LOOKING FOR BUCK KNIFE–I am interested in a Buck 192MS knife. I found one on the Bikernet page.

–Dondonstickel@hotmail.com

HERE ARE THE FACTS– Citrus soda 7-UP was created in 1929; “7” was selectedbecause the original containers were 7 ounces. “UP” indicated thedirection of the bubbles.

Mosquito repellents don’t repel. They hide you. The spray blocksthe mosquito’s sensors so they don’t know you’re there.

Dentists recommend that a toothbrush be kept at least 6 feetaway from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush.

The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as a substitute forblood plasma.

–KR

BANDIT’S CANTINA COMING–You’ve heard of Stephen King, you’ve heard of Disneyland, you’ve taken magic mushrooms. Now comes Bandit’s Cantina, a rough ride into a slippery, devilish, action- packed area of Bikernet — for those who haven’t had enough. In just a month you’ll be able to read e-books, gaze at some of the hottest babes in biking, play games, get sexual advice, find a biker-friendly bar in your neighborhood and much, much more. Watch for it. Coming to computers near you.

Here are two pics of the same guy using up a lot of tire on his Buell at Sturgis, Aug. 2000–Helen Wolfe

Sonny Barger Report–Sonny will be in Boston this weekend, Feb. 3-4, atthe New England Motorcycle Spectacular. Come meethim and get your copy of Hell’s Angel signed by thelegend himself. Click here for a map and directions:http://sonnybarger.com/nav_tour.html

Already a best seller in the U.S. and U.K., the Germantranslation of Hell’s Angel goes on sale today byEuropa Verlag.Other editions are coming in Italy, Turkey, Estonia,Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Japan.http://sonnybarger.com/nav_book.html

New on the Web site:Streaming audio, over an hour in all, of four classicradio interviews, including “Radio Chick” on WNEW.Classic! (scroll to bottom of the page)http://sonnybarger.com/nav_press.html

A new photo gallery shows Sonny with fans and friendson the Book Tour 2000.http://sonnybarger.com/nav_photo.html

MAW IS OUTSIDE– hangin up the laundry, when she hearsPaw in the kitchen. Mawwalks in and says, “Paw, get out there and fix thatthere outhouse.”

Paw says, “All right, Maw.” Paw walks out to theouthouse, looks at it,and says, “Maw, there ain’t nothin’ wrong with thishere outhouse!”

Maw says, “Yes, there is. Put your head down in thehole.”

Paw says “I ain’t puttin my head in that there hole!”

Maw says, “Well you’re gonna have to if’n you’re gonnafix the problem!”

Paw puts his head down in the hole (just a little bitmindya) and he hollers, “Maw, there ain’t nothin’ wrongwith this hereouthouse!”

Maw hollers, “Now pull your head out of the hole.”

Pawgoes to lift up hishead and he says, “Oww! OWW! Maw! MAW, my beard’sstuck in the cracks in theseat!”

Maw says, “Aggravatin’, ain’t it?”

–Glen R.

H-D DEDICATES 2001 RACE SEASON TO REBUILDING VR 1000 SUPERBIKE PROGRAM–Company to Increase Resources, Restructure Development and Organization ofRace Team

Focused on strengthening its VR 1000Superbike racing program, Harley-Davidson will devote 2001 to a rebuildingeffort, the company has announced. Among several initiatives,Harley-Davidson will restructure and expand the development program of theVR 1000.”We’ve begun an aggressive effort we believe is necessary to move theprogram forward,” said John Baker, director of racing. “The 2001 racingseason will be a rebuilding year. But this change is necessary to get uswhere we expect to be in the future.”Increased funding will drive the development program and provide greaterresources in both manpower and hardware.

Organizationally, the new development effort will be focused internally. Asa result, engineers from Harley-Davidson Research and Development will workin close concert with partners at Buell, and will begin work immediately torealize the performance potential of the VR 1000.”By tapping our vast internal engineering capabilities, we’re confident wecan improve,” said Baker. “Our racers, Pascal Picotte and Mike Smith, areexcited about the new direction of development and the rewards it will bringthe program in the future.”Harley-Davidson will increase its involvement with Cosworth Racing and FordRacing and continue its long association with Gemini Racing Technologies,which will maintain some development duties and provide all race teamoperation functions.

“We expect our partnerships with Cosworth Racing, Ford Racing and GeminiRacing will yield results, and we’re pleased to continue our relationshipwith them,” said Baker.Harley-Davidson’s VR 1000 Superbike team will open the AMA season March 7-11at the Daytona 200 in Daytona Beach, Fla.

A SALOON LEGEND IS GONE– I don’t know if anybody has sent you anything about the servicesfor Don Himes so I thought I would. There were about 200 people at thefuneral; it was standing-room only in the chapel. There weren’t nearly asmany clubs represented as you’d have expected considering that they wereall welcome at La Vida and a lot of them frequented the place. Someof the clubs that had members there were the Viet Nam Vets, RighteousOnes, Mongols, Loners and a couple others.

During the service there was anopportunity to stand and speak and a lot of people did. They all said thesame thing; Don was one of the last good guys, treated everyone the same(no politics), and that he and La Vida were going to be greatly missed. Iknow that I used to love getting there early Sunday, just after openingand have breakfast with the place almost to myself except for a couple ofthe canyon locals and of course Gypsy. The ride through the canyon’s earlymorning mist, the fire in the fireplace when you got there and the quietof the canyon; I’m sure going to miss that place. To quote FreddieMercury, “Another one bites the dust.” It’s a goddamn shame!

–Steve

COMPUTER VIRUS WARNINGS– Computer VirusTHE CLINTON Virus….(Gives you a 7-Inch hard drive with NO memory.)

THE BOB DOLE (AKA: VIAGRA) virus…(Makes a new hard drive out of an old floppy.)

THE LEWINSKY virus…(Sucks all the memory out of your computer, then e-mails everyone about whatit did.)

THE RONALD REAGAN virus….(Saves your data, but forgets where it is stored.)

THE MIKE TYSON virus….(Quits after two bytes.)

THE OPRAH WINFREY virus….(Your 300mb hard drive shrinks to 100mb, then slowly expands torestabilizearound 200mb.)

This picture is real – not doctored in anyway – and was taken last week by atransportation supervisor for a company that delivers building materialsfor 84 Lumber. When he saw it in the parking lot of IHOP, he wentand bought a camera to take pictures.

The car is still running, as can be witnessed by the exhaust. A woman iseither asleep or otherwise out in the front seat passenger side. The guydriving it was jogging up and down on Route 925 (in the background).

Witnesses said their physical state was OTHER than normal. The driverfinally came back after the police were called and was found crouchedbehind the rear of the car, attempting to cut the twine around theload! Luckily, the police stopped him and had the load removed.

The materials were loaded at Home Depot. Their store manager said theyhad the customer sign a waiver. While the plywood and 2-by-4s are fairly obvious,what you can’t see is the back seat, which contains — are you ready for this? –10 bags of concrete at 80 pounds each. They estimated the load weight at 3,000 pounds.

Both back tires exploded, the wheels bent and the back shocks were driven throughthe floorboard. The car, with Florida plates (naturally), was headed for Annapolis, wherethe couple presumably planned to build a new house in which to smoke their crack.

TEMPTATION ISLAND TEMPTRESS IS FASTDATES.COM IRON AND LACE CALENDAR GIRL–

“How cheesy!” exclaimed Mary as she watched Perfect 10 magazine covergirl and 2002 FastDates.com calendar model Vanessa Norris planting kisses on Mary’s boyfriend Billy in a video replay of Billy and Vanessa’s date together. It all unfolded on the new FOX hit TV show Temptation Island were four pairs of long-term couples are placed on a romantic tropical beach resort, separated from their soulmates, and sent out on daylong dates with a bevy of sexy single seduction artists. The most seductive female of which has to be our very own sexy Vanessa, who we recently photographed for the upcoming FastDates.com 2002 Mikuni Iron & Lace Calendar with a hot custom from premier bike builder Mike Berg.

THUNDER OVER DIXIE NEWS– How many times can you go to Daytona Beach, Myrtle Beach or Sturgisbefore you decide that your Harley doesn’t ride on rails leading to the sameold places with the same old T-shirt vendors? Remember how you used to telleveryone the reason you rode Harleys was for the freedom? Well, it’s time toset yourself free.

How about some adventure? As promised, after the runaway success of ThunderOver Dixie, we’re planning more Thunder events for 2001. The next is south ofthe border into Old Mexico for Thunder Over Mazatlan and it’s going to beawesome.

We’re roaring off on a 10-day fiesta to Mazatlan where we’ll bea big part of their Cinco de Mayo celebrations. Fiestas and parades every dayon the route, all in our honor. We’ll handle border details the night beforethe border crossing, and we’ll supply luggage vans, translators and security.

Security? Absolutely. Probably won’t need it, but we’ve got it. You canrelax knowing that when out of sight, your motorcycle will be secure. To ensure this is the best ride ever, Thunder has joinedforces with Pancho Villa Moto Tours, the most experienced American motorcycletouring company conducting tours into Mexico. With 20 years of experienceleading riders through Latin America, Pancho Villa Motor Tours’ owner SkipMascorro and his staff are thoroughly familiar with riding inMexico.

Thunder Over Mazatlan starts April 30 at the Rio Rico resort, which isjust a few miles south of Tucson, Ariz.

INCLUSIONS:
Eight nights accommodations, best available
Seven breakfasts, six evening meals
T-shirt and cap
Support vehicle and riding bilingual staff
Maps and tour information kit
Select tolls (conditions apply)
DOES NOT INCLUDE: Medical or motorcycle insurance, fuels, any tolls otherthan those authorized, alcoholic beverages, tipping for individual servicesor individual luggage handling
TOUR PRICE: $1,769 per rider; $1,595 per passengerAnyone in a single occupancy room, additional $420.

1928 SHOVELHEAD COMING ALONG–In this shot you can see the rear fender initial fitment by Jim from Easyriders of Dallas, and the master eyeing the seat placement. More to come shortly.

WHATTA BREAK–The sun is shining and the air is warm and fresh. I can see the blue Pacific lapping at the breakwater. Most of the party-goers are out of jail and roaming the streets once again. Nuutboy and I visited Kenny Samson and collected enough scraps of exhaust pipes to build John Buttera’s pipes for his Evo desk project. During a discussion with Tom Rodan of Sierra Madre Motorcycles, restoration experts, Tom pointed out that my difficulty with the ’48 Panhead idling could be that the engine won’t let the ignition retard all the way so the idle is erratic. Joe Minton had the same theory but thought it might be the automatic advance. This afternoon I will drop a manual advance distributor back into place and time it for another test ride.

I realize that the world is becoming a hectic place to live in. But if you have a second, stop what you’re doing and think back to the time before telephones, when the only communication was by mail or when someone stopped by. Now we have mail, visitors, FedEx, UPS, fax, e-mail, phones, pagers, television, radio, and the list goes on. However, we still only have two arms and two legs and 24 hours in a day to deal with all this shit. Just remember what truly makes you happy. For me, it’s writing, the touch of a woman and bikes. Make time to do what you love.

–Let’s ride, Bandit

The Digital Gangster ran up to me at midnight and screamed something about being two hours late for his flight back to Washington and being in mortal fear for his life. I could sympathize with him, knives had been drawn on two occasions but I couldn’t leave until I had hit on every woman in the joint. The Gangster yanked on my arm, spilled my Jack Daniels and was delivered to the airport in a box. A full report on the Bikernet 2nd annual Super Bowl party is forthcoming after the attorneys and Nuutboy get through editing it. Let’s get to the news:

CHICAGO JOE ROCKS LAS VEGAS–Here are some of my pictures of Chicago Joe from Las Vegas 2000 and Woodburn ’99.

DEAR JOHNNY CARSON–I’ll try to attach a piece I did for a show here…it’s a long story butyou’ll get the idea if you concentrate very hard! (Did I just say hard?!)OK, nevermind…gotta get my mind back on track. This painting is not forpublic consumption but the one I’m doing will be.I’m off to Phoenix this morning on a last minute mission.

Crazed weirdo fucked up woman artist in Northern Arizona looking for love inall the right places!Soon to be sated…

–Rosemary

H-D OF CHARLOTTE CUSTOM PERFORMANCE BUELL–This is a customer’s Buell X-1 Millennium. This is Chip’s “Go Fasta” bike. His other bike is a new Dresser for touring. The Buell is for pure fun.

He added the new shift linkage for 2001. A race kit has been installed, pipe, muffler, air cleaner and ignition module. The pipe has been Jet-Hot coated. He also elected to put on a steering dampner. Chip then installed a few of the Buell accessories now available.The biggest addition to this Buell is the top-end upgrade Chip did. Hedecided to go with the Millennium Tech. aluminum cylinders. These are made without a steel liner like a H-D cylinder and are plated with the nickle-silicon-carbide process. These cylinders are race-proven by Don Tilley. These are the cylinders to use for the next level of performance for the “killer” Buell engine.

In additon, the heads were ported and flowed by Nallin using his pistondesign. The cylinders provide for better ring seal, they distort less. There’s more efficient heat transfer and less friction because of the plating. The plating surface is very hard and lasts a long time.This is a very cool X-1 and runs very strong.

–Paul

IT’S GOOD TO BE A MAN

Your last name stays put.
The garage is all yours.
Wedding plans take care of themselves.
Chocolate is just another snack.
You can be president.
You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.
Car mechanics tell you the truth.
You don’t give a rat’s ass if someone notices your new haircut.
The world is your urinal.
You never have to drive to another gas station because this one’s just too icky.
Same work … more pay.
Wrinkles add character.
Wedding Dress $5000; Tux rental $100.
People never glance at your chest when you’re talking to them.
The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected.
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
You know stuff about tanks.
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
You can open all your own jars.
Dry cleaners and hair cutters don’t rob you blind.
You can leave the motel bed unmade.
You can kill your own food.
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
If someone forgets to invite you to something, he or she can still be your friend.
Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.
One wallet and one pair of shoes, one color, all seasons.
You can “do” your nails with a pocketknife.
You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.
Christmas shopping can be accomplished for 25 relatives on Dec. 24, in 45 minutes

–KR

SCREAMIN’ EAGLE ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF THE LONG- AWAITED STROKER KIT FOR TWIN CAMS–Available by March 1, in limited supplies, will be a 4 3/8 Stroke flywheel assembly for 99-later Twin Cam 88 carbureted models (except Softail models). This kit requires the use of Screamin Eagle 3 7/8 bore Stroker pistons.

The flywheel kit with the Stroker Big Bore pistons will yield an engine size of 103 C.I. or a (03 if you will) Twin Cam. Compression ratio with these pistons is 10:1.P/N and additional info can be had at your local H-D dealer. Supply will be limited at first.

One thing I wanted to also mention was that Zippers was selling a Big Bore cylinder for the Twin Cam engine, sized at 4 1/8 bore. Using these with the new Stroker kit would give you an engine size of 117 C.I. The cases need to be bored for these cylinders and they would retain the H-D factory piston cooling jets.When you split the cases for the installation of the Stroker flywheel kit, this would be the time to have Zippers do the cases. Also at the same time have the heads sent out to be reworked.Zippers could probably set you up with Stroker pistons.

Also, T-Man Performance and Trock Cycle are other options for Big Bore Stroker pistons.I would recommend sending the heads to BC Gerolamy or T-Man Performance.TR at T-man has found out after checking the cams for the Twin Cam engine that there is a slight timing problem. He has come up with a cam fix to straighten it out and get correct cam timing.

— Paul

T-Man Performance
205 Pitts St.
Kernersville, N.C. 27284
1-336-993-7068
Tmanperformance.com

Trock Cycle Specialties
13N417 French Rd.
Hampshire, Ill. 60140
1-847-683-4010

DAYTONA BILLBOARD RELEASED– This is it folks. We’ll be on International Speedway from the middle of February to the middle of March, between Ridgewood and Nova Boulevard.

THE ITALIAN SAYS–“When I’ve a finisheda makina da love with my girlfriend,I go down and gently tickel the back of her knees, she floats a 6 inchesabovea da bed, in ecstasy.”

The Frenchman replies, “Zat is nothing, when Ah’ve finished making ze lovewith ze girlfriend, Ah kiss all ze way down her body and zen ah lick zasoles of her feet wiz mah tongue and she floats 12 inches above ze bed, inpure ecstasy.”

The redneck says, “That’s nothing buddy. When I’ve finished doin’ it to myole lady, I git out of bed, walks over to the winder, and wipes my peckeron the curtains, she hits the freakin roof!!!

–Ray Russell

CCI REPORT–Had a busy weekend, which ended Sunday with the CCI product review in Charlotte. Went to the Easyriders show the night before. The turn-out to me seemed a little low compared to previous years. There were a few nice bikes. I got some pictures but haven’t downloaded yet (see coverage on Bikernet).

I wanted to send some ink on my take from the CCI deal while it’s still fresh in the old brain. First, this was a really well put together conference. They provided a great lunch and first-class meeting facility. It had dealers from all over the Southeast in attendance. It was first-rate all the way.

Our Southeast CCI reps., Norm and Mike, did an outstanding job of showing the latest stuff coming out from CCI. Rick Doss, the “Southern Gentleman,”was also there explaining some things coming out around September at the big CCI show in California.One of the big highlights was a new financing program from Horizon 2000. This will allow a customer to finance a build- your-own bike kit from CCI with no money down! This will offer the aftermarket shops a cool way of helping the customer put together a custom bike package and have the option to finance it like a new bike. Really cool concept.

Another topic mentioned was that if CCI doesn’t have the exact frame you want in its catalog, that you can make up a custom frame order(stretch/rake, etc.) from CCI with approximately 30 day lead time.

Also sometime around September, CCI will be offering the new signature bike kits. These will be limited-edition custom bike kits, low in prodution numbers, designed by some of the top bike builders in the industry.

CCI showed off the new Regency front fork, which is a 58 mm upside style fork. From what I saw, it was made really well and the chrome was high quality. The pricing was very affordable.

Let’s see what else, oh yeah, CCI picked the entire line from Jaybrake.Some cool slip on mufflers for the 2000 H-D model exhaust systems. Alsothere was something about a right sided drive train. This would assist in helping to get rid of all that offset you have to do on a bike when trying build it with the larger (230/250) tires you are now seeing. That’s all from Charlotte.

— Paul

TO WOMEN EVERYWHERE FROM A MAN WHO’S HAD ENOUGH–Learn to work the toilet lid. If it’s up put it down. I’ve seen far more women unable to put the lid down than men who can’t put the seat down.
If you won’t dress like the Victoria’s Secret girls, don’t expect us to act like soap opera guys.
If you think you’re fat, you probably are. Don’t ask us. We refuse to answer.
If you ask a question you don’t want an answer to, expect an answer you don’t want to hear.
Sometimes, we’re not thinking about you. Live with it. Don’t ask us what we’re thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as navel lint, the shotgun formation, or monster trucks.
Shopping is not a sport, and no, we’re never going to think of it that way.
When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine, really.You have enough clothes.You have too many shoes.
Crying is blackmail.
Most guys own three pairs of shoes. What makes you think we’d be any good at choosing which pair, out of thirty, would look good with your dress?
Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That’s what we do.
A headache that lasts for 17 months is a problem. See a doctor, or vote to have prostitution legalized again.
Check your oil.
Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. All comments become null and void after 7 days.If something we said could be interpreted two ways, and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one.
Let us ogle. We’re going to look anyway; it’s genetic.
You can either tell us to do something OR tell us how to do something but not both.

Beer is as exciting for us as handbags are for you.
If we ask what’s wrong and you say “nothing,” we will act like nothing’s wrong. We know you’re lying, but it’s just not worth the hassle.
And what the hell is a doily?

QUANTUM UPDATE–On Jan. 22, I went to a hearing for American Quantum Cycles inOrlando, Fla.I asked the judge if anyone was working on getting W-2 forms to employees. Hetold the attorney representing Quantum to find out and inform me.On Jan. 26, the attorney called me and said it was being handled andthat it should be done in the next 10 days. If, for some reason, this does nothappen, I am to get back to him.

–ROGUE

CARIBBEAN REPORT– A good friend brought us four crates full of old Easyriders, Outlaw Biker,Hot Bike, etc. Wow! A few years change everything. In one of themags, Sonny Barger is just opening his shop in Oakland and HA iscelebrating its 39th birthday. Anyway, looking at all those now-old-school choppers gave us the bug. After a few phone calls, we found twoSportster choppers in pretty rough condition but the price was right. A ’71and ’72, Springer front ends, with all the trick stuff of the ’70’s. Weordered two Santee rigid frames from Chrome Specialties. Got a Jammer rigid for one of the Sportsters and went to work. We are still looking for engine-tranny combosfor the other bikes, like a 1974 Shovel. Will keep youposted on the progress. Anyway, most of the parts we are using are from thegreat sponsors in Bikernet, so there might be a connection here.

And now to the whazz up in the Caribbean:Hard Rock and Jack Daniels celebrated Jack’s birthday (you missed itBandit).About 100 bikes showed up to help get rid of all that whiskey, lots ofpassers-by (mostly tourists from the cruise ships) spent hours talking tothe bikers and checking out the bike scene in San Juan. We showed up in fullforce with around a dozen choppers rattling the cobblestone streets of oldSan Juan.

News of the Titan-ic Chapter 11 has reached our shores. A few weeks agothere were up to seven bikes for sale in the paper. Sudden trade-ins showed atthe shop, there’s hope to salvage the company and maybe a lesson learned.

Coamo, one of our big yearly rides, is coming up this Sunday.It’s a pretty cool run amid the mountains of the central mountain range,thousands of all brands of motorcycles show up, being this is the biggestmotorcycle concentration in the Caribbean.

The new clothing line Chopper Freak is already out. It’s designed and madein Puerto Rico by chopper riders. T-shirts, beanies, caps and trinkets.Maybe some time soon we will have some samples at Bikernet. We shipworldwide.

The wide tire fever is hitting the Harley owners here. Stock bikes with200, 230 and 250 are getting very popular. It’s great to see “factory”riders getting interested in something a bit more….wide?

Oh well…..the Mahi Mahi are biting, surf is huge and the shop isdraining any spare time I might have. Daytona and Indy are on the way, myPan chopper is waiting silently and there are not enough hours in the dayto do it all. Shit, ride while you can. At least we don’t get any snow……

–Saludos…….Jose

DUE TO THE HIGH– number of attacks on women in secluded parking lots, the city of Melbourne, Australia, opened the world’s first all- female parking lot. In a further effort to create a comfortable and safe atmosphere, even the attendants and security staff working the lot are all female.

IDIOTS ON PARADE–This week, all our office phones went dead and I had to contact thetelephone repair people. They promised to be out between 8 a.m.and 7 p.m. When I asked if they could give me a smaller timewindow, the pleasant gentleman asked, “Would you like us to call youbefore we come?” I replied that I didn’t see how he would be able todo that, since our phones weren’t working. He also requested that wereport future outages by e-mail. (Does YOUR e-mail work without atelephone line?).

–IDIOTS AT WORK–I was signing the receipt for my credit card purchase when the clerknoticed I had never signed my name on the back of the credit card.She informed me that she could not complete the transaction unlessthe card was signed. When I asked why, she explained that it wasnecessary to compare the signature I had just signed on the receipt.So I signed the credit card in front of her. She carefully comparedthe signature to the one I had just signed on the receipt. As luckwould have it, they matched.

–Dani

AHDRA AND HARLEY-DAVIDSON ANNOUNCE NEW RELATIONSHIP–Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts Sponsors New All Harley Drag Racing Points Series

The Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts division of Harley-Davidson and the All Harley Drag Racing Association (AHDRA) recently announced the 2001 AHDRA presented by Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts series, a new drag racing points series designed to build excitement and increase the competition in 14 AHDRA quarter-mile classes.

The 2001 AHDRA presented by Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts series will pay cash to the top ten plateholders in 14 specified classes, ranging from Top Fuel nitro-burning Harley racers to stock Sportster XL and Buell motorcycle racers.

“This is a dream come true for AHDRA,” says Marty Tharpe, owner of AHDRA. “Our ticket gate sales continue to grow at a rapid pace, which tells us we are delivering the type of excitement Harley-Davidson enthusiasts are looking for. These events are of great value to Harley-Davidson enthusiasts and racing fans, as well as Harley-Davidson dealers around the country. We’ve been raising the bar in appearance and professionalism through growth and the caliber of competition of our events.”

AHDRA Motorcycle Drag Racing Series 2001 Schedule
March 6-7 Biltho, Fla.
March 31 – April 1 Phoenix, Ariz.
April 21 – 22 Reynolds, Ga.
June 9 – 10 Norwalk, Ohio
June 16 – 17 Denver, Colo.
June 30 – July 1 Seattle, Wash.
July 7 – 8 Budds Creek, Md.
Aug. 11 – 12 Bristol, Tenn.
Aug. 19 Englishtown, N.J.
Sept. 8 – 9 Woodburn, Ore.
Sept. 29-30 Maple Grove, Penn.
Oct. 6 – 7 Rockingham, N.C.
Oct. 20 – 21 Las Vegas, Nev.>>

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V-TWIN HOLDINGS, INC., RETAINS CONSULTING FOR STRATEGIC GROWTH, LTD., AS ITSPUBLIC RELATIONS/CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANTS– In a joint announcement, V-TwinHoldings, Inc., (OTCBB: VTWN) and Consulting For Strategic Growth, Ltd.,(CFSG) announced that CFSG would be engaged to create more shareholderawareness and to increase V-Twin’s exposure amongst investment bankers,analysts and institutional investors.

In commenting about this new relationship, Stanley Wunderlich, Chairman andCEO of CFSG stated, “During the year 2000, we watched V-Twin put together thebuilding blocks, including infrastructure, senior management and a soundbusiness plan. We are pleased that we will be working closely withmanagement as they move toward their goal of becoming a leading web-basedmarketplace for the motorcycle and power sports. Its recent announcement toalign activities with Purchase Pro (NASDAQ:PPRO) is a major step to leverageboth companies’ activities.

About V-Twin Holdings, Inc. V-Twin Holdings, Inc., headquartered inWashington, D.C., is integrating bricks and clicks in the $35 Billionmotorcycle and power sports industry. V-Twin’s retail division owns sixmotorcycle and powersports stores in Virginia, Texas and California. Theylicense their “Bikers Dream” brand name to over a dozen stores in 14states. V-Twin is building CycleClick.com, a web-based electronic marketplacefor retailers and manufacturers that want to increase their purchasing power,sales and productivity.

They’re on the move for sure. Suits suits and more suits. In no way do these cats behave camaraderie like. All the big guns are suits with no moto experience except for one, so far, who used to race motocross. But, they’re Wall St. movers and shakers that’s for sure. Did ya check out www.cycleclick.com? They’re keen on revolutionizing the industry. Okay. As long as they don’t squash folks.

I called up the prez, Rich Paone, after not being paid for over two months for a copywriting assignment that I did for Bikers Dream. I called repeatedly and asked nicely and was told, “oh, it’s in the mail,” “just approved the invoice,” “check just got signed,” ETC! I finally called up and said, “Look, I’m tired of the tales, buddy, I want my money by tomorrow morning…” He said, “don’t yell at me Sasha!” I said, “I’ve asked nicely, I’ve reasoned with you, I’ve tried in all ways possible to get my payment to me in a cordial civilized manner. I’ve sent you two sets of invoices and now you’re asking for a third! I want my money, this is totally uncool and not fair, man! You know what it’s like to make ends meet in this town. I was there for you, now gimme my money!”

I got the check the next morning. He grumbled and groaned. Meanwhile, they had used all my copy for their brochures, etc., which was what I was hired to do with the promise that I’d be paid fast. Too bad that they don’t play well.–Sasha

I JUST FINISHED READING ORWELL– It didn’t end the way I had hoped, but it was definitely excellent reading. People need to look around at some of the things that are happening and become more involved in whatever rights organizations are available to them. Honda is testing air bags, H-D talking about already having a water-cooled version. Clinton just signed away 90% of Utah to make it Federal Park land. Damn if that don’t sound familiar.

Tonight we had the pre-Legislative Day meeting to discuss tomorrow’s events. Sputnik gave out plaques to the original Charter members who have been with the TMRA 2 since it’s inception in 1992. Tomorrow members from the TMRA 2 will be concentrating on several Senate & House Bills some we are hoping to win & some we would like to help defeat.

H. B. 259 the “Equal Access” which bans being discriminated against because of colors or wearing of clothing that displays the name of any organization or association.

S. B. 242 deals with Pretext Searches or Seizures to make it so officers have to have a Damn good reason to even pull you over. Other then the fact you are a biker,

H. B. 89 the “Open Container” which says that if you were to have an opened bottle on your bike in the saddlebags or in your tour pack. Even though you had not been drinking you would be arrested for DWI.

S. B. 59 is being proposed to drop the legal limit for BAC from 0.08 to 0.06 if you have a child 16 or under in your vehicle.These are a few of the items on the agenda for tomorrow.

I’m sorry to say this was the first time I have been at Legislative Day at the start but it was a very impressive experience. While for the most part you usually meet with an assistant everyone in the offices I visited were very friendly. Yet I have friends that I cannot get to understand that even if all they do as a first step is join and give there membership dues. That is better then doing nothing at all. At least that way they could stay informed of the things that are going on around them through the newsletter. And in time maybe they would become more involved. I know I am starting too. While I do not believe that things will become as bad in our lifetimes as in your book. I believe it does not hurt to starting becoming involved now!

–Rigid Frame Richard

VICTORY NOMINATED BY EASYRIDERS–Victory was nominated for several Easyriders V-Twin Excellence Awards. There’s scheduled to be a banquet in Cincy at the dealer show for the awards.

Helen Wolfe on the cliff above the campgrounds at Fossil, Oregon,May 1996. ABATE of Oregon’s Spring Opener. Helen has become a regular photographic contributor to Bikernet. Check the Buell Report and Freedom Film for some of her images.Photo by Mailman ? 1996

CHOKE-HOLD ON ALL MOTORCYCLES–In November 2000, the Environmental Protection Agency signaled its intentionto adopt California’s emissions standards — the strictest in the country –and apply them nationwide to all motorcycles — street and off-road. Amongthe new controls on the drawing board: ways to stop motorcyclists fromcustomizing the look, sound and performance of their machines.

Combating new, questionable emission controls on street bikes may emerge asthe leading federal issue to be tackled in Washington by the MotorcycleRiders Foundation and its co-partners, State Motorcyclists’ RightsOrganizations (SMROs) nationwide.

“Given that California has recently put in place technologically challengingstandards for [large displacement street] motorcycles in a time frame thatwe would likely consider for a possible federal program, we are likely tolook very closely at the pros and cons of harmonizing the federal programand whether the California standards are appropriate for a nationwidefederal program,” the agency wrote in its November Advance Notice ofProposed Rulemaking (ANPR) which appeared again in the Federal RegisterDecember 7th.

The first step to new, tougher emission standards, EPA’s ANPR reads like aregulator’s wish list: catalytic converters, new controls on the smallest ofmotorcycle makers and ways to prevent or prohibit motorcyclists fromcustomizing their rides.

Meanwhile, the European Union has pressed for a two-tier reduction inmotorcycle emissions in 2002 and 2006. Citing new developments in injectiontechnology, MRF’s European ally, the Federation of European MotorcycleAssociations (FEMA), reports that many of the motorcycles sold in Europe maymeet the new requirements without a closed-loop catalytic converter (or”cat”).

RUSTY’S REPORT FROM INSIDE–I want to thank everybody for the support during my sentencing. I was impressed. I read the guest book comments, and all the support before and after, and I want you to know that I appreciate it a lot. Now that my sentencing is behind me, it’s time to get busy trying to curb the “onslaught” of legislation to come. Maybe at some point even reverse the tide in this political storm that is eroding the civil rights of everyone of us daily.

As much as we all hate politics, it’s time to wake up and let our voices be heard in opposition to further encroachments on our freedoms. We’re in this mess because of voter apathy. It pisses me off when I hear someone complaining about “this law or that law” and complaining about our politicians; but when I ask “Did you vote against this guy?” the answer usually is “Hell no, I don’t waste my time voting, my vote doesn’t count anyway.”

People need to realize that they aren’t selling out to the system by voting. Right now 25 percent of our population votes. Another 50 percent of our population is eligible to vote, but doesn’t.(The middle of the road citizen) If those people can get behind a single independent political party and vote in 2004, 2008 and 2012 we have a chance at getting real people, not corporate owned politicians in Government. I have a person in mind, that could be supported by the silent majority of non-voters, and could possibly be the catalyst that would bring them out to register and vote. His name is Jesse Ventura, governor of Minnesota. If you agree with me, e-mail him, show support for a 2004 campaign. Read his books. He knows what he’s talking about. He would represent ‘us’, not corporate America. That’s all I have to say for this post. The ball is in your court. And Thanks again for all the support here at the website. RUSTY B.H.C. (posted by K.O. for Rusty)

TWO TOUGH QUESTIONS:Question 1: If you knew a woman who was pregnant, who had 8 kidsalready,three who were deaf, two who were blind, one mentally retarded, andshe hadsyphilis; would you recommend that she have an abortion?

Read the next question before scrolling down to the answer of thisone.Question 2: It is time to elect a new world leader, and your votecounts. Here are the facts about the three leading candidates:

Candidate A: Associates with crooked politicians, and consults withastrologists. He’s had two mistresses. He also chain smokes anddrinks 8to10 martinis a day.

Candidate B: He was kicked out of office twice, sleeps until noon,usedopium in college and drinks a quart of whisky every evening.

Candidate C: He is a decorated war hero. He’s a vegetarian, doesn’tsmoke,drinks an occasional beer and hasn’t had any extramarital affairs.

Which of these candidates would be your choice?Decide first, no peeking, then scroll down for theanswer.

Candidate A is Franklin D. Roosevelt
Candidate B is Winston Churchill
Candidate C is Adolph Hitler

And by the way: Answer to the abortion question-if you said yes,youjust killed Beethoven.

I don’t get in front of the camera too often, but here’s one Iactually like from Sturgis 8-96. This guy sold another statue ofhis to Nicholas Cage.

1928 SHOVELHEAD PROJECT–This lithe little unit is finally flying together at ER of Dallas. Two techs are currently posted on the site and more are coming shortly. Dallas Easyriders, the Strokes Cafe and lovely Lena, my sixth wife to be, are right there if you’re in the neighborhood.

CHROME SPECIALTIES PROJECT BIKE DISPLAY CALENDAR–All three bikes are now featured here on Bikernet, but you can see them in person and talk to the people who distribute the parts to build them at the following events.

Nov. 11 at The Love Ride in Glendale, Calif.

STEED BRAND AWARDED PATENT— Alternative American musclebikemanufacturer, Surgical-Steeds Classic American Motorcycles Inc., was awardedPatent No. 2,367,533 from the United States Patent and Trademark office thispast July. The Steed “Brand” logo is used to identify official proprietaryproducts offered by Surgical-Steeds. The registered trademark is used todistinguish each custom Steed Brand Motorcycle. The identifiable silhouetteof the Steed Brand logo is emblazoned in their revolutionary Monoglidechassis, logo wheels, parts, accessories and Apparel, which can be purchasedon-line at surgicalsteeds.com orat independent Steed Dealers.

To celebrate the newly awarded patent, Surgical-Steeds prominentlyoutfitted a 2001 Steed Pegasus touring-cruiser Motorcycle with the SteedBrand Theme. The “Brand” bike will be on display at dealer appearances,shows and events through 2001 to promote awareness of Steed branded productsand accessories.And for the Tattoo….

BIKER BABE FROM BIG APPLE COME IN PLEASE– Indeedy, I’m most happy on a motorcycle.Here’s my rockin’ tune about it that I recently wrote and recorded:

Gotta Roarrrrrrrr! (copyright ’01 Road Diva Tunes ASCAP/Paul Logus SongsBMI)

Seems like a dream ridin’ wild ‘n free
an empowered diva, a highway queen
steel horse under my reign
road is long and there ain’t no end

I’m in control a wild cowgirl on her own
Watch out for my curves ahead
they told me “no” so I stole the asphalt
come on, catch me if you can

CHORUS:
I’m woman
gotta roarrr
my motorcycle
hot, yeah, I want more

a woman
gotta roarrr
my motorcycle
hard, yeah, to the core

Seduced by the wind,
it’s a beautiful scene
prowling highways on my freedom machine
road is winding though I am strong
straddled on my steed is where I belong

I’m in control a wild cowgirl on her own
Watch out for my curves ahead
they told me “no” so I stole the asphalt
come on, baby, catch me if you can

CHORUS
BRIDGE:
Loud pipes,
smooth clutch
i hope this isn’t what the bible calls lust. . .
i’ve got a hundred twenty inches
racin’ hot my inner thighs
ooooo babe, i like this better, i insist

CHROUS
i’m woman….gotta roarrrrrrrr

(Bandit: the above mentioned “inches” remind me of the Hellcat I rode)

MO’ STATE MOTTOS–
Michigan: First Line of Defense From the Canadians
Minnesota: 10,000 Lakes and 10 Trillion Mosquitoes
Mississippi: Come Feel Better About Your Own State
Missouri: Your Federal Flood Relief Tax Dollars at Work
Montana: Land of the Big Sky, the Unabomber, and Right-Wing Crazies
Nebraska: Ask About Our State Motto Contest

TIRED OF BEING CALLED A TRAILER QUEEN–TAKE THE TRAIN–Some items not in the flyer, due to Amtrak not having firm prices this farin advance, are:Round trip coach for bike and rider will be approximately $500. Amtrak covers damages, if there is a problem, with a $500 deductible. You can buy a wavier now for $25. It might be as high as$35 by ride time.Depending on the number of riders, Amtrak might furnish snacks andbeverages.Sleepers will be available for $200 – $350 plus the cost of coach.–Rosalie and Dan McNeil

TOURING CHOPPER FOR SALE–Well, maybe not. Who knows. Hell, sometimes I want to keep them all. I thought I’d post the shot ’cause the Digital Gangster, our Webmaster supreme, the man who has helped more than anyone to build the site to the level it is today, is flying in from Washington to ride to the Super Bowl party and he’ll be aboard the Touring Chopper for the run. He’s due a hearty congratulations, he’s now a partner in Bikernet.

Digital and His Partner in Crime

I’M OUTTA HERE–, but I need to finish about the other night. I called an Internet provider that specializes in chat rooms and hooked her up with the spare computer in the dungeon. I had food delivered and bought her some candles to undress by, then the final call was made. After dinner and a couple of drinks I let her saunter into the back and play on the computer.

I lit candles, and I could tell by the glazed look in her eyes that she was warming to the girls in the chat room. Then there was a light tap on the front door and I opened it to Layla’s final birthday surprise. And so the evening began. I’m not sure when it ended, but it’s one birthday she will never forget. If only I could muster the excuse for a birthday celebration nightly. See ya Sunday, rain or shine. Let’s ride–Bandit

Continued from Page 1

NOTORIOUS SOCAL BIKER HANGOUT LOSES OWNER– Don Himes passed away from naturalcauses in his sleep Sat. nite, Jan. 20 2001. He diedas he lived, peacefully. He was the liquor licenseholder and use permit holder for the last 15 years ofLavida. For all the things, that a lot of us criticizedhim for, he kept it open for 15 years. How manybar/restaurant/clubs can say the same. Very few. Hehad his own way to do things and kept the place open.The place catered to the “Biker” crowd, way before theHarley thing came into vogue.

–Gypsy

LITTLE JOHNNY, THE SMART ASS– A traveling salesman rings the doorbell and 10 year old Little Johnny answers, holding a beer and smoking a fat cigar. The salesman says, Little boy, is your mother home?

Little Johnny taps his ash on the carpet and says, What the hell do you think?

–This is Stan Sheppard of South San Francisco – one heck of a nice guy. He runs two classes – ET and PG. Won the ET class at Las Vegas 2000.–Helen Wolfe

BUELL REPORT–Our salesman just gave me the new “Fuell” magazine. This was formerlythe BRAG news letter called “The Road Ahead”.It has some really good articles. One is on Erik Buell and his earlyracing and goes over the birth of his early RW750 and the RR1000. How hegot started with it all. Lot’s of great pictures here.

There is a cool section, “Buell Racing”. This kinda highlights all Buell racing. This issue covered records set at Bonneville. Also some ink on the “Buell Lightning Series Championship”. Had also the race schedules for the AMA Superbike/Pro Thunder Series and Pace Schedule for 2001.

Another great story was on a 8000 mile cross country road trip taken on a ’95 S2 Thunderbolt. Kevin Smith’s “My Longest Ride” tells how he starts from Calif. rides to the “Brag Homecoming” in Wisconsin, rides to North Carolina and back to Calif. Great story and some really cool pictures.

One thing that any Buell rider should take note of is the “Deals Gap National BRAG Adventure. This will be September 21-23 2001. I have riddenthe “Dragon” on my S2 and it’s a experience all Buell riders need to do.300 curves in 11 miles!!! The North Carolina scenery is truly a rush.Following Deal’s Gap on the 28th of September in Danville, Virginia is the AMA Superbike Race at Virginia International Raceway. There will be the Superbike race and Pro Thunder race. Also Brag will have an exclusiveriding school for the Buell “Knee-Draggers”.

The “Fuell” magazine can be picked up at your local Harley Davidson/Buell dealer.That’s it for now. Hope the M2 is coming along. Worked on my forks on myS2 today so I got something done on my day off finally!!

–Later, Paul

Attached find a couple Buell shots taken with my son’s Xmas camera:

1.) My 2000 M2 with the earlier 1997 tailsection and slim seat. Note the Ventura luggage rack, quality piece.

2.) My son and I doubling up, my 6 year old daughter handled photography duties.

3.) Posing in front of the Buell factory in East Troy, WI. It was Sunday and the kids and I were passing through town on our way to the grandparents. —Agent M2

SUPERBOWL STATS–What’s more important to men, the BALTIMORE RAVENS or a date with CINDYCRAWFORD? E-Bay polled online surfers asking them to choose which they’d rather doand guess what, 72% chose the Super Bowl.

Editor’s note: Well, at least at a Super Bowl there’s a chance for ascore.

E-Bay also asked what would make them miss the Super Bowl if they had to:
–Birth of a first-born child: 44%
–Would have to be in a coma or on their deathbed: 14%
–Nothing in my life would make me miss the Super Bowl: 10%

PANHEAD DESK UNDERWAY–Remember the Panhead desk we built for my office at Easyriders? I built another one for Dan Stern at Custom Chrome now the owner of Hollister Harley-Davidson, and another one for Jim at Jim’s Machine. Now we’re building a new an improved Evolution Desk for the talented machining genius of John Buttera of Lil’ John’s Customs. If we can squeeze the digital camera away from Layla who is taking shots of Sin for the Ultimate Tech, we’ll post one for you to see.

JAY LENO JOINS BIKERNET STAFF AS CONTRIBUTOR–Seems Jesse Jackson had an extra marital affair with a staff member and fathered a child that is now 20 months old. The below are Jay Leno Jokes in his Jan 8th monologue.

“Jesse Jackson Counciled President Clinton concerning his affair with Monica Lewinsky, Turns out it was Clinton who was counciling Jesse Jackson. This week, Jesse Jackson is spending some time alone with his spiritual advisor….Frank Gifford.”

“The child is now 20 months old and Jesse Jackson paid the child’s mother $40.000.00 to move to L.A. California, Bought her a $380.000.00 house and is paying her $10.000.00 per month…Seems as if SOMEONE found a POT OF GOLD at the end of the RAINBOW COALITION!”

INTERNET HEADQUARTERS TRIVIA–This is a early Digital Camera, very early!! One of my prized dustcollectors. It’s a pretty rare Speedgraphic camera. It’s a militaryversion that’s why it’s black and green. Has a really good sharplens.Kodak Ektar’s were coated. Everything works on it and it also has afocal plane shutter with speeds up to 1/1000 of a sec!! Format is upto 4×5.

The other dust collector I’ve been working on and off for over 20years is a 8×10 Burke & Jerk (Burke and James) view camera. The bodyis made of wood and the uprights and monorail are made from alum.Don’t have any pic. of it. Needs new bellows and lots of cash forsome new lenses.Thought maybe you might find these cool. Hope the pic. from the showmay be of use to you.

–Later, Paul

CUSTOM ENGRAVING–These are some pic. of some forks made up by one of our customers. Nicework and he does engraving also. Can also do the engraving on a radiusedsurface–Paul.

Engraving is a lost art with the advent of laser machining and 8-axis CNC machines, but there are still a couple of diehards still out there. We here at Bikernet appreciate and honor the talent that put custom motorcycles on the map years ago. Next week we will post an article on one of the finest engraves still left on the planet. He’s a long-time biker and custom motorcycle builder C.J. Allen. Watch for it and check his site when you have a chance.

Continued on Page 3

I don’t know where to start today. If you can make it to the Super Bowl party, great. We’ll be there, Bandit’s girls will be there, the game starts at 3 p.m. PST and we’ll be rockin’ with three bands at the Blue Cafe until we can’t stand up.

It’s been cool for the coast, but I rode the Buell to a couple of car lots looking at trucks, then Joetta called from Daytona. “Have I got a billboard for you!” she said. There went the truck budget. John Siebenthaler from the East Coast put together some comps and here, somewhere is the one we decided to go with. If you go it will be posted on Highway 92 or International Speedway.

I knew Layla’s birthday was just around the corner, but it was creeping up on me. The Dark Haired One doesn’t have a lot of material wants. She perfers the touchy/feely sensual experience that makes her knees weak, so I went into action. First thing in the morning I called Romona’s Bakery and ordered her a cake, something special. She came from a poor household in the San Pedro projects and with a gang of rugrats running around, budgets were tight. She had never had an official birthday cake. Then I rolled over to a flower shop and picked up a dozen roses, but not ordinary red roses. These looked like a knockout flame job with a cream colored base and bright red edges. My mind was a whirl of sexual notions for the evening and I decided to step onto the edge and try something wild. Since she likes to talk to other women about sex, I reached into my bag of tricks. We better get to the news before this gets too steamy and I call Sin and put off the news til next week.

If you need information about the party, check this link.You can download the invitation here.

BANDIT FACED WITH ANOTHER DEADLINE–Just when he thought the deadlines were under control, Crusing Rider hammers him for a column. Josh Placa, who lives in Sedona, Ariz., and edits Cruising Rider, sent a box of rattlesnakes to the headquarters and threatened to unleash them if the big bastard didn’t come up with a column. Look for the first in a long line of ridiculous bullshit in the summer issue.–Renegade.

DARWIN AWARD PICKS FOR THE WEEK– A 22-year-old Reston, Va., man was found dead after he tried to use octopus straps to bungee jump off a 70-foot railroad trestle. Fairfax County police said Eric Barcia, a fast-food worker, taped a bunch of these straps together, wrapped an end around one foot, anchored the other end to the trestle at Lake Accotink Park, jumped and hit the pavement. Warren Carmichael, a police spokesman, said investigators think Barcia was alone because his car was found nearby. “The length of the cord that he had assembled was greater than the distance between the trestle and the ground,” Carmichael said. Police say the apparent cause of death was “major trauma”.

A man in Alabama died from rattlesnake bites. It seems that he and a friend were playing a game of catch, using the rattlesnake as a ball. The friend – no doubt, a future Darwin Awards candidate – was hospitalized.

SUNDANCE AND THE BIKERNET CYBER SPACE BIKE SHOW CHECKS IN– The Digital Gangster has made entry so simple that even the toy poodle that belongs to the old lady across the street could enter – if she had a scoot! Bandit has generously made the entry fee absolutely FREE! You read that right – ZERO, ZIP, NADA! Anyhow, with all of these perks, you can bet that there are plenty of entries keeping me busy here at HQ!

Since we have so many entrants, it was bound to happen – occasionally we run into a real rocket scientist who can’t figure out why his pictures won’t upload to our server. Perhaps it is time for a quick course in Internet photography and scanning 101. First of all, while you might believe that scanning at the highest resolution is the best, this is not entirely true. If you are scanning photos to send to us, the ideal resolution is 75 to 100 ppi. The human eye is incapable of discerning the tiny differences in quality between a 100 ppi photo and a 200 ppi photo, but the 200 takes up more than three times the space on the server. This occasionally means that the photo file becomes too large and cannot upload to our server.

Also, if you are sending two or three different photos, please scan each of them separately. Then upload each photo as directed. Do not lay all three photos on the scanner at once and then upload the one huge, mammoth collage of photos. We here at Bikernet are tempted to dump these in the garbage can, but in all fairness to the competitors, we sit in our office, quietly swearing under our breath, while separating all of these lovely conglomerations!

If your photos turned out fuzzy or overexposed, they will only look worse on the Internet. It might be a good idea to go back out with the camera and try again. Keep your elbows tight to your body when shooting (Not you, Oz!), and keep the camera steady. Keep the sun behind you, and try to shoot on sunny days. If you cannot see the entire bike through the viewfinder, it will not show up in the photo either. Take one step back, and we can trim off the excess if we need to when your photo arrives. Try to find a pleasant background for your pictures – a lake, a grove of trees, a mountain vista – whatever turns you on.

If you are snapping your photos indoors, turn on all of the lights and use your flash. Try to move miscellaneous junk out of the picture so our judges can concentrate on the beauty of your ride and not the cool topless model poster tacked to the back wall of your garage. They have been known to get easily distracted by that type of thing!

Bikernet wants every ride to have an equal chance of winning in the Cyber Space Bike Show, and sending in good quality photos that upload easily is the best place to start! Judging for January starts in just about a week, so hurry to get your entry in today.

–Happy Snapping!Sundance

AGENT M2 UPDATE–Bandit,I am shooting for Daytona Bike Week in March. Progress has been made in the past eight weeks with getting my ex back on track. I believe it is fair and provides for the family. It will be up to me to maintain contact with my kids and monitor their concerns. My ex and I both agree it is in the family’s best interest to see that I complete this last two years of employment and secure the retirement benefits.

So at this point I believe we are well and getting better. I appreciate your concern.By the way, your Web site is improving at an alarming rate! I trust San Pedro is not subject to power outages or I hate to think of all us bikernetters missing out on our weekly fix!

–Enjoy the game,Anson

Send batteries and kerosene

AHDRA FOR SALE–An underground contact just slipped us the following:Well, no surprise here, but AHDRA is officially for sale (so went theannouncement at the banquet). What we need out there is one more Rolexrider-gonna fix stuff for us.I will keep you posted. I’m curious to know if the H-D deal will go with it, butI’ll do some checking.

–Mystery correspondent

Cool looking Iron Head

Here are some pics from the Easyriders Bike Show in Charlotte. This is a Chopper’s Inc. Pan.

–Paul

EASYRIDERS FINAL BIKE SHOW DATES FOR THE SEASON AND RODEO DATES FOR THE SUMMER–

Feb. 10
Memphis, Tenn.
Memphis Cook Convention Center

Feb. 16-18
Columbus, Ohio
Franklin County Veterans Memorial

Easyriders Motorcycle Rodeo Tour 2001

June 22,23,24
Hopkinsville, Ken.
Western Kentucky State Fairgrounds

July 6,7,8
Middletown, N.Y.
Orange County Fairgrounds

July 13,14,15
Wilson, N.C.
Wilson County Fairgrounds

July 27,28,29
Prospect, Penn.
Butler County Fairgrounds

Aug. 17,18,19
Fowlerville, Mich.
Fowlerville Fairgrounds

Aug. 30-Sept. 3
Chillicothe, Ohio
Ross County Fairgrounds

INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING ON BIKERNET?–Or would you like to order a dozen or more copies of “Sam ‘Chopper’ Orwell” for your shop? Well, the info for both is now posted on the home page, or just click here for the details.

INCREDIBLE BAMM REPORT–CC: South Carolina ABATE has filed an equal access bill to allow bikers toenter places of public accommodation without being harassed for their dressor mode of transportation. It’s been pre-filed as H 3115.

CC: ABATE of Pennsylvania’s Board of Directors approved a proposedlegislative agenda this past Saturday and told their “junior” lobbyist,CharlieUmbenhauer to proceed. In case we never mentioned it, Charlie had beentheir State Legislative Coordinator since the invention of dirt and bowedout atthe end of 1999 claiming a multitude of personal issues that needed to beresolved. Near the end of 2000, yours truly proposed to the Board ofDirectors that we hire him and pay the man for the work he has always donefor free. Although he has been involved with motorcycle rights far longerthanBruce Johnson, the lobbyist Charlie hired to work with ABATE back in thelate ’80s, it’s kind of amusing to refer to a man who won a Golden SpokeAward as a “junior” lobbyist.

If you enjoy the saga of Pennsylvania’s legislative attempts, here’s themenufor what to expect during the 2001 – 2002 Legislative Session here inGestapo land:

1. Helmet Law – what else? Get the damned thing off our heads.

2. Equal Access – sound familiar? We got publicly called wimps for wantingan “anti-discrimination” law which was previously filed on our behalf. Wewere included with groups I won’t name here who need equal employmentand housing protection. Now that we have the right name maybe we can getsome action.

3. Handlebar Height – ABATE of PA is going on record in favor of norestrictions on ape hangers and will ask that the current law be done awaywith. It was enacted to discriminate against chopper riders and give thecopsa way to harass them. It never was a safety issue that held much water. If aguy wants to ride around looking like he’s hanging from a tree, by damn, heought to have the right to do it.

4. Covered Loads – Maryland has a covered load law with teeth. Ours can’teven gum a violator. We’re going to use Maryland’s law as a model and worktoward stopping a variety of shit from sand blasting bikes and cars,breakingwindshields and putting big knots on various parts of our bodies. We wantthe act of dropping unsafe stuff all over the road causing dangerous ridingconditions to be illegal.

5. Motorcycle Parking – Same deal as last year that would allow two or morescooters in a space without indiscriminate ticketing of one or more of them(a fairy government’s way to produce revenue). It passed as part of thetransportation Omnibus bill, but got vetoed by Ridge because of other stuffinthe 203 page bill he didn’t like. Back to square one – AGAIN.

6. Veteran’s Plates – Lots of us old biker farts were once young defendersofpeace, truth and the American Way. Some of us, on the other hand, werejust plain killers who enjoyed the hunt. Nevertheless, our veterans alldeserveto be recognized for their service to the country and what better way thanontheir scooter’s license plate?

7. Motorcycle Awareness – Patterning the initiative after Virginia’sVCOM/ABATE success in this area, we want motorcycle awareness taughtin every driver’s ed class taught in the state. In addition, we wantmotorcycleawareness questions on the licensing exam; just to make sure the kidsweren’t playing grab ass during that portion of their training. We hope itwillkeep them from running us over later on.

8. Motorcyclists Matter – Someone will send you the info on this; so it’senough to say here that it’s an effort in consort with the AMA to getstifferpenalties levied against the folks who take away our right-of-way and causeus to be run over by them. “I didn’t see him” won’t float as an excuse forgetting a $25 failure to yield ticket while there’s a dead body on the hood.We want them prosecuted and prosecuted BIG TIME. Enhancing penaltiesmight just make the jerks pay attention to what they’re doing and looktwice,maybe thrice.

9. Taxing our brothers – That’s about what it amounts to, but it’s for agoodcause and will save their life if they take advantage of the program. PA’sMotorcycle Safety Courses are funded by a whopping $2 surcharge onmotorcycle learner permits and class M licenses. That means anyone with ascooter permit or license can take the MSF’s MRC or ERC course for free. Infact, permit holders who pass the MRC can be licensed right on the spot byour Site Coordinators. Last year we trained over 14,000 riders. But that wasthe maximum available funds would allow and we have around 750,000licensed motorcycle operators in this state with more coming on board everyyear. Last year, the state extended the valid time period for a permit from6months to a year. That means, duh, that fewer learner permits will be issuedand the program will be getting less funding. ABATE of PA’s commitment tomotorcycle safety demands that we propose an increase in the surcharge sothat more riders can be properly trained in this extremely importantprogram.

CC: Meanwhile, just below us in Maryland some bozo has proposed a billmandating motorcycle safety training as a prerequisite for obtaining amotorcycle license. Pretty dumb move considering there apparently isn’t anyfunding in place, an insufficient number of training sites are available and ashortage of qualified instructors exists not to mention the fact that, evenifthey had enough of everything mentioned, making the course mandatory willprobably result in more unlicensed riders on the road who haven’t had toexhibit any skills at all. In addition, students forced into trainingclasses mayhave a tendency to be disruptive and prohibit serious students who choose totake the course from having the opportunity to learn. HB 141 is simply a badidea. If you’re local to the following areas you can call 410-946-5400(Baltimore) or 301-970-5400 (Washington), and request a copy of the bill.Anyone not living there can eat up some government phone money and call800-492-7122 to get a copy. Apparently they maintain a log of bill requestsand comments, using it as a barometer of the public’s interest. This is thesame state run by a governor who wants built-in electronic trigger locksthatcan read the user’s hand print before the gun can be fired. That would bethesame governor who explained how easily an adult can remove a trigger lock ifthreatened by an aggressor and then fumbled with the damned thing fornearly a half hour before giving up. Prime time news was a hoot for the pro-gun folks that night.

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) hasannounced that Richard Gray and Jeff Smith were the winners in this year’selection for the AMA Board of Trustees.

Gray, a 21-year AMA member who lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, hasserved on the Board for the past six years and is the current chairman. Hewas the winner in a three-way race for the seat representing the NortheastRegion. Other candidates were Jerry Wood, and Robert Coy.

In North Central Region balloting, Smith, of Wausau, Wisconsin, earnedthe Board seat over Dale Greenwald. Smith is a 28-year AMA member whoserved for nine years as executive director of the American Historic RacingMotorcycle Association (AHRMA) before retiring last year. He is also a two-time world motocross champion. In the Northwest Region, Trustee Dal Smilie of Helena, Montana, who isalso the Board vice chairman, was unopposed. All three candidates were elected for three-year terms.

Alert! New high-tech Sniffer lets police secretly test driver’s breathfor booze WASHINGTON, DC — A sneaky new high-tech device that allowspolice to analyze your breath for traces of alcohol without yourknowledge or consent doesn’t just violate the Fourth Amendment, warnsthe Libertarian Party — it could get you tossed into jail for drunkdriving even if all you did was use mouthwash.

“All you have to do is breathe once, and, without so much as asearch warrant or a warning, police can administer a drunk-driving testthat is unreliable, underhanded, and unconstitutional,” charged theparty’s national director, Steve Dasbach.

CC: ABATE of PA’s Legislative & Leadership Seminar this coming weekendis SOLD OUT. In fact, we’re over-sold so if everyone shows up then someonewill be eating their Awards Banquet chow while sitting on the floor or theedge of the stage. Circle your calendar now for 2002. The seminar is alwaysheld on the last weekend of January.

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We are often asked to manufacture raked triple trees. Our decisionNOT TO RAKE TRIPLE TREES revolvesaround the stability and handling of the bike, and the safety of you,the rider. Raked triple trees are scientificallyunsound, as explained below.

As trail is REDUCED, instability results, producing a naturaltendency towards deflection or speed wobble.

As trail is INCREASED, so does the ability of a motorcycle toresist wobble and follow a straight line. There is alimit, however – too much trail can result in a motorcycle only beingable to travel in a straight line!

TRAIL is geometrically determined by continuing a centerlinethrough the frame head to the ground, and drop-ping a vertical line from the center of the axle. The differencebetween the 2 points (corrected to the centerlineof the motorcycle) is measured in inches.

THREE DIFFERENT FORK CONFIGURATIONS SHOWING HOWTRAIL IS AFFECTED

A) Typical Stock Configuration
A 30° rake is established in theframe head. The fork is alsoat 30°, with no rake changeevident in the triple trees. Thetrail is lets say 3.5″

B) Raked Triple Tree
The Frame Head remainsunaltered at 30°. The triple treesare machined to produce 35° inthe fork. The trail vanishes tozero degree, producing grossinstability.

C) How it Should Be Done
>The components are the sameexcept that the Frame Head isreconfigured to 35°. The alteredgeometry increases the trail tolet’s say 4.25 inches and producesmore straight-line stability.

So what’s the solution? We recommend altering the frame head inorder to achieve the desired non-standardrake. Never consider the “easy way out” by choosing raked tripletrees. We would caution the rider to seek professional help inselecting a precision jig and only using sound, careful weldingprocedures.

Glossary

RAKE: The angle of the fork tubes, expressedin degrees off vertical. Also: CASTER

TRAIL: An imaginary distance arrived atgeometrically, expressed in inches.

FRAME HEAD: A tubular section of the framethat houses the assembled fork stem andbearings. It is a normally immovable part whichestablishes the rake of the fork.

TRIPLE TREE: Machined, forged or castplates which contain the fork tubes and fork assembly.Usually no rake angle is established here.