by Sergiu Tudose from https://www.autoevolution.com/ Japanese motorcycle manufacturer Kawasaki has announced that all its bikes sold in developed countries will become fully electric by 2035. They also plan on exploring hydrogen propulsion as more of a near-term solution, as they make the push towards carbon neutrality. While the global pandemic didn’t spare the motorcycle market, some people still view these two-wheelers as the best means of transportation, seen as how it carries with it the lowest risk of infection. According to Kawasaki chief executive Yasuhiko Hashimoto, his company is open to establishing a partnership with others in order to achieve their environmentally friendly objectives, reports BikesRepublic. “Outdoor leisure activity has been popular during the COVID pandemic. We will strengthen our environmental efforts with our sights set on post-pandemic lifestyles. Partnerships with other companies may be possible in the future,” he said. The first order of business is to launch a total of ten battery-powered motorcycles by 2025, before switching to EV power alone by 2035 in Japan, Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia. While short term plans might include new nameplates and “spin-offs”, if the company’s entire range is to be electrified within the next 14 years, that means fans need to start getting used to the idea of a fully-electric ZX-6R, ZX-10R or a Z650, just to name a few of their most popular (gasoline powered) models. Kawasaki sold 380,000 motorcycles last year, despite a global market share of roughly 1%, as per Nikkei Asia. The bikemaker does of course have a strong presence in both Japan and North America, driven by its best-selling motorcycles. As for its rivals, Honda is still the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer. Yamaha meanwhile wants to make 90% of its models electric by 2050, which would put them somewhat behind the curve when compared to Kawasaki and their ambitious electrification goals. One important thing to factor in is the fact that bikemakers will soon begin competing with carmakers for batteries, which at the moment looks like a tall task for the former.

Kawasaki All In With Plans for Electric, Hybrid and Hydrogen Bike Future by Todd Halterman from https://www.autoevolution.com

Now that Kawasaki Motors Ltd. has spun off as a separate business entity, the superbike manufacturer has recently revealed its plans on going forward, and those plans include a commitment to build forward-looking drivetrains. By 2025, Kawasaki says they’ll roll out 10 electric and hybrid motorcycles, five of them off-road models with “advanced fuel” power plants. The news came as part of a presentation in Tokyo, and the company says the plans include a near heretical hydrogen-powered H2 engine. While motorcycles make up just a small bit of Kawasaki’s core business, they operate as stalking horses to market its large machine production facilities and products. Part of the marketing is the use of their classic corporate logo. That design is essentially a Japanese character that represents the word for “river.” Masaya Tsuruno, Managing Director of Kawasaki Motors Europe, says the changes are aimed at staying current with a changing world. “The world has changed immeasurably in the century-plus history of the Kawasaki company – none more so that in the past few years,” Tsuruno says. “As we roll out our new corporate identity with the River Mark at its core, we look to take a next, bold step in terms of technology and engineering as well as enhancing the lives of countless people around the world with a focus on sustainability and emerging green technologies. While some things change others remain constant such as our commitment to be the best in our chosen fields; the River Mark is a fitting symbol of this commitment.” As a result of the changes, you can expect electric motorcycles to replace the company’s smaller-displacement machines with models such as an electric street motorcycle to essentially replace bikes like the Ninja 400. Kawasaki says that its efforts will be focused on the premium end of the market, likely meaning that these machines will be geared towards European and North American riders. What it means is that you can expect Kawasaki to pressure other manufacturers to adopt non-traditional drivetrain systems and perhaps roll out up to 16 new motorcycles a year thru 2025.

The Race of Gentlemen is a very special beach race that takes place only in a few parts of the United States each year.

With the COVID issue, last year was missed completely, however the event was strong this past weekend (October 1-3, 2021). Had a blast with the photos, the weather was stunning and the beach was as terrific as ever.

About The Race of Gentlemen

The inaugural Race of Gentlemen was held in 2012 on the beach in Asbury Park, NJ, just days before Hurricane Sandy made landfall. New Jersey has a storied tradition of beach racing, including an epic 1-mile beach race in Cape May during the summer of 1905. The exhibition featured the likes of Henry Ford, Louis Chevrolet and speed record holder Walter Christie. At the time, the Cape May beach was deemed the “finest racing beach” in the world.

The Race of Gentlemen has since moved from Asbury Park to Wildwood—a stone’s throw from Cape May—for its flatter, wider beaches and legendary boardwalk. Enthusiasts now attend from all over the country to run their machines down a 1/8-mile straightaway in front of thousands of spectators. The event continues to grow and garner international recognition, while laying the groundwork for additional exhibitions and races around the country.

About The Oilers Club

Founded by Jim Nelson in Southern California over 65 years ago, The Oilers Club, was a small group of thrill-seeking friends that built and raced hot rods and motorcycles using outdated pre-WWII era chassis, bodies, motors and parts. In 2010, the keys to the club were handed to Meldon Van Riper Stultz III, a Jersey Shore native who, with his colorful crew of vintage car and motorcycle revivalists, now stage these rolling exhibitions at historically significant locations across the country.

–JACK MCINTYRE
PHOTOGRAPHER, SPECIALIZING IN THE POWERSPORTS INDUSTRY
VETERAN OWNED COMPANY
HOUSE OF CHOPPERS NATION.COM
FLYING PISTON BENEFIT.COM
BIKERNET.COM / BANDIT’S CANTINA

Hey,

We’re headed directly into the magnificent Holidays.

I’m beginning to itch for bike to build, maybe a Knucklehead.

Ya get it. We can do anything we set our minds to, and rapidly.

We have the resources, the knowledge and the materials at our fingertips. So, what the fuck is holding you up?

Ride fast and free forever and never give up!

–Bandit

The Bikernet Weekly News is sponsored in part by companies who also dig Freedom including: Cycle Source Magazine, the MRF, Las Vegas Bikefest, Iron Trader News, ChopperTown, BorntoRide.com and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum.

Click Here to Read the Weekly Motorcycle Industry News on Bikernet.com

Join the Cantina for more – Subscribe Today

https://www.bikernet.com/pages/custom/subscription.aspx

Hey,

What do you think? We’re headed directly into the magnificent Holidays. Sometimes I get depressed about what’s happening in America. But I need to remind myself of two things: This isn’t the first time, or will it be the last, and we are actually living in the absolute best of times.

Think about it. How about the Civil War. It almost cut the country in half. How about the McCarthy era with the threat of communism, when folks lost their jobs for mentioning Russia over lunch. Then we fought over the Vietnam war. Now, it’s Socialism and Climate Doom. I just search for the truth and anything that will support our freedom to ride.

Check out the news. The truth will set you free.

SUPPORT GOOD TIMES BANNERS— SGT Banners! 3×3′ and 3×2′ vinyl with metal grommets.

Get yours at
SUPPORTGOODTIMES.COM

TANYA TUCKER’S
COSA SALVAJE TEQUILA
NOW AVAILABLE —

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The demand for Tanya Tucker’s Cosa Salvaje Tequila continues to expand across the U.S. and Canada with retailers carrying the exclusive tequila in stores across North America, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. See full list of locations, distributors and stores below.

“Since we launched Tanya Tucker’s Cosa Salvaje Tequila in early 2019, tequila connoisseurs to everyday people have raved about the flavorous taste without the ‘bite’ some tequilas have. It’s perfect for sipping for even non-tequila drinkers and we know that’s why new customers are demanding the product,” CEO/Founder Elle France said.

Tanya Tucker’s Cosa Salvaje Tequila currently offers Blanca and Extra Anejo tequila. Blanca is an enticing treat that is a true sipping tequila. It is bottled fresh from the still, with a slight sweet cooked agave finish. Extra Anejo is subtle and elegant, with 5 years of maturation in French white oak barrels. It holds a dark amber color and mezcal of sweet aromas, excellent toasted flavor and vanilla notes. The bottles are truly a work of art, handmade out of recycled glass along with an embossed leather strap with Tanya’s logo.

“I’ve had the good fortune of helping launch many brands in the spirits industry, and the ones that worked best have 3 things in common: First, they have a founder who believes to their core in what they’re doing and that’s what we have in Elle. Second, they have a liquid that people love and keep coming back to you and that’s what we have in Cosa Salvaje.

Third, they have a way to reach consumers and break out from the crowd, and with Tanya Tucker on board, we couldn’t ask for better authentic reach. I couldn’t be more excited as we expand this exciting Tequila brand. If you haven’t tried it you must,” said Smoke Wallin, Board Member and Industry Leader.

Tanya, a two-time 2020 GRAMMY® winner, enjoys drinking the succulent cocktail with fresh ruby red grapefruit juice and a touch of pulp. Cosa Salvaje translates as “wild thing” in Spanish. “I used to be a wild thing, now I just drink a wild thing! I truly love the taste of Cosa Salvaje Tequila. What’s even more important to me is how the agave and distilling process is environmentally conscious, so we’re taking care of our planet too,” Tanya shared.

CANADA: Distributor – MJ Liquor Distribution Inc.

ARIZONA: Distributor – Silesia Brands Inc. 

COLORADO: Distributor – CTS Distributing, Inc./ Premier Sellers

KENTUCKY: Distributor – Heritage Wine and Spirits, LLC.

OKLAHOMA: Distributor – Aiko Importers

TENNESSEE: Distributor – Lipman Brothers, LLC.

TEXAS: Distributor – United

Tanya Tucker’s Cosa Salvaje Tequila retails for under $50.00 per bottle and is available online at CosaSalvajeTequila.com.

PRISM SHOW THIS WEEKEND–Run Off Show

We’ve been running The Congregation Show with DicE Magazine since 2017. It keeps growing and growing. We honestly can’t believe that what we started in 2017 has turned into this, but here we are, pinching ourselves and along for the ride!

This year’s iteration of The Congregation Show features more than ever – from our very own beer with Free Range Brewing, the Congregation Pils, to the Wall of Death, a playlist to accompany you through the weekend and our biggest turnout of motorcycle and hot rod builders to date. We decided to compile all the need-to-know information for y’all in one place so you can focus on what’s important – lettin’ the good times roll!

www.prismmotorcycles.com

CANNONBALL NEWS— Dave who won the 2021 Cannonball on a 1911 Harley-Davidson was also a runner-up in the 2018 Cannonball riding a 1915 Harley-Davidson. See the news from an old 2018 article included in this year’s article.

Dave Currier, aged 68, on Winning Cannonball riding his 1911 Harley-Davidson

https://blog.bikernet.com/dave-currier-aged-68-on-winning-cannonball-riding-his-1911-harley-davidson/

From September 2018. “I’ve already been doing a lot of thinking,” Currier said, chuckling. “I have done the twin cylinder. The next challenge for me would be to take a single cylinder and make it across the U.S. But this was a trip of a lifetime. Going over the mountain in Kalispell, Montana, that’s when I turned 65.”

Watch for an interview with Dave on Bikernet in the near future. –Bandit

Billy Lane’s Sons of Speed Vintage Motorcycle Race 2021
Address: 3939 State Road 44, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168
Dates: October 16, 2021
Location: New Smyrna Speedway
Time: 1:00 PM
Price: General Admission: $20; VIP $75

Sons of Speed is a motorcycle race inspired by early 20th-century board-track racing. Featuring stripped-down bikes with pre-1925 American V-Twin engines, Sons of Speed hearkens back to a wide-open, full-throttle, thrilling style of motorcycle racing and is quickly becoming a Biketoberfest® must-see.

Watch over 30 vintage motorcycles take the track at New Smyrna Speedway. Racers include Jody Perewitz, “eBay” Jake Smith, Michael Lange, Jacob Smallwood, Ken Curtis, Shawn McLean, Tom Keefer, Dave Morrill, Chad Bolender, Matt Sorenson, Joe Miller, Rich Packer, Steve Aretz, Nathan Grubb, Chuck Kichton, Carey Maynell, Roxie Hanna, Freddie Bollwage, Mike Bellomo, Randy Hayward, Nike Hunter, and many more! General Admission Gate Opens 12 PM; VIP Gate Opens 10 AM.

Founded by veteran motorcycle builder Billy Lane of Discovery Channel’s Biker Build-Off and Monster Garage, the Sons of Speed race will feature some of the sport’s most accomplished riders, builders, and enthusiasts at New Smyrna Speedway’s half-mile, paved, banked racetrack.

QUICK, OPEN THE BANDIT’S CANTINA BAD JOKE LIBRARY–Health & Wellness Humor

A worried woman called her family physician at night on the phone, “My husband just swallowed a paracetamol tablet by mistake! What should I do?”
The good doctor replied, “Give him a headache now – why waste the medicine.”

We found a leaflet in our newspaper this morning which read –
‘Are You An Alcoholic?
CALL NOW!
We Can Help.’

My wife insisted I make a call.
I called the phone number mentioned. It was a liquor shop with promotional offer: ‘Buy 3 and Get 1 Free’.

This morning I received a message:
‘When you cross 40…
You must reduce your evening friends
And increase morning friends’

That’s absolute nonsense! If my friends and I start drinking from morning itself, then my family will throw me out of the house!

–Wayfarer
Certified Librarian
Bandit’s Cantina Bad Joke Library

NEWS FLASH FROM THE CLIMATE DEPOT–‘The Nobel Prize has committed suicide’: Fmr. Harvard Physicist rips award for climate models: ‘Nobel Prize in Physics has become a joke, too’

Physicist Dr. Lubos Motl: “The climate modeling hasn’t led to any new yet reliable insights. In those 50 years, while the short-term weather models have made some progress, the long-term models have made virtually none and it is especially the case of the question about the magnitude of the influence of CO2 on the climate.

All the relevant quantities (like the climate sensitivity) remained about as uncertain as when these modeling efforts were launched and the claim about the “reliable prediction of global warming” is a pure lie. So, there is no reason for a Nobel Prize, especially not one that would go to somewhat random “physicists of the climate.” …

“The political motivation of this prize is 100% obvious. These people have been picked to steal a part of the credit accumulated by physics, the hardest discipline of sciences, and give it to one of the worst pseudoscientific superstitions of the contemporary era.” …

“Al Gore got his one-half of a Nobel Prize for a fraudulent PowerPoint presentation about the catastrophic global warming because tons of dishonest leftists loved these kinds of anti-scientific lies.”

Read the whole story at: https://www.climatedepot.com/2021/10/06/the-nobel-prize-has-committed-suicide-fmr-harvard-physicist-rips-award-for-climate-models-nobel-prize-in-physics-has-become-a-joke-too/

–Dr. Lubos Motl
Climate Depot

Manufacturing HyperSport Motorcycles in Vancouver, BC–We’re proud to officially announce the development of our cleantech manufacturing and R&D plant in partnership with Bosa Properties.

In addition to serving as ground zero for production of the HyperSport, the state-of-the-art, 110,000 square foot facility is expected to stimulate the Surrey local economy with several hundred jobs. Projections suggest that by 2025, the plant will create more than 300 high-tech manufacturing jobs and more than 500 high-tech office jobs.

“As Damon accelerates a clean energy future with our electric vehicles, we’re also introducing a cleaner, industry-leading manufacturing process.”

“We’re honored Damon has selected Surrey for its production headquarters and are proud to welcome this dynamic and innovative young company to our city”

Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum and Bruce Ralston, British Columbia Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, were among the dignitaries in attendance at Damon’s Groundbreaking Ceremony in Surrey, BC.

704 Alexander St., Vancouver, British Columbia V6A 1E3, Canada

REMEMBERING TEACH–The Barons Motorcycle Club, Salt Lake City,
It was the summer of 1975. I was a member of the Easyriders Jammer Streamer Liner crew. It was Speed Week at Bonneville Salt Flats. One of our runs we broke a part and head to Salt Lake City. Up walked a lone Barons Motorcycle Club member. His name was Teach and out of nowhere he said, “I can get it,” and off he took off on his chop.

Teach saved the day for us. Years later I was at the Brother Speed Motor Cycle Club Spring Opener in Idaho. Standing around with the Barons and Brother Speed telling stories and lies. We started taking about racing at the Bonneville Salt flats and I stated telling the story about That Lone Baron who helped us out at Bonneville Salt Flats, and up walked Teach.

“I was that Lone Baron,” Teach said. It was 30-plus-years since we saw each other. It was a great reunion. Thanks for the books. “Rest in Peace. I will always remember you.”

–Bob T.
Historian
Bikernet.com™

QUOTE OF THE WEEK— I’ve been a grubby biker all my life. I am what I am and that’s all that I am (Popeye). Fuck all the analyzing shit.

–Bandit

A PRIMER ON INDUCED DEMAND, PART 1—

Editor’s Note: We touched on induced demand—the theory that as highway capacity increases, demand does also, thereby creating a never-ending need for more capacity—in NMA E-Newsletter #599 last year. In light of the current infrastructure negotiations in Washington, and the ongoing effort to reshape urban land use by decommissioning freeways, we asked Chris, who has a master’s degree in city planning from the University of Pennsylvania, to provide a more detailed look at the topic that he says is “ripe for myth-busting.”

While the concept of induced demand has been understood for decades, if not centuries, the seminal work in induced demand was conducted by Mark Hansen and Robert Cervero of the University of California. In their initial papers, they studied the results of lane-mile additions on freeways in California, finding that over the course of around a decade, most of the capacity added by various freeway construction projects ends up being used up, sapping the rush hour travel time benefits of the new capacity.

Cervero later published an excellent short summary on induced demand, entitled “Are Induced Travel Studies Inducing Bad Investments?” Written for a broad audience, this is a great starting point to explain the underlying relationships between new highway capacity and travel times, and bust some myths. In Figures 2 and 3 of that article, Cervero illustrates the relationships between capacity, land use, and travel time. There are a few key observations:

Twenty percent of added capacity is preserved over a six to eight-year period.

This is crucial. Twenty percent may not sound like a lot, but even a one to two percent difference in the volume-to-capacity ratio on freeways can have a huge impact because traffic congestion is a “threshold effect.” In other words, traffic congestion does not increase linearly with traffic, but rather exhibits an S-curve. We know this to be true intuitively: You can add a lot of traffic to an empty road without any change on travel speeds, but a few additional cars during rush hour can grind an entire freeway to a halt. That is why rush hour traffic is often noticeably better in the summer. Even though a very small proportion of the traveling public are on vacation in any one summer week, that small reduction in demand has a huge effect on congestion.

In short, a 20% capacity preservation after the better part of a decade is a huge success story, not a failure.

The most prevalent induced-demand behavior is “behavioral shift.”

Behavioral shift means that when people are confronted with new highway capacity, i.e., their travel time is reduced, they respond by traveling more. People might go and try out a new restaurant or see a friend on the opposite side of town which would have been prohibitively distant before the capacity was added. I would argue that this is a net societal benefit since it gives more people the opportunity to do more things.

In the most extreme case, people might move to the outskirts of an urban area because it has become more convenient to commute into the urban core. This is the typical argument wielded against adding capacity: that it will cause urban sprawl. While this is theoretically true, it is facile to suggest that people make a choice as important is their housing location as a reaction to a freeway expansion. People in the U.S. have generally been become less mobile over time, and the purely transactional economic argument of “less travel time = sprawl” ignores the many social variables which go into one’s choice of housing.

One of the other sources of behavioral shift is a change in the demand pattern over the course of a day. If peak hour travel times improve, people who would have waited until after rush hour to take a discretionary trip instead decide to take it during rush hour. Again, I would consider this to be a net benefit, with more people traveling when they want rather than waiting for rush hour to end.

The next-most prevalent induced-demand behavior is “land use shift.”

This pattern is most easily explained by example, where an outlet mall sprouts around a new freeway interchange. This should not be a surprise because it is often part of the reason why new capacity is added: to increase the value of the surrounding land. This is exactly the same reason why developers in the late 1800s built streetcars: they built the loss-leading mass transit system to increase the value of their own land. It is also for exactly this reason why transit systems in the 1800s are wildly inefficient by modern standards – they followed the paths that the developers chose, often in direct competition with neighboring developers. To this day, the New York City subway system operates as a legacy of the competing IRT, IND, and BMT systems.

Personally, I interpret both forms of induced demand to be parts of the same story. Just like it is a choice to up-zone the area around a freeway interchange for commercial use, it is a choice to build housing on the periphery of a region because the freeway provides access. If we believe that we can limit freeway expansion, then we should be equally capable of limiting urban sprawl without using congestion as a weapon. Indeed, the green belt development limits first put into organized practice by disciples of Ebenezer Howard’s “garden city” movement predate freeways by almost 50 years.

The bottom line is that while induced demand is real under certain conditions, it is neither infinite, uncontrollable, nor inevitable.

–By Christopher M. DiPrima, NMA Board Member

Part 2 of A Primer on Induced Demand will appear in next week’s NMA E-Newsletter.

SOMETHING BIG IS COMING TO THE CHIP–TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12
The Largest Music Festival in Motorcycling®
is sparing no time announcing
THE FIRST HEADLINER OF THE
2022 STURGIS RALLY!

If you want the best prices, you’ll need to act fast because…
PRE-SALE PRICES END
Before This Headliner Drops
October 11 @ 5 p.m. MDT

BRAND New Bikernet Reader Comment!–
STAY CALM BIKERNET WEEKLY NEWS for September 30, 2021

https://www.bikernet.com/pages/STAY_CALM_BIKERNET_WEEKLY_NEWS_for_September_30_2019.aspx

Glad to see you got the Robinson bike.

–Ann Robinson
Long Beach, CA

Ann Robinson was Hal’s second wife. She’s pushed hard to keep the Hal Robinson name alive. He was one of the original artists, and the finest line-art artist I ever met. What a guy. We worked with Ann to create some t-shirts and art prints. Cool, classic ER art.

–Bandit

VP Racing Fuels Returns as Official Fuel Provider of 2021 UTV World Championship—
Will be on site at AZWest UTV Festival and providing fuel to racers, including industry-leading UTV96

UTV World Championship officials are pleased to announce that VP Racing Fuels will return as the Official Fuel Provider of the 2021 UTV World Championship presented by Polaris, which will return to Lake Havasu City, Arizona this October. VP will be on hand to supply fuel to the world’s top UTV racers at this year’s event, and will also be on hand displaying their full product line at the AZWest UTV Festival in downtown Lake Havasu City.

One of 80 premium fuel blends in VP Racing Fuels’ product lineup, UTV96 is an innovative and industry-leading fuel designed specifically for UTV racers. UTV96 allows racers to make more horsepower and resist vapor lock better than traditional pump gas, enabling them to gain the edge on the competition. In addition, the VP brand has racers covered well beyond race fuels, with the addition of VP Detailers products like VP Power Clean all-purpose cleaner, automotive performance products like VP Octanium Unleaded Octane Booster and VP Stay Frosty Hi-Performance Coolant, and more. Top racers have placed their trust in VP Racing Fuels since 1975, and countless entries in this year’s UTV World Championship presented by Polaris will do the same.

The UTV World Championship presented by Polaris takes place on October 13-17 in Lake Havasu City, AZ. For up-to-date information on the event, visit utvworldchampionship.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @utvworldchampionship. For more information on VP Racing Fuels, visit www.vpracingfuels.com.

BIKERNET WOMEN AND WHEELS FILE–

 – Queen Elizabeth II learned to Ride And Maintain a Motorcycle as part of her military service in 1945 (she would have been 19 years of age in 1945).

HOW COOL IS THAT ??? – The Queen of England, the Head of Great British Empire, the longest-lived and longest-reigning British monarch (Queen since 1952 till Present), the longest-serving Female Head of State in history, Can Ride and Maintain a Motorcycle !!!

Also Check Out the Comments there –

“I have the book “The Rugged Road” by Theresa Wallach where she and Florence Blenkiron overcame all odds, and believe me when I say that most men would never have completed the 7500 mile trip from London to Cape Town in 1935 on a 600cc Panther motorcycle and sidecar.

Theresa became a well-known motorcycle rider and trainer in America from 1947 and only died on her birthday in 1999.

I have just sold my 1933 Calthorpe Ivory Major and didn’t even have the guts to ride it on the British roads of today let alone the roads these two ladies used once they arrived in Africa.

Google “Theresa Wallach” and be very surprised, better than that, get the book.” – Solosolo

Another Comment by Vidocq – “Anybody who rides any British bike built before 1968, at 100 MPH deserves a medal! How ’bout them thar brakes?”

So, What Do You Guys Think – The Cannonball Run guys would do it next year – London to CapeTown at the bottom edge of African continent ???

— Wayfarer
Bikernet Blog Supreme Editor in Charge
Bikernet Blog™

[page break]

FOSSIL FUELS RULE–What Is Petroleum Good For? Aspirin

100 Years of Aspirin

Aspirin – the drug widely used to deal with hangover headaches and many other minor illnesses – was developed in Germany by a chemical process described by research chemist Felix Hoffman on October 10, 1897. Decades later it is still the most versatile and effective medicine on the pharmacist’s shelf. But as doctors are now increasingly recognising, the drug does not just relieve aches and pains, it can also prevent a wide range of serious, life threatening conditions.

The active ingredient in aspirin, acetyl salicylic acid, is a synthetic derivative of a compound, salicin, which occurs naturally in plants, notably the willow tree. Extracts of willow were traditionally used in folk medicine and as early as 400 BC the Greek physician Hippocrates recommended a brew made from willow leaves to treat labour pains.

Later in 1763 an English clergyman, Reverend Edward Stone carried out the first proper scientific study of the herbal medicine when he described the benefits he observed after giving ground up willow bark to 50 parishioners suffering from rheumatic fever.

However, when the active ingredient salicin was converted to the medicine salicylic acid it was hard to swallow, causing irritation to the lining of the mouth and stomach. Then in 1897 Felix Hoffmann of the Bayer pharmaceutical company developed the process of synthesising the acetyl salicylic acid named later as aspirin.

In early clinical trials aspirin was found to be a potent treatment for pain, fever and inflammation. Today it is the best known and most widely used medicine in the world with an estimated 100 billion tablets swallowed every year. Indeed it is also used out of this world – as every Space Shuttle carries a small supply.

The link to petroleum: The acetyl part is derived from acetic acid, which comes from methanol and the Monsanto acetic acid process. All these feedstocks are derived from petroleum.

Just another reason we need fossil fuels in our lives.

–From the team at The Norwood Resource (TNR).

GENO’S MERC FOR SALE– For Sale! A true traditional Kustom 1949 Mercury built by Bo Huff for Geno DiPol’s magazine Ol Skool Rodz.

Two years in build time. Built in Bo’s shop in Dragerton Utah.

It was Bo’s last full build before he passed in 2015, Bo built over 70 Merchs in his lifetime. Geno is from New Orleans, so he named/designed her as a tribute to the South.

She is chopped, shaved, nosed, decked etc. Chopped about 5 inches. Geno and Bo went with a 4 door as they are harder to chop and harder to get just right plus 4 doors have rear suicide doors. Many in the Kustom industry have called Dixie the best 4 door chop ever done.

The build started when Geno found a mint 1955 Corvette steering wheel. Bo refinished it in bone and red and then the Corvette thing started. She has an early ‘70s totally rebuilt 350 Vette engine/350 Turbo tranny. The paint is ’55 Corvette white with a flattner for the body and gloss for the ghost flames, all pinstriping and flame outline is by the “Von Dutch Pin Stripe Grand National winner,” Stella and Bo’s son Jr.

The custom interior is from Courson Interiors of Denver who picked up the stars and bars pattern in the seats and door panels but just subtle embossed them- not like Evel’s pants lol.

The side pipes are custom shaped as well as the grill, bumpers, taillights etc. all custom shaped and rechromed in Utah.

The front seats are rare 1963 Impala SS seats and the rear wrap seats are from a 1963 Thunderbird all redone by Courson.

Headlights are frenched 6 inches and a power steering pump was recently added. It was at the Grand National Roadster show and took a second place trophy. Also, on display at Viva Las Vegas and many other national shows. She is driven monthly and stored in Geno’s garage in The Treasure Coast of FLorida.

Geno is just ready for a different build so he is letting her go to a fellow Hot Rod hood with cash. Take time to listen to the video in Bo’s voice to hear what was done. $79,000

https://youtu.be/nZA7YY4m1-s

–Geno Dipol
Founder Ol’ Skool Rodz

QUICK, New Bikernet Reader Comment!–STAY CALM BIKERNET WEEKLY NEWS for September 30, 2021

https://www.bikernet.com/pages/STAY_CALM_BIKERNET_WEEKLY_NEWS_for_September_30_2019.aspx

I am already looking forward to the Smoke-Out! There are a lot of people here in the Charlotte area counting the days!

–Stealth
Charlotte, NC

BIKERNET UNIVERSITY MARKETING LESSONS–1. In India advertisements for tobacco and alcohol products is against the laws. While people can buy it at almost every street, the companies cannot promote their competing brands to customers.

So, pseudo advertisements for carbonated water (added in whiskey), bottled drinking water, music CDs for party, breath freshners, etc are advertised under the well-known brand names of established whiskey and beer and cigarette companies.

These can’t be banned on TV or Magazines or in Stores, Street Billboards, Sports Stadiums, Music Festivals, even movie Award Shows, etc as they are “Not Advertisements For” Alcohol or Tobacco.

2. When you are not happy with your line of business and do it due to lack of options – but you want to hold on to your ideals.

Typical street corner tobacco products and cigarette stall but with the “difference” – its named “The Cancer Hub.”

–Wayfarer
International Correspondent
Bikernet News Desk

With the COVID issue, last year was missed completely, however the event was strong this past weekend (October 1-3). Have fun with the images, the weather was stunning and the beach was as terrific as ever.

–JACK MCINTYRE
PHOTOGRAPHER, SPECIALIZING IN THE POWERSPORTS INDUSTRY
VETERAN OWNED COMPANY
HOUSE OF CHOPPERS NATION.COM
FLYING PISTON BENEFIT.COM
BIKERNET.COM / BANDIT’S CANTINA
JOHNNY MAC’S CHOPPER HOUSE, PHILLY

BONHAMS AUTUMN SALE–The Autumn Sale
The Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show, Stafford
9 Oct 2021, starting at 12:00 BST .
Stafford, Staffordshire County Showground

NARCISSE-SACHS TYPE 100
REGISTRATION NO. NOT REGISTERED
FRAME NO. 134
ENGINE NO. 1149136
Fitted with a Sachs engine, this machine’s mechanical condition is unknown. Offered for restoration and sold strictly as viewed. Accordingly prospective bidders must satisfy themselves as to the condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding. There are no documents offered with this Lot.
Footnotes
As with all Lots in the Sale, this Lot is sold ‘as is/where is’ and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness, and originality prior to bidding.

BABES RIDE OUT RIDE–THE RETURN TO BORREGO

We are thrilled to return to Borrego Springs, CA where it all started this weekend! If you missed out, there is still a chance to grab our last remaining room below! Want to see the schedule of events + suggested riding routes? Click HERE. Safe travels!

LAW TIGERS SUPPORTS– Supports Classic Easyriders Magazine

Easyriders had been the biker bible industry for over 50 years, and it’s back this December with all the features that fans love with the original team of industry-leading editors including Dave Nichols, world-famous motorcycle photographers such as Michael Lichter, and the original Easyriders design team to create a monthly motorcycle magazine that is filled with a STURGIS SPECIAL from this year’s 81st running of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, plus every month: killer custom motorcycle features; wild runs; rallies and biker parties; hot new parts and accessories; tech tips; interviews with biker legends; and of course, lifestyle art by David Mann.

LawTigers is happy to announce their participation as a premier advertiser, and as such, here’s a great offer for our friends and family- up to 60% off the cover price for a monthly subscription which includes a digital copy every month. And there are more bonus items, including a 16-page dedicated magazine showcasing our biker cover girl. And with the three-year subscription, it’s only $4.00 per issue ($10 cover price).

For further details and to order, click here!

See you in Classic Easyriders soon!

BIKERNET MEDICAL ALERT—
This just in from hackworld. So far everything’s working, no matter what side you’re on; we’re halting the flu. We’re keeping everyone safe and we’re still surging with whatever it is we are supposed to be slowing. lotsa rock-solid data coming from all sides.

–Dr. J.J. Solari
Bikernet Medical Center

BIKERNET EDITORIAL BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS

2. Hub-center steering – maybe you could build one this winter ?

I think the hub-center steering article would be of lot interest to Custom Builders wanting to produce unique motorcycles for a customer – they are also prize-worthy entries to bike shows – and Dallas Motorcycle Museum owner and collector Bobby Haas commissioned a very expensive one for himself from Revival Cycles.

Certainly, for builders a lot can be explored on this system of steering which provides much greater benefits in braking, cornering and riding experience in motorcycles.

I found another article on the unique paint job done by Georges Roy on his Majestic brand hub-center steering motorcycle which could be of interest to custom builders and their paint techs as well.

What is Hub-center Steering Motorcycle & Why it is Better

https://blog.bikernet.com/what-is-hub-center-steering-motorcycle-why-it-is-better/

–Wayfarer
Supreme Editor in Charge
Bikernet Blog™

SELF-HELP BOOK OF THE WEEK— How Did We All Get So Miserable?
These simple habits can bring balance and peace to your life (and restore some broken relationships in the process).

Berkeley Springs, WV (October 2021)—It’s been a tough year and a half. It’s not just all the stuff that’s happened (a bitter election and a deadly pandemic), it’s the dismay you feel over friends and family who see these events very differently than you. If you’re not arguing with them, you’re griping about them to anyone who’ll listen. The rifts and the bad feelings that result make a terrible time worse.
Elaine Parke suggests trying something new: instead of trying to change their attitude, focus on uplifting yours.

“Trying to convince others to change not only doesn’t work; it makes you angry and miserable,” says Parke, author of The Habits of Unity: 12 Months to a Stronger America…one citizen at a time (Outskirts Press, 2021, ISBN: 978-1-9772-4276-1, $21.95, www.12habits4allofus.org).

“It would be easy to just cut people off—and many have—but these relationships matter,” she adds. “In hard times especially, we need our friends and family in our lives.”

Parke isn’t saying we shouldn’t have political convictions. She’s saying we can find a way to disagree with those on the “other side” while treating them with dignity and respect. We can still love and value them. And making that shift starts with the man or woman in the mirror.

Parke—who’s distressed by what she sees as a complete lack of concern for cooperating, connecting, and treating others with dignity and respect—is on a mission to reunify America. That will happen when we master the “get along” skills we should have learned as children.

Her book gives readers a simple, doable framework for uplifting themselves and practicing unity that simultaneously improves their mental health. Her big goal is to get everyone focused on the same branded behavior each month. The idea is that the sheer force of all that concentrated positive energy sparks a unity revolution that rises from the ground up and sweeps the nation.

Yet, until that happens, we can leverage the power of The Habits of Unity on a personal level by absorbing the book’s 365 “one-magic-minute-a-day” motivationals to form one good habit per month:

January: Help Others
February: You Count
March: Resolve Conflicts
April: Take Care of Our Environment
May: Be Grateful
June: Reach Higher
July: Become Involved
August: Know Who You Are
September: Do Your Best
October: Be Patient and Listen
November: Show a Positive Attitude
December: Celebrate Community, Family, and Friends

Those who’ve tried it say the plan is easy to put into practice. It feels good, so you’ll want to keep doing it. And you’ll be shocked by how fast your “difficult” relationships improve.

“It reminds me of the saying about how prayer doesn’t change things for us, it changes us for things,” says Parke. “Adjusting our own attitude makes us more centered and peaceful. We’re just happier. We’re no longer so desperate to get others to come around to our way of thinking.”

And here’s the irony, says Parke: that’s precisely when they might. The less you beat your head against the wall trying to sway people, the more influential you become.

“The bigger your attitude shift, the more others will be drawn to you,” she says. “When they actually enjoy being around you they’re far more likely to listen to what you have to say.”

SHARP, New Bikernet Reader Comment!-STAY CALM BIKERNET WEEKLY NEWS for September 30, 2021

https://www.bikernet.com/pages/STAY_CALM_BIKERNET_WEEKLY_NEWS_for_September_30_2019.aspx

Commenting on Stealth’s article about visiting a dealership and the apparel girl telling him about new rules for T-shirts. We were in New Orleans in August and went into the apparel shop in the French Market and my wife found a shirt with a voodoo doll design on the back and decided to buy it. The girl at the shop said she heard the new rule for T-shirts was no more pin-up type girls, voodoo dolls or, wait for it…skulls! WTF!

–Dennis R Hylton
Ashland, KY

FROM THE BIKERNET ARCHIVES 2010—And KustomFab in Hawaii.
“We never had time to build bikes for ourselves,” Roger said. “I have a polished Shovelhead motor in the corner collecting dust. Mel had a Daytec frame he wasn’t happy with. It sat around until he took it to Nuie’s and ask them to modify it into a single-loop job.”

https://www.bikernet.com/pages/_Stretched_Softail_From_KustomFab.aspx

We are going to promote Bikernet articles from the past each week in the news. Bikernet has been around longer that Wikipedia, like 25 years. If you have a suggestion don’t hesitate to drop me a line at Bandit@Bikernet.com.

–Bandit

THE MASK BUSINESS–Subject: the masks
we have a lot of smoke where I live for the past two years because of bums starting fires in the forests. You can smell the smoke through the masks.

If the masks don’t stop smoke entities…..why would they stop viruses which are a million times smaller?

You’ll wait a long time before you see that question being asked by anyone in office, in medicine, in journalism, in entertainment or in anything.

Also, why aren’t the 20,000 Haitian invaders and the 200,000 Afghanistan importees a threat, since they have NEVER had masks, social distancing, testing or vaccines.

Why is it us Americans? Thank you.

–J.J. Solari
The questioning one
Bikernet Editorial Board Member

TEXAS WEATHER REPORT–This one’s in focus I think? So, how’s the weather in the a Badlands? It’s cool as heck up there in the summer, but what do people do in the Winter? Being on the main drag is a good idea, but don’t see it happening in my near future.

–RFR
Texas Weatherman
Bikernet.com™

It’s been fantastic here, beautiful and from 75-85 degree, but everyone is looking for the cold to arrive maybe this weekend. –Bandit

LIFESTYLE CYCLES DEAL OF THE WEEK–
2013 Harley-Davidson FXDB – Dyna Street Bob for only $17,995.00

SEE IT HERE:https://www.lifestylecycles.com/default.asp?page=xPreOwnedInventoryDetail&id=10476873

This bike is a super set-up Dyna with lots of extra work done to it.

ONLY 19520.00 Miles !!!!!

2013 Gloss Black Harley-Davidson DYNA WIDE GLIDE

Some of the features/Add-on’s on this bike

* 103c.i. Motor
* 6-Speed trans
* PM wheels front and rear
* 12 inch T-Bars
* Thunder header
* Fairing
* Speakers
* Stunt style crash bars
* 14 inch shocks

This bike has passed Lifestyle Cycles rigorous 92 point safety and mechanical/structural inspection. Whether your looking to commute to work, ride the coast or take that dream vacation, this bike is ready to go!!!

EZ FINANCING-SHIPPING AVAILABLE!!!

Fill out an online application and ride today!!!

**Open 7 days a week**

Just $17,995.00 at Lifestyle Cycles (714) 490-0155

LONGTIME FRIEND COMMENT–
I’ve been keeping up with your move to your new digs.
Nice to see it all coming together for you.
You should have done this 20 years ago, you belong there.

I wanted to send a message:
I’m a chopper guy and I love the new cover of the Cycle Source Magazine it is so fuckin’ awesome.

Choppers Forever.
Brings back so many good memories…….
That is where we all started.
Beautiful bike.
Take care buddy,
The Best,
–Terry Lovering

PRE-VALENTINES STUDY— The way to a man’s heart is loving what he loves that isn’t you. The way to a man’s heart is not through his stomach. He can buy his own fucking hamburgers. The way to a man’s heart is loving what he loves that isn’t you.

But most women throw out what a man loves that isn’t them. Or forbid him to indulge in it. That’s a way to a man’s dissolution. And most men don’t ever figure out why they’re reacting that way. Good thing i showed up, uh? So if she doesn’t love what you love that isn’t her….fucking dump the harridan nagging annoying fucking cunt. Find an actual woman. Because what you’ve got is a parasite. You’re welcome.

–Dr. J.J. Solari
Bikernet Medical Center
Relationship Studies

BIKERNET BOOK OF THE WEEK CLUB—How to Rebuild and Restore Classic Japanese Motorcycles– Description

Everything you need to know to restore or customize your classic Japanese motorcycle.

Whether you want to correctly restore a classic Japanese motorcycle or create a modified, custom build, you need the right information about how to perform the mechanical and cosmetic tasks required to get an old, frequently neglected, and often long-unridden machine back in working order. How to Rebuild and Restore Classic Japanese Motorcycles is your thorough, hands-on manual, covering all the mechanical subsystems that make up a motorcycle. From finding a bike to planning your project to dealing with each mechanical system, How to Rebuild and Restore Classic Japanese Motorcycles includes everything you need to know to get your classic back on the road.

Japanese motorcycles have been the best-selling bikes in the world since the mid-1960s, driven by the “big four”: Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki. Of course certain bikes have always had a following – Honda CB750, 305 Hawk, CB400-4, Benly; Suzuki GT750, Katana, GS1000S; Yamaha XS650, RD400 Daytona, TZ; Kawaski H1, H2, Z1R – and these have now become the blue-chip Japanese bikes leading collectors to seek out more common (and now more affordable) alternatives.

This is the perfect book for anyone interested in classic Japanese motorcycles, as well as prepping a bike to build a cafe racer, street tracker, or other custom build.

Author: Sid Young
Format: Paperback / softback, 240 Pages
ISBN: 9780760347973
Publisher: Motorbooks
Series: Motorbooks Workshop

NEWS FROM THE BIKERNET LAW FIRM–Scarlett Johansen can now join the Hells Angels in a rare community of I THINK JUST TWO parties that have successfully sued the Walt Disney Corp.

–J.J. Solari

LOOK OUT—Ya never know what’s going to happen next. Regarding living in the best of times, I don’t need to tell you that you can do anything you desire currently, safely and with all the resources in the world at your fingertips.

So, what’s happening in the Badlands. There are activities every week from Bull Riding competitions to craft fairs, jazz conventions, hot rod weekends and Halloween is heading this way and the Redhead is all over it.

I’m beginning to itch for bike to build, maybe a Knucklehead. I got the permits to build my shop this week and we are researching the road to the shop, heating and cooling, concrete surface finish, etc.

I’m helping my grandson Frankie with his Road Glide pipe crack. And we are writing a review on a Biker Lid polo helmet. It is the most comfortable helmet of this type I’ve run across. Plus, it has a quick release latch, so when you enter a state without a helmet law, you can let that puppy fly.

[photo 10849]

I would love to buy Geno’s Merc, but the shop must come first. I’m looking for some weights and equipment for my gym. Trying to look out for a lathe and a chain hoist gantry for the shop. Tim is working on a notion to hang our wings outside the shop or on the property.

I’m working on a number plate for the shop property. It’s done.

Ya get it. We can do anything we set our minds to, and rapidly. We have the resources, the knowledge and the materials at our fingertips. So, what the fuck is holding you up?

We just featured this sharp Zodiac anniversary chopper. They just sent us a very well-done and complete photo shoot.

Ride fast and free forever and never give up!

–Bandit

by Rob Hull from https://www.dailymail.co.uk

A 34-year-old motorcycle with just TWO ‘Push Miles’ on the clock: Rare Suzuki road bike that’s never been ridden is tipped to sell for £35,000

• The Suzuki RG500 Gamma is an ultra-rare two-stroke road bike from the 1980s
• It’s based on the factory 500cc Grand Prix racers of the era that won two titles
• This example has never been ridden with its two recorded miles accrued while being manoeuvred during storage
• Bonhams will sell it at auction this weekend with an estimate of £30k to £35k

A late eighties Suzuki RG500 motorcycle is set to go under the hammer this weekend with an astonishingly low number of miles clocked in its 34 years – and none of them came from it being driven.

The two-stroke road-going replica of the factory Grand Prix race machines of the era is already a hugely collectible motorbike today – but this particular example stands out for having just two miles on the clock.

Bonhams, which is offering the bike at its 9 October sale at the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show in Stafford, says these are ‘push miles’ only, accrued by owners moving the bike around by hand – meaning it’s never actually been ridden.

The auction house has estimated that the motorcycle could sell for between £30,000 and £35,000 – though its like-new condition and lack of use could see it easily eclipse that valuation when bidding commences on Saturday.

Bonhams says it represents ‘a possibly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire an unused and unregistered example of this iconic Suzuki model’.

The RG500 ‘Gamma’ was only produced by the Japanese motorcycle brand for two years between 1985 and 1987 and was heavily based on the racing machine used by its factory team.

And it was a title-winning package, with Italians Marco Lucchinelli and Franco Uncini taking the riders’ world championship in back-to-back years in 1981 and 1982.

Suzuki’s advertisement for the motorcycle at launch said: ‘No one has ever built a road machine so close in technical basis to a current GP winner. Quite frankly we do not expect that any one else ever will.’

This example was first delivered to GS Motorcycles on 7 February 1989, which is confirmed by documents that are sold with the machine – as well as copies of the owner registration card, warranty card, dealer record, and new vehicle licence application.

However, it was never actually registered, with the bike instead being retained in storage and never ridden on the road.

That means the liquid-cooled, four-cylinder, two-stroke 498cc engine has never had its full 95bhp of power exploited at 9,500rpm.

The engine used the same square-four engine layout, geared-together crankshafts, and disc-valve induction, as the racer, while the aluminum frame, rear suspension and triple disc brakes were also taken from the GP machines.

Performance was mighty for the era, with a 130mph-plus top speed, 11.5-second quarter-mile time and incredibly agile handling and brakes.

But the peaky two-stroke engine could easily punish riders who were unable to exploit the narrow power band it provided, with surges of acceleration being developed when the revs peaked.

Suzuki RG500 Gamma specs

Production: 1985-1987
Engine: 498cc, liquid cooled, square-four cylinder, two-stroke
Gearbox: 6-speed
Power: 95bhp @9500rpm
Torque: 52.6 ft-lb @9000rpm
Suspension: Front: 38mm telescopic forks, Rear: full floater rear
Brakes: Front: 260mm discs 4-piston calipers, Rear: 210mm disc 2-piston caliper
Weight: 154kgs
Top speed: 133 mph
Fuel tank capacity: 22 litres

‘Today this legendary model is highly sought after by collectors of modern Japanese classics,’ says Bonhams.

And it won’t be the first time this specific model goes to the block, with it last changing hands at the same Stafford Sale held in October 2017, where it sold for £31,050.

‘The machine has not been used/run since acquisition and has been kept dry stored in the garage,’ the lot description explains.

‘Accordingly, it will need to be fully re-commissioned to a greater or lesser extent before use,’ it adds.

Other collectible two-wheelers up for grabs this month

Ex-Barry Sheene 1979 Dunstall Suzuki GS1000 F1 race bike
Auction: Bonhams’ The Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show, Stafford – 9 October
Estimate: £30,000-£35,000

The late Barry Sheene is the last Briton to win a premier class motorcycle Grand Prix riders’ championship, having taken the title in 1976 and ’77.

While his 500cc career continued until 1984 (his last win coming in 1981), in 1979 Suzuki GB requested for Sheene to guest ride this GS1000S at a domestic August Bank Holiday meeting at Oulton Park in 1979.

That’s despite the Briton – who made his career racing two-stroke machines – making his dislike for four-stroke racing bikes well known. He previously referred to them as ‘muck-spreaders’.

This Dunstall Suzuki is believed to be the only Japanese four-stroke he ever raced.

Despite this, Sheene finishing second in the event, narrowly beaten by fellow GP rider Ron Haslam.

Sheene, who died in March 2003 after suffering from cancer, is still today considered on of the country’s greatest motorcycle racers – hence the expectation for this rare model to achieve a high sale price this weekend.

Barn-find 1964 Lambretta GT200 scooter
Auction: H&H Classics National Motorcycle Museum Sale, Birmingham – 27 October
Estimate: £3,000-£4,000

This ‘extremely rare’ 1964 Lambretta GT 200 Italian has been sitting in a makeshift lean-to shed since 1976 and was uncovered in July before being brought to auction later this month.

While it needs plenty of restoration, Mike Davis of H&H, said: ‘There has been lots of commission bids already after it appeared on our website for the coming sale. I will not be surprised if it far exceeds its estimate. It is a fantastic opportunity to restore and ride.’

The scooter is mostly complete with original tinware and it has been confirmed as a correct numbers machine.

The engine turns over with compression. It comes with an old RF60 continuation logbook, but the V5c will have to be applied for. Once restored by its new owner, it would easily become a collector’s item.

by Otilia Drăgan from https://www.autoevolution.com

World’s Smartest Electric Motorcycle to Be Produced at Brand-New Plant in Vancouver

Whether two-wheeled or four-wheeled, electric vehicles are taking over the roads by storm, offering not just a clean energy alternative, but also advanced connectivity and the latest tech. One of them is Hypersport, Damon Motorcycles’ flagship model, set to enter production at the company’s new plant.

The concern for a green, sustainable future extended beyond the vehicles themselves, to the manufacturing process. Several carmakers have already opened or planning to open sustainable production plants, and Damon is doing the same in the motorcycle sector. The Canadian company recently unveiled its latest facility, located in Surrey, British Columbia.

Developed together with Bosa Properties, the new production plant is a state-of-the-art, 110,000 square foot (10,219 square meters) facility that will not only become “ground zero” for the Damon electric motorcycles, but will also premiere a cleaner, advanced manufacturing process.

This new milestone adds to the brand’s success, after recently having surpassed $40 million in orders for the award-winning Hypersport, presented as “the world’s smartest, safest, fully electric motorcycle”. This innovative motorcycle is based on the brand’s proprietary electric powertrain, Hyperdrive, which is the first monocoque-constructed, fully electric, multi-variant powertrain on the market.

With an aerodynamic design and having passed through extensive wind tunnel testing, Hyperdrive claims to deliver better speed, range, and acceleration than any previous powertrain. The battery was designed for top performance, but also to be as light as possible. Hyperdrive is integrated as a structural component of the motorcycle itself, and the battery enclosure acts as the bike’s load-bearing frame.

The high-tech motorcycle also boasts an award-winning 360-degree Advanced Warning System that uses integrated windscreen LEDs, a long-range radar, plus front and rear cameras, to warn the rider of potential danger. Shift is another innovative feature that allows the rider to switch between commuter and sport positions while in motion, with the simple touch of a button.

The Hypersport line includes four models, with pricing ranging from $16,995 to $39,995.

PRESS RELEASE:

Damon Motors today announced it will build a cleantech manufacturing and R&D plant in Surrey B.C. The state-of-the-art, 110,000 square foot facility, being developed in partnership with Bosa Properties, will serve as ground zero for production of Damon’s flagship HyperSport, the world’s smartest, safest, fully electric motorcycle. Details will be revealed at a special kickoff ceremony on October 5, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. at the Surrey City Hall Atrium. Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum and Bruce Ralston, British Columbia Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, will be among the dignitaries in attendance.

“As Damon accelerates a clean energy future with our electric vehicles, we’re also introducing a cleaner, industry-leading manufacturing process,” said Jay Giraud, co-founder and CEO, Damon Motors. “We’re excited to produce our highly anticipated HyperSport motorcycles here in Surrey, British Columbia and look forward to this world-class facility delivering the safest and cleanest premium, high-technology motorcycles on the market.”

“We, at Bosa Family Companies, are proud to partner with such an exciting, new company to bring this site to life and drive new green jobs in our region,” added John Martin, Vice President at Bosa Commercial. “This local start-up success story is a source of great pride for British Columbians, and we’re pleased to be part of the strategy to keep Damon Motors thriving here at home.”

The new Damon manufacturing plant is expected to stimulate Surrey’s local economy with several hundred jobs. Projections suggest that by 2025, the plant will create more than 300 high-tech manufacturing jobs and more than 500 high-tech office jobs.

“British Columbia is quickly becoming an EV hotspot and the arrival of the Damon Motors manufacturing facility puts Surrey right in the middle of it,” said Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum. We’re honored Damon has selected Surrey for its production headquarters and are proud to welcome this dynamic and innovative young company to our city.”

“B.C. is home to many innovative clean-tech companies that are helping us grow as a leader in the electric vehicle sector,” said Bruce Ralston, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. “We’re proud to support Damon Motors who will help us meet our Clean BC goals and create new good-paying jobs in the province. The strength of the innovative approach Damon Motors exhibits will propel the company toward being a global leader.”

Damon’s manufacturing plant announcement comes as the company has surpassed $40M in orders for the award-winning HyperSport. The electric superbike offers unparalleled safety, comfort, and performance with groundbreaking technology and zero tailpipe emissions. It features the CoPilot™ advanced warning system, Shift™, which transforms the riding position between sport and commuter modes while in motion, and HyperDrive™, the world’s first monocoque constructed, 100 percent electric, multi-variant powertrain platform.

Vancouver startup Damon Motors to build electric motorcycles in Surrey
Vancouver EV maker Damon Motors will occupy a 110,000 square foot facility being built by Bosa Properties
by David Carrigg from https://vancouversun.com

Vancouver electric safety system and motorcycle maker Damon Motors will move in to a new manufacturing facility in Surrey in 2022.

The company, founded in 2017 by Jay Giraud and Dom Kwong, started by developing safety systems for motorcycles that use sensors and cameras to identify risk in blind spots and for frontal collision.

Over the next two years an electric motorcycle was developed with a powertrain comprising frame, battery pack and electric motor (incorporating the safety technology). This was called the HyperSport.

The company announced in March this year it had received $30 million in startup funding and had orders for $20 million worth of motorcycles, which sell for between $20,000 and $45,000. Recently, the company announced it had $40 million worth of orders and that it was sold out for 2022.

HyperSport motorcycles are currently being built in a Vancouver facility on Powell Street, but as of October 2022 will be made in a 110,000 square-foot facility near the Pattullo Bridge and Scott Road SkyTrain station being developed by Bosa Properties. Bosa will lease the space to Damon Motors.

In a prepared statement, Giraud said the City of Surrey had helped expedite the process.

“Surrey has welcomed us with open arms and we look forward to continue to innovate and further solidify both Damon and Surrey as clean-tech leaders in the electric vehicle industry and beyond,” he said.

“As Damon accelerates a clean energy future with our electric vehicles, we’re also introducing a cleaner, industry-leading manufacturing process. We’re excited to produce our highly anticipated HyperSport motorcycles here in Surrey, British Columbia and look forward to this world-class facility delivering the safest and cleanest premium, high-technology motorcycles on the market.”

By 2025, the facility is expected to employ 800 people.

On Tuesday, B.C. Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation Bruce Ralston said the government had given $400,000 in innovation funding to the company to use developing the powertrain system — and this would create 11 jobs.

Complete Photo Coverage of The 2021 Race of Gentlemen
From Wildwood, NJ

by Jack McIntyre

Click Here to see the Amazing Photo Galleries on Bikernet.com

Join the Cantina for more – Subscribe Today.

https://www.bikernet.com/pages/custom/subscription.aspx

All the Action, Girls, Bikes, Shows, Concerts, You Name It!

Photography by Jack McIntyre

Relive the Adventure and also Discover all that you may have missed.

Click Here to See All the Buffalo Chip Photos in the Cantina Section.

Subscribe to Bikernet and keep the Party going !!!

https://www.bikernet.com/pages/custom/subscription.aspx

For All the Old and Latest Photo Coverage of Motorcycle Events – Click Here.

Zodiac is now 52 years old and is a manufacturer and wholesaler of custom and replacement parts for Harley-Davidson and American V-Twin motorcycles.

1969 is the same year of the movie Easy Rider, with arguably the most iconic chopper; Captain America, starring in it. “But it’s also an ode to Indian Larry, the chopper builder who stuck 100% to the style of choppers and bobbers of that era.”

Describing their cool chopper, Vincent explains, “Hence the name ‘Captain Larry'”

Zodiac International B.V. (Vincent Pels)
The Netherlands

Click Here to See This Photo Feature Article on European Custom Motorcycles.

Join the Cantina for more – Subscribe Today.

https://www.bikernet.com/pages/custom/subscription.aspx

This cool chopper was built in Zodiac’s workshop. Zodiac is now 52 years old and is a manufacturer and wholesaler of custom and replacement parts for Harley-Davidson and American V-Twin motorcycles.

1969 is the same year of the movie Easy Rider, with arguably the most iconic chopper; Captain America, starring in it. “But it’s also an ode to Indian Larry, the chopper builder who stuck 100% to the style of choppers and bobbers of that era. A number of style elements such as the dished Mustang tank and the engine with cylinder heads from different construction years is something he was known for. Hence the name ‘Captain Larry’,” explains Vincent.

The chopper is completely built with parts from the Zodiac warehouse. “Charles, our mechanic at Zodiac, gets all the credits for building this bike,” said Vincent Pels, CEO of the Zodiac company. ”I always come up with the design, the styling and the parts that we will use for the creations we make and discuss this with our employees, but Charles always has to make all those ideas reality. Kudos!”

The Dordrecht Traffic Bridge, also called the Dordrecht City Bridge, consists of two bridges, a half-timbered bridge and a bascule bridge, spanning the river Oude Maas. It is the hometown of Jacco Reniers, better known as Royal Jack, who did the beautiful painting on Captain Larry. That’s why we meet here to take pictures, while Vincent talks about the latest Zodiac creation.

Vincent immediately points enthusiastically to the sexy shaped petrol tank, “The dished tank is made from one of our Mustang tanks and was initially designed and meant to be a ‘one-off’. We grinded the sides out of a tank and turned them over, so that the concave side is now inward. Quite a job, but the end-result was so beautiful that we immediately made a second one which we sent as a prototype to Zodiac Taiwan to have it produced there. They are already in our online catalog and the tanks should arrive soon.”

The engine with two different cylinder heads, Panhead and Shovelhead, is striking and the whole is a S&S 1530cc engine in old style but with modern technology and power. “Basically it is a Panhead-style engine from S&S. The Alt-Gen version, which resembles the old Generator engine, but has a modern (alternator) charging system. For this we have set up an S&S Shovelhead-style cylinder head. The bolt pattern is identical, only the recess of the cylinder edge in the head had to be slightly larger. Furthermore, it was a matter of mounting longer pushrods and ready!” explains Vincent.

Naturally, all parts come from Zodiac’s warehouses. How nice it must be to be able to walk with your shopping cart between all those thousands and thousands of parts and thus assemble your motorcycle yourself. “Well, actually anyone can do that too.” Vincent replies, “You can shop and order digitally on our website, and put together everything for your dream motorcycle to be built or converted, and with the push of a button you can send the wish list to your favorite Zodiac dealer in your area.” Not everyone has the space, tools, machines, technical knowledge and materials to ‘just’ build or rebuild a custom bike themselves, but with the help of the many thousands of parts from the Zodiac catalog a fantastically beautiful creation can be built, such as this example, the Captain Larry.

The motorcycle is not completely street legal, but it is mainly the little things that you hardly see, such as the mini turn signals, with which Zodiac shows that you can still build a nice bike, despite many legal regulations. “It is therefore just an example of the style of motorcycle you can build with Zodiac parts,” explains Vincent, “We take this bike to shows and fairs to show what the possibilities are. Since the old style chopper is so popular now and given Zodiac’s more than 50 years old roots, we chose this model.”

Mechanic Charles used parts from the warehouse with minimal modifications, while also paying attention to ease of use. Riding a chopper does of course require some extra attention, if not only for the brakes, clutch and shifting system. “Indeed, suicide clutch and manual transmission are not commonplace, the first time you ride the motorcycle it is of course a ‘special’ feeling,” Vincent says, “But you get used to it quickly and after a few kilometers you don’t know any better, ” adds Jacco, who rode Captain Larry with great pleasure.

Painter Jacco ‘Royal Jack’ talks about the collaboration with Zodiac, “Vincent approached me about painting their new show bike that also had to be on the catalog cover. Of course I was interested in the assignment. I also got to do the previous cover bike for Zodiac, which really feels like an honor. This time it would be a real old school bike with suicide shift and all. Vincent always has a good eye on what he does and/or doesn’t want, but certainly leaves enough freedom for my own input. Sparring about such a paint job is also fun, especially if you have a certain ‘click’ with someone, like in this case with Vincent, and you ‘lift’ each other in ideas.

Vincent came up with the idea to take a light color as a base and give it a bit of a cartoonish touch. We also wanted to try to keep the Zodiac colors in, so I incorporated them into the hand-painted graphics and the pinstriping. For the base, a Pearl White has been chosen that changes in the light to cream color. Furthermore, all graphics are hand painted. I designed the sides of the tank beforehand so we could see if the idea would work. It has become a bit of Mexican ‘Dias de los Muertos’ look. If you pay attention to the details, you see that the motorcyclist has a bottle of Corona beer in his hand, to emphasize that the bike was built in the hectic COVID-19 time. I also deliberately redrawn the engine for both sides of the tank, because otherwise the engine is mirrored on one side, which is not correct. All in all it turned out to be a top bike if you ask me.”

Something we totally agree with! The bike exudes the typical seventies style, the radiant S&S engine as the centerpiece, the pearl white paintjob with the funny cartoon, the Springer fork and high exhausts. When you see the Captain Larry standing like this, you expect Peter Fonda and Indian Larry to be talking next to the chopper any moment. It is certainly an ode to Indian Larry, the New York custom bike builder would undoubtedly have been very proud of it!

You can see Captain Larry extensively with your own eyes at various shows and fairs.

GENERAL
Owner: Zodiac International B.V.
Builder: Zodiac International B.V.
Brand: Zodiac/Kraft Tech/S&S
Model: Hardtail Chopper
Construction time: 12 months

ENGINE
Year of construction: 2020
Builder: S&S Cycle / Zodiac
Displacement: 93CI (1,530cc)
Type: Pan/Shovel Altenator/Generator

Carter: S&S Cycle P-Series
Crankshaft: S&S Cycle 4 1/2″ Stroke
Pistons: S&S Cycle Forged
Cylinders: S&S Cycle 3 5/8″ Bore
Cylinder Heads: Front S&S Cycle Shovelhead, Rear S&S Cycle Panhead
Valves: S&S Cycle
Camshaft, brand and specifications: S&S Cycle 585
Cam Followers: S&S Cycle
Oil Pump: S&S Cycle
Fuel System: S&S Super E
Air filter housing: Kustom Tech

Ignition: Dyna-S
Exhaust System: V-Twin Upswept headers with Zodiac Trumpet mufflers

PRIMARY, TRANSMISSION AND CLUTCH
Primary drive: BDL 1-1/2” Belt drive kit
Primary cover: Zodiac Early style chrome plated
Secondary Drive: Tsubaki 530 Nickel Plated Chain
Gearbox: Zodiac 4-speed with Kustom Tech Hod Rod hand shifter
Clutch: Zodiac 5-stud with Zodiac foot control

CHASSIS:
Frame: Kraft-Tech Hardtail Wishbone
Fork: Custom Springer
Front wheel: Zodiac 1.85×21” Rolled Edge rim with Kustom Tech mini drum brake

Rear wheel: Zodiac 3.00×16” rim with Kustom Tech hydraulic drum brake
Brakes: Kustom Tech drum brakes

MISCELLANEOUS
Rear fender: Zodiac Bobbed flat, 6”
Fender Stays: V-Twin 49” Sissybar
Fuel tank: Zodiac Mustang Laredo dished
Oil tank: Zodiac Softail style Domed
Handlebar: Zodiac 13-1/2” Ape
Risers: V-Twin Speedfreak 1” and Samwel Dog Bones 4”

Grips: Müller Internal throttle with Carpenter Revolver style wooden grips
Switch Housings/Brake Clutch Lever: Zodiac Prime Custom Switch Housings / Zodiac Custom Brake Lever
Headlight: V-Twin Triangle
Rear light: V-Twin Finger with license plate bracket

Turn signals: Kellermann Atto

Saddle: Le Pera Baron II King & Queen style
Sissy bar: V-Twin 49”

Forward controls: Zodiac backing plate for hydraulic brake
Footpegs: Zodiac ribbed custom footpegs

Brake clutch pedal: V-Twin hydraulic brake pedal and foot clutch

SPRAY WORK
Color: Mother of pearl white
Type and brand of paint: Just ask Jacco
Painter: Jacco
Special Paint / logos: Jacco

Idea: Zodiac / Vincent Pels
Design: Jacco

THANKS TO: Charles and Jacco

You can also find all parts here: https://zodiac.nl/docs/documents/parts-lists/captain-larry-partslist.pdf
Captain Larry has his own Gallery page: https://zodiac.nl/gallery/captain-larry/

CONTACT
Zodiac International B.V. (Vincent Pels)
Industrieweg 44
3641 RM Mijdrecht
The Netherlands
Phone. +31(0)297-288621
Email: sales@zodiac.nl