 509-691-4313
“Always do the right thing. It’ll gratify some and astonish the rest.”- Mark Twain
COLESLAW WRESTLING GIRLS MISSING–What ever happened to the cute dollies that originally did the wrestling? Obvious they do not want to go against the Tons of Fun.
Not many of the spectators are interested in seeing these big women. Maybe the promoters will get the message and get weight groups and the interest back up.
Other places are producing Pudding Wrestling and I’ll be there. No I did not go to the Cabbage Patch.
— ROGUE
BIKE WEEK CRUNCH TIME FOR SLAW AND THE LAW–SAMSULA — For most of the year, this crossroads hamlet is a quiet place, home to horse farms, rural subdivisions and Slovenians, descendants of immigrants fond of polka and klobasa.
But for a few days each fall and winter during bike events, the Slawvenians arrive, en masse on motorcycles, shaking the asphalt of Tomoka Farms Road on their way to Sopotnick’s Cabbage Patch Bar. They are held together not by heritage but by a desire to watch women wrestle in coleslaw and reveal their breasts.
Wednesday afternoon in the dust and smoke of center stage, the defending champ is mildly annoyed. Star Anderson, 24, a four-time title holder from Daytona Beach who has never been beaten here, is one of 14 contestants vying for a $500 first prize and the decided favorite.Wearing a sports bra and hip-hugging gym shorts, the champ sits on a bench awaiting the start of the competition.
Her preparation is all mental. “I don’t train,” she says. “I’m fat.”
Her secret is “make it quick,” storm your opponent like Mike Tyson in his prime. This strategy is well-known to the woman on her left, soft-spoken Mouse Crober, 23, a fellow competitor from Port Lavaca, Texas, who finished second to Anderson at Biketoberfest.
To Anderson’s right sits Ron Luznar, 60, Cabbage Patch owner and master of the coleslaw wrestling universe, which extends a few acres by land and across the globe by word of mouth and World Wide Web.
But here’s what’s disrupting Anderson’s pre-match concentration: On Luznar’s lap sits Jade DeLuxxxor (her “stage name”), a Hustler magazine cover girl whose bikini top flings open at the slightest suggestion.
She is a “special guest” at today’s proceedings, a working girl who sells 8-by-10 photos of her topless self with male customers willing to pay $20 for a print. A Mohawked, ponytailed bodyguard shadows Jade’s every move, as do a dozen male photographers.
The hubbub harasses Anderson, trying to keep her eyes focused on the prize. “I always get caught in the middle of this” stuff, she says, and moves under the shade of a nearby tent to get away.
Flashing breasts is a Cabbage Patch tradition, if not everywhere you look then whenever you ask for it from a woman so inclined. It is a treasured memory for some.Retired IBM engineer Roger Craver, a 70-year-old from Virginia who has biked all over the country and calls Sopotnick’s “the place to be on Wednesdays,” remembers his first Cabbage Patch flash a decade ago as if it was yesterday.
“Got my first (crude phrase for flashing) right over there,” Craver says, pointing across the room as he rests behind the pool table in the bar, covered ceiling to floor in scrawled messages, photos, stickers and signs. The bar was built in 1926 and now serves as a dark oasis in a sea of vendors and black leather outside on the grounds.
Clamping down on flashing is not the first priority of the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, says spokesman Gary Davidson. Public safety, crowd control and traffic control top the list for the 15 on-duty deputies and eight off-duty officers working the event.
If someone is putting on a naked show and inciting the crowd, deputies might give them a verbal warning or make an arrest, according to Davidson, but they always have to weigh whether a topless arrest will cause more problems with crowd control than it solves.
The crowd lining the fence is controlled but impatient. A serious injury to a stunt motorcycle rider before the wrestling dampened the mood and delayed the competition, but by 2 p.m. the women enter the pit of shredded cabbage and vegetable oil, under the watchful eye of referee Two-Dollar Jim, aka James Earl Steen of Deltona.
No hitting, no punching, no scratching, no pulling hair, says Two-Dollar Jim to the competitors. A pin for a three-count is a winner.
The early matches separate pretenders from contenders. Linda Hall, 44, of Orange City is attempting a comeback after a wrestling career in various semiliquids that includes a concussion suffered in a creamed corn competition. Alas, Hall, wrestling under the name Luscious, falls to “Sauerkraut” in the first round.
Anderson, meanwhile, lives up to her billing with a 90-second pin in the first round, but this will not be her day for sustaining the dynasty. In a seven-minute championship match, she loses to “Gunpowder” and settles for second place.
She always knew this day would come.”Anybody can beat me,” Anderson said before the tournament. “They just gotta catch me at the right moment.”
–By CAL MASSEYStaff Writer, Daytona New Journal
–from Rogue
TRIBUTE TO LICO–We have all had heroes in our lives. Lico was one, but in his simplicity would never allow to be considered one…… Val “Moon” Zarate
Florentino “Lico” Subia, 75, passed away on March 5, 2006. He was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. Lico was a veteran of the Korean War, serving his country in the United States Army. He received a U.N. Svc. Medal, Korean Svc. Medal with Svc. Star and the National Defense Svc. Medal.
He was employed by Western Union for 29 years as a motorcycle messenger. In 1978 he founded and was President of the Iron Horses Motorcycle Club. He was a board member of the Legal Services Corporation and a member of the Citizens Advisory Board of Central Regional Command Center.
Lico also belonged to the Huacheros Del Chicken Coop and was an avid boxer and trainer with Chihuahuita Community Center. He also raced in motocross.
Preceded in death by his son, Florentino Subia Jr., his survivors include his wife; Mickie Subia, sons; Alex and Ricardo Subia and Alberto Kondo, daughters; Cheryl Leah Subia and Maria Teresa Subia and Raquel Hernandez, brothers; Francisco Subia and Chris Lerma, sisters; Francisca Alvarado, Dolores Gomez and Bessie Gomez, 9 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild.
NHTSA MOTORCYCLE SAFETY ISSUES–The National Highway Traffic Safety Association opened their door recently to public comment. It’s a chance of a lifetime to express your views regarding motorcycle safety. Here’s the address: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/email.cfm
. Below are the comments I made to them:
I appreciate the chance to contact you regarding Motorcycle Safety issues. I will try to be brief. Since between 70-85 percent of all motorcycle accidents are the fault of motorists I believe that respect and recognition are key issues. I believe there are a few helpful basic elements:
Motorcycle Training
Motorcycle Recognition
Respect for Riders
Training is a key issue and should be continued in every state.Efforts made to help citizens improve their awareness of motorcycles are vital.Some states afford HOV use, but I believe there’s another step we can take–create a motorcycle lane between the HOV lane and lane one–3 feet wide.
Public education about motorcycling will heighten awareness and understanding.
I’m also in the process of working closely with the MRF, the MIC and SEMA to develop a noise understanding. Motorcycles have only two means of protection, visual and auditory. Motorcycles need to make enough noise to enhance awareness and prevent accidents.
I believe that a key issue is psychological. If motorist come to respect and revere the freedom to ride we will have safer roads. If we treat cyclists as second class citizens, they will be constant targets.
I have been in this industry for over 35 years. As you know strength in any form develops respect. Thank you for your time.
KRB
5-Ball Inc.
Bikernet.com
BIKERNET DAYTONA PHOTO ART EXHIBIT– Shot this at the Harley Expo next to Destination Daytona last weekend.
Ride Hard,
Whiplash Biker Photog
mailto:soffordphotos@comcast.net>
STEALTH NORTH CAROLINA BIKE WORKS SPECIAL REPORT–We got our first Panhead to work on this week at STEALTH BIKE WORKS! The Pan is a ’51 model and it is a very nice bike. I have always loved those old Panheads. In my opinion they had the sweetest look of all the engines.
As far as bikes go around the Charlotte area, things are starting to rev up. Bike nights are popping up everywhere. Man it’s funny how things change. A lot of us who visit Bikernet regularly will remember the day when bikers were not welcomed at these establishments. I wonder what changed all of this? I wonder if money had anything to do with it?
Speaking of the way things used to be, the Discovery show, The History Of The Chopper with Jesse James was really cool. I really got into those old pictures and it was good to see Jesse pay tribute to those who came before him. To me Jesse James is a cool guy. Yeah, I know a lot you are saying he has gone “Hollywood” and he is a sell out. I don’t think so. Which one of us would not have taken advantage of the opportunity? He is a very talented bike builder and a very smart guy.
You know when you are running a bike shop everyday you meet some interesting people from all walks of life. We have the “Real Deal” bikers, we have the “Do it youself ” riders, we have the ” New Kids” and the “I can build a bike for $2500 group,” and last but not least the infamous “Posers.” These are the worst. They try to impress you with what they know and the more you let them talk the less they impress you.
They all believe they have to go to their local dealer at least once a week to worship the “Almighty Factory Gods. I guess our “FTF” stickers don’t go over with this group very well? The “$2500 dollar bike group is close behind the fore mentioned group. No matter what you say or try to explain to them, they know someone who built a bike for $2500! The “Do it yourselfers” are cool. They take pride in what they do and always come by the shop to show off what they did. I dig this! The “New Kids,” the ones with the real spirit are cool, if they listen. Theywant to learn and we give our advice free. In a way we are passing the torch along to these guysand that is a good thing. All of this makes running a shop an adventure everyday and it makes meappreciate the “Real Deal” guys everyday.
the guys come in who don’t ride for one reason or another. The longer we are here the longer the list grows. Some reasons we hear are ” I used to ride but my friend had a wreck and lost all of his limbs so I quit. We have all heard that one! ” I used to ride and really be into bikes but now I am so not into it anymore.” Well guess what, you never were into it! For us who read and write for Bikernet and Mr. Bandit bikes and riding is in our soul and in our hearts, so how could we just one day “be so not into it anymore?” PLEASE! Now for the best or the worst of all of them, depending on which way you look at it, “I used to ride but my girlfriend or wife made me sell my bike!” Grow some balls! Have some backbone! If you let someone make you sell your bike, well you probably did not belong anyway.
Well, with all of that being said I fell much better. I haven’t had one of those in awhile so I guess I was due.
Until next week, RIDE!
–STEALTHMAN
TOP FOUR ADULT JOKES OF 2005– Number 2Bill worked in a pickle factory. He had been employed there for a number ofyears when he came home one day to confess to his wife that he had aterrible compulsion. He had an urge to stick his penis into the pickleslicer.
His wife suggested that he should see a sex therapist to talk aboutit, but Bill said he would be too embarrassed. He vowed to overcome thecompulsion on his own. One day a few weeks later, Bill came home and hiswife could see at once that something was seriously wrong.
“What’s wrong,Bill?” she asked. “Do you remember that I told you how I had this tremendousurge to put my penis into the pickle slicer?” “Oh, Bill, you didn’t!” sheexclaimed.
“Yes, I did.” he replied. “My God, Bill, what happened?”
“I gotfired.”
“No, Bill. I mean, what happened with the pickle slicer?”
“Oh…shegot fired too.”
Number 1,A couple had been married for 50 years. They were sitting at the breakfasttable one morning when the wife says, “Just think, fifty years ago we weresitting here at this breakfast table together.”
“I know,” the old man said.”We were probably sitting here naked as a jaybird fifty years ago.”
“Well,”Granny snickered. “Let’s relive some old times.” Where upon, the twostripped to the buff and sat down at the table.
“You know, honey,” thelittle old lady breathlessly replied, “My nipples are as hot for you todayas they were fifty years ago.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised,” replied Gramps.”One’s in your coffee and the other is in your oatmeal.”
We thought the other two Best Jokes of The Year sucked.–Bandit
DAYTONA ACCEPTS WOODEN INDIAN– DAYTONA BEACH — A life-sized wooden Indian overlooks a parade of rumbling motorcycles on Main Street during this week’s Bike Week festivities.But not long ago, the statue was branded a rogue.A code enforcement citation for hanging out in front of John Sanchez’s Rock & Ride shop during last October’s Biketoberfest had banished the life-size carving inside — out of sight from passing foot traffic.
There’s been a sort of treaty. City Building Official Greg France said the fur-and-skull festooned figure is now permitted to enjoy the exhaust fumes and hoopla from the sidewalk.
“The cigar Indian can be on his property with stipulations,” France said. The statue must be anchored, off the right-of-way and can’t impede entry.”It apparently was a problem — put in the way and used to hang merchandise in violation,” France said.But he said people called the city when a fine was slapped on the figurine.
“There was a (public) outrage,” he said.Among those who criticized the city is the Rev. Al Gannon of Tampa, a long-time Bike Week visitor.
“It’s just harassment,” Gannon said Monday.
Travelin’ John Britz, a minister from Export, Pa. , has handed out bibles a few feet from the Indian statue during Bike Weeks for years. He said the city “made a mountain out of a molehill.”
And first-time Bike Week visitor, Bill “Schultz” Leadbitter from Pittsburgh said “they probably just had to pay somebody to do what they wanted to do.”
The 12-year-old statue, decked out with motorcycle-encrusted glass beads, is considered an attention-getting sign, France said. The permit to allow it: $22.
“A bunch of years ago we started selling cigars, and this guy who came from the Philippines was dealing in carvings from monkeywood. I bought this one right from his backyard,” Sanchez said.
Monkeywood is slang for the monkey apple tree, often used for carving and native to Florida, said Gulab Gidwani, owner of Exotic Wood Company in New Jersey.
“Puerto Ricans are very spiritual, and my mother had saints and candles and a similar Indian in the corner. When my mother saw my Indian, she blessed it, so it’s sacred to me — like my mother is looking over us,” Sanchez said. “I am glad to have it back out.”
By AUDREY PARENTE
–from Rogue
Motorcycle Hall Of Fame Member 2005
BAMA BIKE FEST– I will be in Daytona for Bike week when you read this and for those of you that did not make it or are still up for some more partying I will be attending the Bama Bike Fest in Forkland Alabama on March 17-18-19th Now this is going to be a Party. Adult Type – No Kids – If Nudity Offends You Stay Home – 24 Hour Getting Down Southern Style
Check out their web site at http://www.bamabikefest.com/
Come On Out and Party With Me and look for reports here on Bikernet after the event.
–from ROGUE
Friday March 17th, 2006
THE PARTY STARTS AT 5:00 PM, BUT YOUR WELCOME TO SHOW UP A LITTLE EARLY, PITCH YOUR TENT AND GET SETUP BEFORE THE PARTY. The HOG WILD SALOON will be open.
– RALLY BEGINS, OFFICIAL WELCOME
– DRINKING GAMES for ALL
– LIVE BAND
– WOMEN’S PICKLE SUCKING CONTEST
– BEST ASS SHAKIN’ CONTEST (FEMALE & MALE)
– WOMEN’S NIPPLE SIZING CONTEST.
– MEN’S SEXIEST UNDERWEAR, WOMEN’S SEXIEST UNDERWEAR CONTEST!
Saturday March 18th, 2006
– POKER RUN
– BIKE GAMES. SLOW RACE, WEENIE BITE, KEG TOSS. CLOTHING OPTIONAL
– LIVE BAND
– DRINKING GAMES for ALL
– FREE TITTY PAINTING FOR LADIES
– BIKE SHOW
– TATTOO CONTEST, BIKE SHOW WINNERS ANNOUNCED
– DINNER TIME, SHOP, EAT & REST UP FOR THE NITE TIME EVENTS.
– WOMEN’S PUDDING WRESTLING CONTEST
– LARGEST & SMALLEST BREAST’S CONTEST
– COUPLES AMATEUR BODY PAINTING CONTEST
– WET T – SHIRT CONTEST AND GRAND FINALE!
–Rogue
Continued On Page 4
March 09, 2006 Part 2
By Bandit |
Continued From Page 1
AUSTRALIAN MUSLIM LAW– Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.
A day after a group of mainstream Muslim leaders pledged loyalty to Australia at a special meeting with Prime Minister John Howard, he and his ministers made it clear that extremists would face a crackdown.
Treasurer Peter Costello hinted that some radical clerics could be asked to leave the country if they did not accept that Australia was a secular state and its laws were made by parliament.
“If those are not your values, if you want a country which has Sharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you,” he said on national television.
“I’d be saying to clerics who are teaching that there are two laws governing people in Australia, one the Australian law and another the Islamic law, that this is false.
If you can’t agree with parliamentary law, independent courts, democracy, and would prefer Sharia law, and have the opportunity to go to another country which practices it, perhaps, then, that’s a better option,” Costello said.
Asked whether he meant radical clerics would be forced to leave, he said those with dual citizenship could possibly be asked move to the other country. Education Minister Brendan Nelson later told reporters that Muslims who did not want to accept local values should “clear off”.
“Basically, people who don’t want to be Australians, and they don’t want to live by Australian values and understand them, well then they can basically clear off,” he said.
Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spies monitoring the nation’s mosques.
TEXAS SCOOTER TIMES– SWAP MEET WEEKEND – THIS WEEKEND !!!! Accuweather Predicts PRETTY RIDING WEATHER FOR BOTH –
SWAP MEET Fort Worth – Saturday March 11th at the Will Rogers Memorial Complex
SWAP MEET Dallas – Sunday March 12th at the Gigantic Historic Longhorn Ballroom
Its RIDING SEASON !! Get What You NEED
*Traveling Parts Discounters*Garage Clean Outs
*Cheap Used Parts*New Parts*Lifestyle Neccessities*
End of Winter LEATHER DEALS*Jewelry Riding Apparel*
At Both Shows !!! – Mad Max & The Max Attack Blues & Rock – Just like we like it…….
For More INFORMATION – CHECK OUT http://WWW.TEXASSCOOTER.COM
OKAY, SO IT’S THE FIRST BIKERNET BIKE BLING AWARD–Attached is a press release for the world’s first diamond encrusted, $9,000 onboard motorcycle clock! Formotion created the clock as a result of teaming up with Matt Hotch and his V Lux bike and it’s like nothing on the planet. It will, however, have a brother! We’ve already taken an order for another with an customn inlaid jewel dial.
–Peter Harvey
Formotion Products
415-331-0400
ALL EXTREME SOFTAIL AND RIGID FRAMES ON SALE–These frames are the same as we sell every day. We just have too much in our inventory. These frames come with an MSO from Extreme Frames and the same great warranty as all of the other parts we sell.
When their gone the sale is over.
Check out our stock athttp://www.extremeframes.us/inventory.asp
BANDIT ON HISTORY OF CHOPPER SHOW?–BTW – the Discovery Channel had Mr. James on a ‘History of Choppers’ showlast night. I could swear I saw some old ER footage of you blasting downthe highway with one helluva lot more hair on your head and face than isthere today.
-J
SEND US PHOTOS OF YOUR CUSTOM BIKE THAT USED DEMON’S CYCLE PARS AND WIN–YOU CAN WIN ONLY IF YOU BOUGHT A BIKE KIT OR A SHIFTROD OR IF THE BIKE HAS 1 OR MORE PARTS http://www.demonscycle.com/ from DEMONS CYCLE .
We want to see pictures of your Custom Ride and Demons Cycle Parts and Accessories in action!The bike that will get the most hits on our website will get a $250 store credit. So send us some cool pics!It doesn’t have to be on some exotic location. However we would like to see how you used our parts on yourBike. Whether you’re in the state of Indiana or the state of confusion, email or snail mail us a snapshot.We’ll feature you and/or your girl on our new website’s Gallery Web Page!
Please send us your clear, in focus pictures. We especially like to see pictures of your Demons Cycle bike and your lady on it.
1. You can e-mail them to us. Save them in .jpg (jpeg) format and send them to us at: Send photos to: PATRIOT ADOPTS OFFROAD BRAND–Patriot Motorcycle Corporation, distributors of offroad motorcycles, ATVs and the Steed line of V-Twin cruisers, recently announced that they will adopt the Patriot Offroad brand name, for all their offroad products. In a press release, officials were quoted as saying, “Introduction of the new Patriot Offroad identity represents a major element of the original initiative and marketing plan, to offer all recreational vehicles and private-label products under a unified Patriot logo and brand.” METRIC REVOLUTION MOTORCYCLE BUILD-OFF TO HOLD FINALS IN LAS VEGAS–Multi-Media Marketing & Production, Inc. producer’s of the up and coming hit television series “Metric Revolution” have chosen the 6th annual Las Vegas BikeFest as the location for the taping of the series finale. The 6th annual Las Vegas BikeFest will be held September 14-17 in the most famous 24-hour city, Las Vegas, Nevada. The event will consist of the Vendor Village at Cashman Center with over 275 manufacturers and vendors, and activities such as Poker Runs and competitions, and non-stop entertainment including concerts with well-known celebrity bands. Artistry in Iron, Master Builders’ Championship will also take place at Cashman Center. 40,000 bikers and enthusiasts are expected to be in attendance. The “Metric Revolution” television series is the first ever all metric biker build-off for television. The series is scheduled to premier in the fall 2006 season, and will take viewers on an exciting behind the scenes trip into the world of the “custom” metric motorcycle industry. “Metric Revolution” will follow 19 professional builders and 4 rookies to their hometowns to provide a revealing insight into each builder / contestant’s life and personality. The audience will watch the trials and tribulations of each builder as they convert a stock metric motorcycle into a “one-off” custom while competing for thousands of dollars in grand prizes. The participants will include well-known, traditionally American V-Twin builders such as Mike Stafford of MGS Custom Bikes in Lancaster, California and Doug Keim of Doug Keim Custom Cycles in Wall, New Jersey. Stafford was one of the featured builders at the 2005 Las Vegas BikeFest?? Artistry In Iron, Master Builders’ Championship. A complete list of builders is available at the “Metric Revolution” website – www.MetricTV.com. All 23 “Metric Revolution” builder / contestants will have their masterpieces on display during Las Vegas BikeFest?? and attendees will have an opportunity to see the bikes, meet the builders and participate in the voting to pick the winners. Las Vegas BikeFest is produced by the Las Vegas BikeFest Partnership made up of ConvExx and Full Throttle Events. Las Vegas BikeFest information is available at www.lasvegasbikefest.com, or call toll-free 866-BIKEFEST (866-245-3337) or e-mail info@lasvegasbikefest.com. CHOP AND GRIND BONNEVILLE RACING TEAM UPDATE– We removed all the unnecessary tabs off the frame. We’re welding new tabs for fuel tank, battery box and oil tank. The oil tank came from Don “Snuffy” Smith. He ran it on one of his old flat trackers, it should bring us some good luck. Also here is our new Chop N Grind logo. We don’t want any faggy logos like those Bonne Belle chumps in LA. They even have a girl riding their bikes. What the fuck? Two and half months to go to have our bike ready for test runs at El Mirage, need to work out the bugs and get her certified. It’s a long way to go in a short period. After the test runs we have three months to finish. Talked to Nick Roberts of AMSOIL the other day, one of our sponsors, he’s ready to ship our oil and lubes out. He is just as excited as all of us about going. He is also riding out to meet us and the Bikernet 5-Ball Racing bastards. They don’t have a chance. Our sponsor list is growing, AMSOIL, S&S, JIMS USA, Avon Tyres, Leinweber Cams & LMC Concrete Pumping. Bub`s Speed Trails will be here sooner than you think. We are still in the need for a front 19-inch light weight rim. Anyone out there who has one, the help will be great. –Bob T TEXAS NATIONAL BIKE SHOW POSTER CONTEST–We need a bitchin bike for the Texas National Bike Show Poster. Here’s the rules: 1. All photos must be submitted to us by March 31st And yes it might be shot with a hot babe for the poster. Be a star and send us a photo of your bike. The Show fires up the same time as the Lone Star Rally, November 3rd, I think. Send entries to Holly@Texasnationalbikeshow.com Thanks, Holly GEORGIA DEALERS FORM STATE ASSOCIATION–With the assistance of the National Council of Motorcycle Dealer Associations, with Ed Lemco moderating, twelve Georgia dealers met in mid-December, to form a state dealer association. Priorities for the new association are reported to include franchise protection and the enactment of legislation or administrative regulations that require the Georgia Department Of Motor Vehicles to register offroad vehicles and ATVs this in answer to out-of-state dealers selling in Georgia without collecting sales tax. Yamaha Sued By California–The Attorney General’s office of California has reportedly filed a $19.6 million lawsuit against Yamaha and two Yamaha dealers, claiming they circumvented air pollution control laws, by importing more than 400 motorcycles not certified for sale in that state. The complaint was reportedly filed by the AG, on behalf of the Air Resources Board, department of the California Environmental Protection Agency. Continued On Page 3
Demons Cycle South
378 SW 14 Ave
Pompano Beach, Fl
33069
r.tron@verizon.net
2. 30 days to vote, voting will begin on April 1st and will end on April 30th, all submissions must be in by April fools day!
3. Bike must be available to participate in the Texas National Bike Show (all show guidelines)
4. Bike must be available for photo shoot no later than the end of May.
5. Texas National will comp a display space for the winner at the show.
6. Bike can participate in the judged class at the show, with a complimentary entry
March 09, 2006 Part 1
By Bandit |
Hey,
Another crazed week and not enough whiskey or sex. The other side of the coin is all good. I spoke to Senators, SEMA representatives (hot rod guys), MIC members and members of the MRF. The MRF has struggled for years to keep the EPA off our backs with some success. They were able to get the one unregulated custom bike in a lifetime and the 24 shop show bikes rule on the books. That was a major accomplishment, but the EPA told them they needed more support to open the books again. That support is now emerging with a strong group of individuals who represent the rider, the shop owner, the parts manufacturer and the motorcycle manufacturer.
It’s all good and we’ll report as everything comes together. Plus the Bikernet crew is working on a noise model and will begin testing in the next two weeks. We will set a standard for the amount of noise a motorcycle needs to produce to say out of harms way. We’ve run our proposal past several representatives of the industry to positive and supportive responses. More reports on that shortly.
Let’s hit the news, then I’ll bring you up to date on our Bonneville projects:
JOKER MACHINE STYLE KING HAND CONTROLS– At last. We’ve needed these so long. Now, 1996-up Harley bagger owners can finally install custom hand controls on their bike and still retain use of their radio and cruise control functions. Style King controls also fit most other Harley models, allowing easy retrofit without the hassle of re-wiring, and retain use of the MoCo’s tried and true stock switches and housings.
The new Joker Machine Style King controls are made to fit Sportsters (’96-present), Softails (’96-present), Road Kings, Electra Glides and Road Glides (’96-present) and V-Rod models up to 2005. Style King controls are available in hydraulic or cable clutch versions and are offered in either chrome, or hard black anodized finish. Both brake and clutch master cylinders are available in 9/16 and 11/16-inch sizes to fit single or dual brakes and most trans-mounted hydraulic clutch actuation units.
Joker Machine’s new Style King hand controls are available at your local Drag Specialties dealer, or directly from Joker Machine. Log on at www.jokermachine.com for more information and pricing.
THE BIKERNET BLONDE FILES–A man is dining in a fancy restaurant and there is a gorgeous blonde sitting at the next table. He has been checking her out since he sat down, but lacks the nerve to start a conversation.
Suddenly she sneezes, and her glass eye comes flying out of its socket towards the man.
He reflexively reaches out, grabs it out of the air, and hands it back.
“Oh my, I am so sorry,” the woman says as she pops her eye back in place.
“Let me buy your dinner to make it up to you,” she says.
They enjoy a wonderful dinner together, and afterwards they go to the theater followed by drinks. They talk, they laugh, she shares her deepest dreams and he shares his. She listens.
After paying for everything, she asks him if he would like to come to her place for a nightcap …… and stay for breakfast.
They have a wonderful, wonderful time.
The next morning, she cooks a gourmet meal with all the trimmings.
The guy is amazed!! Everything has been SO incredible!!!!
“You know,” he said, “you are the perfect woman. Are you this nice to every guy you meet?”
“No,” she replies……… “but you just happened to catch my eye.! ”
–from Geno
Patriot Motor Corporation V-Twin Street Bikes Receive CARB Emissions Certification–NASCAR Engineering and Design Veteran Ashley Tilling Joins Patriot Team–Patriot Motor Corporation (Pink Sheets:PMCY), exclusive worldwide distributor of the Patriot OffRoad(TM) line of Dirt Bike motorcycles and All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) and the Steed(R) by Patriot(TM) domestic line of V-Twin custom street bikes, today announced it has received California Air Resources Board emissions certification for both the Steed(R) by Patriot(TM) and Patriot(TM) V-Twin Musclebikes lines of custom and production V-Twin street bikes fitted with 111, 117 and 124 cubic inch displacement engines.
Following the recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Certificate issued to Patriot — which documents that the company’s custom and production V-Twin street bikes are exhaust-emission legal in 49 states — CARB Executive Order M-094-0001, issued January 25, 2006, now makes Patriot V-Twin street bikes fully exhaust and evaporative emission compliant in all 50 states.
“California has the strictest emission standards in the United States… and is among the most stringent globally,” notes Steve Moonitz, Director of Product Development and Compliance for Patriot Motorcycle Corporation.
Annual motorcycle sales in California are approximately 40% greater than the next highest state, which is the Florida market. “CARB certification officially opens up the biggest motorcycle market in the United States,” notes Jim White, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Full 50-state compliance gives our dealer organization the official ‘green light’ to now add Patriot V-Twin products to their existing lines.”
The newly formed Patriot Street Bike Division includes both the original Steed(R) by Patriot(TM) custom 300 series and the groundbreaking, affordable Patriot(TM) V-Twin Musclebikes(TM) 200 series models that will be unveiled at the upcoming V-Twin Dealer Expo (February 4-6, Cincinnati, OH) and “DealerNews” Dealer Expo 2006 (February 18-20, Indianapolis, IN).
Patriot Motor Corporation also announced the addition of Ashley Tilling to the company’s Engineering Group. Mr. Tilling comes from a diversified, broad-spectrum background in engineering and design. He has worked at the top levels of NASCAR racing — including the NASCAR R&D facility — where he did testing on safety systems, aerodynamic wind tunnel testing and vehicle crash testing. He played an integral role in the development of the HANS safety device now used in many racing series throughout the world. He also innovated several of the features of the NASCAR “Car of the Future,” which will be cycled into the 2007 racing season.
“We are extremely pleased and proud that the various divisions of Patriot Motor Corporation continue to attract outstanding individuals, such as Ashley Tilling,” states CEO Michel Attias. “From top-flight leaders in management to those with high-caliber engineering and design expertise… each and every talented addition is another win that furthers the strength and synergy of the Patriot Team.”
BIKERNET BONNEVILLE RIDER VALERIE THOMPSON ROAD REPORT–Morning! I just got home late last night from my first race in Gainesville, Fl. I had quite the experience. Truck broke down, flat tires etc…I’ll be writing my Bikernet report today!!! I don’t know where to start…! But all said AND done…I flew home and kissed the ground!!! No lie!
There were about 60+ Destroyer bikes there. With a 32 bike field and I qualified # 14 in the super gas class and 20th in the destroyer class.
I am getting ready for Bonneville!!! I wonder if I’ll look like that girl on the bike..hee hee! Good job on the picture! That’s my favorite!!! But I have a great looking one on the destroyer bike I’ll send over later today.
–VT
We’re waiting, baby –Bandit
SEMA’S STATE BY STATE CUSTOM BIKE LEGISLATIVE EFFORT–All – Had a great meeting with the Motor Vehicle Division Director today and he’s excited to begin work on the custom motorcycle titling/registration model bill. We’re meeting again on the 23rd of March with his staff to begin outlining the legislation so I’m going to need as much of everyone’s input by then if possible. We’ll still have a lot of time to refine the bill after this, but I want to keep momentum going and the sooner we have a final product, the sooner I can distribute this to my colleagues in other states.
In my discussion with the director I presented the theory for the bill by identifying custom motorcycles by the type of engine they use and assigning a year based on the years of production for the style of engine. For example if someone’s building a bike around a flathead motor it could be titled and registered as any of the years the flathead was in production, in short it would be classified a flathead replica. The same would be true for Knuckleheads, Panheads, Shovelheads, and finally Evolutions. When it comes to Evo’s we’ll probably need to come up with a different name as by using Evolution we may run into the Harley political buzzsaw. Something like late model single-cam may suffice, but because this may be a term we use for some time to come I want it to be a user friendly term. so I’d be happy to hear more suggestions.
As with SEMA I’m taking the approach of crafting something that improves the process for titling and registering at all levels. If we get this implemented in a good number of states, gone will be the days of magazine articles about how to title and register your bike. That’s a lofty goal, but it starts here in Montana. Take a look at this month’s issue of Driving Force, the SEMA Action Network’s monthly newsletter, and see the progress SEMA is making with their custom vehicle titling and registration model bill:
http://www.semasan.com/images/df0306.pdf
Senator John Brueggeman
321 Lakeview Dr
Polson, MT 59860
PH: 406.883.2395
FAX: 406.883.2390
CELL: 406.270.6699
Here’s John’s Test Legislation
Model Custom American Motorcycle Bill
Vehicle Laws – Custom Motorcycle
(a) A custom motorcycle means any motorcycle that:
(1) Contains an engine manufactured 20 years prior to the current calendar year or contains an engine manufactured to resemble an engine 20 or more years old; and
(2) Has been altered from the manufacturer’s original design; or is constructed in whole or in part from non-original materials.
title of a custom motorcycle shall be the model year that the engine of such vehicle resembles.
(c) For each custom vehicle, there shall be a one-time registration fee of $_____.
(d) (1) in applying for registration of a custom motorcycle under this section, the owner of the custom motorcycle shall submit with the application a certification that the vehicle for which the application is made:
(I) Will be maintained for occasional transportation, exhibitions, club activities, parades, tours, and similar uses; and;
(II) Will not be used for general daily transportation.
(2) In addition to the certification required under paragraph (1) of this subsection, when applying for registration of a custom motorcycle, the new owner of the custom motorcycle shall provide proof acceptable to the administration that the custom motorcycle passed a safety inspection that has been approved by the Administration in consultation with the custom motorcycle community in this state.
(d) Unless the presence of the equipment was specifically required by a statute of this State as a condition of sale in the year listed as the year of manufacture on the certificate of title, the presence of any specific equipment is not required for the operation of a vehicle registered under this section.
(f) A vehicle registered under this section is exempt from any statute that requires periodic vehicle inspections and from any statute that requires the use and inspection of emission controls.
I decided to scrap the flat/knuckle/pan/shovel/evo specific language in the bill for now and opt for this cleaner version that more closely adheres to SEMA’s model bill. This is a rough draft, but let me know what you think and what changes you may want to make.
IMMORTALS M.C. CHARITY RIDE/SILENT AUCTION– My name is Mandi Weina and I have already emailed you in reference to donations and/or sponsorship for our event. But we got to thinking, it would be such an honor to have you come and sign autographs for our cause to bring a huge crowd. If only for an hour we would love to have you help us. You see, we are having a hard time getting our local media to cover our event and a big name like yours would help get us in the public’s eye. All the proceeds go to the Children’s Miracle Network and Aurora Pediatric Cancer Services, the Immortals don’t keep a penny, it all goes to the kids.
An even bigger thrill would be if you would join us on our 100 mile ride and party afterwords.
Please consider our request for helping these unfortunate kids. Our ride leaves from the Walmart parking lot in Manitowoc, Wisconsin and ends at the Immortals clubhouse on June 3, 2006
Mandi Weina
blazingdolphin@peoplepc.com
Mandi, will always support your event. We’ll contact you regarding scheduling. If we can make it, we’ll be there. In the meantime we will do whatever we can to make your event a success.– Bandit
SPORTSTER RESURRECTION–I’m resurrecting a ’73 XLCH that’s been a total basket for over a decade.Talk about lo-buck, this is a lunch money expedition.I?m off to a good start with Paughco frame and springer. Most $$ will go into motor and paint.
Yep,a good, ol skool ’70s paint job, with ghost flames and such.Anyhoo, I’m jammin the web to get my head together on where and what I can get to put this putt back together. I need cases and bottom end. Maybe I can get by with my slugs and jugs. The tranny’s OK with “new” andrews cogs before teardown.Also I’m checkin out who’s who in the Los Angeles area for Paint. As regards the “sporty” project you mentionhttp://www.bikernet.com/sportsters/here’s an idea… this could be the bike?
This blue kick only really hits home for me (hi skool ’72).
look forward to your reply
–Nick sharpe
nick@bop35.com
GRIP YOUR BUTT!– No backsliding from Triboseat, the ultra-grippy seat cover from Advanced Seating Technology. And now it’s available for riders as well as passengers and for more bikes than ever before in 2006.
We all know the problem. Under hard acceleration or braking, passenger slides into rider, or vice versa. There’s ‘helmet clash’ and even ‘body slam’ – and it spoils the ride.
Triboseat dramatically reduces all that. It’s a grippy, rubberised mesh that fits snugly around the rider or pillion seat. Simple to fit too – no glue, no staples, just a secure drawstring. Custom designed, the Triboseat looks neat and taut, like part of the bike – it’s an anti-slip second skin for the seat.
Triboseat – the name derives from the word ‘Tribology’, the science of friction – has been used by Crescent Rizla-Suzuki on their promotional pillion rides in front of BSB crowds since 2003.
There are Triboseats to fit every common model of sports bike, plus tourers, adventure tourers and naked bikes. Aprilia, BMW, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, Triumph, Suzuki + others.
Triboseat products are available from only £13.99 SRP
Contact AST Triboseat 01825 722020
http://www.triboseat.com/
HELLS ANGELS FEELING DEPRESSED– The Stockholm chapter of the biker gang Hell’s Angels is being investigated for fraud after police found 70 per cent of members were certified as depressed by the same doctor and were getting state sickness benefits.
“It seems to be depressing being a member of this club,” Christer Nilsson, deputy head of Stockholm police’s criminal investigation department, told newspaper Dagens Nyheter. Biker gangs like the Hell’s Angels and their deadly rivals the Bandidos have a history of violent crime in Scandinavia including shootouts and bomb attacks, but have also branched out into benefit and tax frauds in recent years, police say.
Sweden has estimated that as much as a fifth of the workforce is on long-term sick leave or early retirement due to sickness, often put down to “burn-out”
From: Reuters
NEW METRIC REVOLUTION WEBSITE–The new Metric Revolution website is up and running!!!!!Go to http://www.metrictv.net to sign up for the monthly newsletter, Metric Times, and a chance to win a new helmet. Be sure to check out Don Gray’s forum and our new website www.dongraycustoms.com
Continued On Page 2