by Arun Prakash from https://www.rushlane.com Hot Wheels Super73-RX offers a top speed of 45 kmph while it can travel at a continuous speed of 32 kmph Hot Wheels is known for creating scaled size toy models of famous automobiles. But they are much more than just a toy manufacturer. The company has collaborated with American electric bicycle maker Super73 to build a real-life model based on the flagship Super73-RX. Only 24 units of Hot Wheels X Super73-RX have been made and not surprisingly all 24 units have been sold out already. Each such unit has been priced at USD 5,000 (approx. INR 3.71 lakh). The electric motorcycle gets a cosmetic overhaul over the standard model and looks much prettier to the eyes. However, it gets the same specs as the regular Super73 RX.

SEE BIKE AT https://super73.com/collections/r-series/products/super73-hot-wheels

Funky Styling The Hot Wheels edition of Super73 RX gets wrapped around in a slick new livery with Hot Wheels branding on the blue and orange tank along with similarly coloured stripes on the frame. The unique paint scheme is complemented by the panels dipped in black which lends it a sporty appeal. Foam on the handlebar and custom embroidered seat sourced from Saddlemen also scream of the Hot Wheels brand. The headlight gets a tint of yellow while the special medals have been made by Crankbrothers. To keep consistency with the all-black theme of the bike, the makers have blacked out the battery tank pads, chain and the large stainless steel panel situated in the middle of the frame. The electric bicycle rides on wire-spoked wheels with bronze rims shod by knobby tyres block patterns so that it could perform mild off-roading. Specifications Coming to its powertrain specs, the E-bike is powered by a 960-watt-hour battery which sends energy to a motor mounted on the rear wheel. The 2 kW motor returns an output of 2.7 bhp on electric power alone, the bike can travel up to 65 kms at a speed of 32 kmph. The rider can, however, extend the range up to 120 kms by riding the pedal in the Eco pedal assist mode. Top speed on Super73 RX has been rated 45 kmph. It takes 3-4 hours to juice up the battery from zero to 100 percent with a five-amp charger. By using a 3-amp charger the same task can be accomplished in 6-7 hours. What also benefits the bike is that at 36 kilos (inclusive of the battery pack), it is extremely nimble and easy to handle. Additional Goody Each unit is built on a pre-order and it takes 12-16 weeks for a single unit to be built before getting dispatched at the owner’s doorstep. While USD 5,000 may seem too pricey for an e-bike, Hot Wheels aficionados wouldn’t mind shedding these bucks. Keeping in mind that each beneficiary is gifted a scaled-size Hot Wheels model of Ford Bronco as a compliment.

by Adreon Patterson from https://www.cinemablend.com

Motorcycles and Indiana Jones have been synonymous with each other since Raiders of the Lost Ark. Of course, seeing Harrison Ford riding motorbikes in ancient ruins left an impression on moviegoers. One of those moviegoers was Hollywood’s go-to motorcycle guy Justin Kell. He loved being on set and seeing Ford in full Indy mode, but there was one recurring hilarious moment. Kell recalled a major distraction while working on the set of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Taking part in an Indiana Jones film would be any fan’s dream. And Justin Kell got to witness so many things while working on Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Of course, motorcycles are a huge part of the Indy legacy. So, it only made sense for Kell to be part of the production. The motorcycle expert gave a peek into what working on the Indiana Jones sequel was like.

“One of the distractions I had to deal with was Steven Spielberg’s DP, who was a rider, and every once in awhile would snag one of the bikes when I wasn’t looking. I would be with my guys, hear one of them fire up, and watch as he drove by us with the middle finger raised. [Laughs.] Of course, all of that was clearly worth it, especially when I first got to set to see Spielberg behind the camera and Harrison Ford walked out in that Indy costume. Not to mention I got to ride a Harley through the library at Yale College, a scene a lot of people remember. That was one of those experiences you can’t buy.”

For anyone who grew up on the Indiana Jones films, seeing Harrison Ford in full Indy garb would be any fan’s goal. Fortunately, Justin Kell got to live out that moment. Stealing a motorcycle for a joyride is one thing. But you’re talking about a motorcycle meant for a multi-million blockbuster directed by the one and only Steven Spielberg and starring a film icon like Harrison Ford. But then again, it’s Spielberg’s DP. Who’s going to tell Spielberg’s right-hand man ‘no’? So, you must give the guy credit for giving a middle finger and just dealing with the consequences later.

But you can see where having that many bike enthusiasts on set filming could be a headache. That would make anyone anxious especially if the DP had wrecked the bike. Well, all that anxiety was worth it if you get to see Indiana Jones in the flesh. But a bike-stealing photography director and Harrison Ford himself were just small parts of the on-set distraction.

According to Justin Kell, Harrison Ford wasn’t the only distraction he had to deal with. Kell revealed to Inside Hook Harrison’s co-star Shia LaBeouf was his neighbor during the production of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. He recalled LeBeouf trying to peek at his work. Until his moments with the DP, the motorbike expert managed to keep the actor at bay.

Dealing with so many distractions was a slight annoyance compared to seeing Harrison Ford in action. While critics and fans may not have enjoyed the Indiana Jones sequel, it was nice to know the motorcycle expert has a wonderful time. To see Indy riding bikes so effortlessly, you can watch Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull on Hulu and Prime Video. That can occupy your time until Indiana Jones 5 finishes production and arrives in theaters.

Change is in the Wind
By K. Randall Ball

Bandit couldn’t wait to peel back to the Cantina. He had a ton on his mind, but the ride felt good. The bike and his mental load lifted without the yipping Melody around, but there was way more.

The highway up the Grape Vine blistered with heat but contained mild traffic. He leaned through the curves as if he floated on air unincumbered by the world around him.

Click Here to Read the New Adventure in the Bandit’s Cantina Biker Fiction Series.

Join the Cantina for more exclusive motorcycle content – Subscribe Today.

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

Hundreds of biker’s rights activists from across the country gathered in America’s Heartland to discuss strategies and hear status updates regarding key issues of importance to all concerned motorcyclists, as the NCOM Convention convened July 23-25, 2021 at the Holiday Inn – Airport in Des Moines, Iowa for a weekend of learning, sharing and camaraderie.

From First Aid to traffic stops, this year’s NCOM Convention addressed legal, legislative and lifesaving topics, including a featured presentation on “The Demise of Gas-Powered Vehicles” by the NCOM Legislative Task Force that explored existential threats to our sport and lifestyle.

Other informative seminars included “Insurance Law and the Big Fight” during the A.I.M. Attorney Conference along with a “Biker’s View of the Law” talk by NCOM Public Relations Liaison Bill Bish, and “Protect Your Privacy & Probable Cause” by A.I.M. Attorney Joey Lester.

The Silver Spoke Awards Banquet honored Darrin Brook, Vice President of ABATE of Florida, with the Silver Spoke Award for Media; Michigan A.I.M. Attorney Dondi Vesprini for Legal, and in a stirring dedication, Boar, NCOM Board of Directors Club Liaison, presented the Ron Roloff Lifetime Achievement Award, NCOM’s highest honor, to former EMS Dick “Slider” Gilmore, SOS for his lively and life-saving “Two Wheel Trauma” first responder presentations across the country over the years.

SENATE PASSES HIGHWAY BILL WITHOUT MOST MOTORCYCLE PROVISIONS
The U.S. Senate passed their version of the Highway Bill 69-30 on August 10, a $1.2 trillion 2,000+ page Infrastructure measure to rebuild the nation’s deteriorating roads and bridges and fund new climate resilience and broadband initiatives, but lacking the motorcycle-friendly provisions of the previously-passed House version, including only the reestablishment of the Motorcyclists Advisory Council (MAC).

The House Highway Bill contains several key provisions benefiting motorcycle riders; such as expanding prohibitions on motorcycle-only checkpoints, prohibiting law enforcement activities that profile motorcycle operators, evaluating biker profiling by law enforcement, specifies that motorcycles must be considered in autonomous vehicle operation, allocates increased motorcyclist safety funding, and reauthorizes the MAC at the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Typically, the Highway Bill would be taken up by a conference committee of both chambers to iron out any differences before sending a final compromise measure to the President for his signature or veto, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has indicated that they will not take up the bill until the Senate passes a separate, even more ambitious $3.5 trillion social policy bill.

FEDS LAUNCH BROAD INVESTIGATION INTO AUTOPILOT ACCIDENTS
U.S. regulators have launched the biggest investigation of Tesla’s Autopilot software since the driving-assistance technology was introduced, investigating a string of collisions with emergency vehicles that resulted in numerous injuries and at least one fatality.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced its Office of Defect Investigations opened the official review on August 13 to look into 11 crashes across 9 states involving Teslas hitting vehicles at “first responder scenes.”  An estimated 765,000 vehicles produced between 2014 and 2021, including every Tesla model, are covered in the investigation.

It will “assess the technologies and methods used to monitor, assist and enforce the driver’s engagement with the dynamic driving task during Autopilot operation,” NHTSA said.  The investigation will assess the effectiveness of the system’s “Object and Event Detection and Response” and circumstances under which Autopilot is designed to be functional.

California’s state Senate has passed Senate Resolution 41 by a vote of 39-0 on July 12 to “promote increased public awareness on the issue of motorcyclist profiling.”

Introduced by state Senator Anna Caballero (D-Salinas), SR-41 “encourages collaboration and communication between the motorcycle community and local and state law enforcement agencies to engage in efforts to end motorcycle profiling,” and further “urges state law enforcement officials to include statements condemning motorcycle profiling in written policies and training materials.”

VIRGINIA TO STUDY LANE-FILTERING
When House Bill 1236 to permit “lane-filtering” stalled last year on a 3-3 tied vote in subcommittee, Virginia Senator David Marsden (D-Fairfax Co.), chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, requested the state’s department of motor vehicles to commission a stakeholder study on the possibility of motorcycle lane-filtering.

“Several meetings will take place between now and the end of the year, at which point the DMV will issue a report to Senator Marsden,” said Scott Schloegel of the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) who will be participating in the study.  “We’re seeing more states taking an interest in what California has allowed for decades.  Oregon’s governor recently vetoed a bill to allow lane-filtering and not long ago, Montana’s legislature passed a bill allowing it.”

HB-1236 proposed to allow lane-filtering — riding between cars — when traffic is moving at 10 mph or slower and the riders are traveling at 20 mph or less.

“We hope the study will show that lane filtering is an accepted safe practice in not only a few states here, but also many countries in the rest of the world,” observed John Bilotta, Operations Director for ABATE of Virginia and NCOM Board Member, in reporting on the study at the recent NCOM Convention in Des Moines.

After a dip in average attendance during 2020, due primarily to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the 81st annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally has been one of the busiest in recent memory, report officials at the event.

“There are more people here than in the 31 years I’ve been doing this,” Meade County Sheriff Ron Merwin told the Rapid City Journal.  Sturgis Public Information Officer Christina Steele said officials have heard the rally numbers could reach the 2015 record level of more than 700,000 attendees.

Public health officials have been raising Coronavirus-related concerns about the rally since before it started, particularly with the more contagious delta variant spreading across the U.S., but South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (R), who rode to the rally, baulked at the analysis, calling ‘super-spreader’ fears “fiction.”

When the Coronavirus outbreak shut down the country last year, highways emptied out as many people holed up at home. But those who got behind the wheel engaged in riskier behavior, leading to the deadliest year for U.S. traffic crashes in over a decade.

Traffic data indicates the higher death toll was related to higher average speeds in conjunction with more of those on the roads driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol and a slight decline in seatbelt use.

The outcome was grim.  About 38,680 people died in vehicle crashes in the U.S. last year — the highest number since 2007, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).  Despite fewer cars on the road, fatalities also increased among motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians, even as the number of miles driven nationwide dropped by 13.2% compared to 2019.

In the end, traffic deaths nationwide in 2020 grew about 7.2%, and based on preliminary data from the first three months of this year, 2021 has the potential to be even worse.

The recent rise in speeding and deadly crashes has been seen in all regions of the country.

“Some of the drivers on the road seemed to feel traffic laws no longer applied during the pandemic because of the decrease in commuter traffic volume,” said Sgt. Blake White, a spokesperson for the Colorado State Patrol.

As drivers have trickled back onto the highways, they’ve had to adjust to sharing space with others after a year of open roads. One result has been increased road rage and other aggressive behaviors; Sgt. White told CNN.

As Americans hit the road this summer, they are finding a nasty surprise: high gas prices.

According to Patrick De Haan, the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, gas prices in some states are at their highest level since 2014, while others are at their highest since 2018.

The national average fuel price this August runs about $3.18 per gallon — 43% higher than this time last year.

The highest ever gas price average $4.11 on July 17, 2008, according to AAA.

Gasoline demand is also nearing pre-pandemic levels.  But this year, the rise in gas prices doesn’t just come from demand, the issue lies with a shortage of truck drivers.

IMS NYC CANCELLED DUE TO COVID RESTRICTIONS
2020 was a strange and stressful year when most motorcycle shows were canceled.  But if 2020 was the year of cancellation, 2021 has so far been a year of uncertainty, as this entire year has a caveat that events may be changed and/or canceled at any time.

CoViD strikes again, as the Progressive IMS Outdoors New York City stop will not be happening this year, as announced via Instagram and Facebook; “As a result of the state of New York’s recent decision to enforce proof of vaccination and rapid testing for public events of scale, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the New York event.”

QUOTABLE QUOTE:
“The greatest glory of a free-born people is to transmit that freedom to their children.”

 

THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought to you by Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and is sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. If you’ve been involved in any kind of accident, call us at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit www.ON-A-BIKE.com.

It’s Gonna Get Good!

Hey,

The rally is over. I’ve heard incredible numbers.

A collaboration between Keith “Bandit” Ball, Whiskey River Art, and Support Good Times. Available in black or white, with choice of front or back print on 6.1 oz. 100% preshrunk cotton.

Ride fast and free forever.

–Bandit

Click Here to Read the Bikernet Weekly News now.

Join the Cantina for more – Subscribe Today.

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

Hey,

The rally is over. I’ve heard incredible numbers. I’m monitoring illness all over the country searching for rally related outbreaks. Nothing much yet. Folks are fighting over Obama’s birthday party and a party the Texas Governor attended.

My son finally broke down and got vaccinated, but Sin Wu is holding out. She’s afraid of side effects. This vaccine is administered by one of the most harmless shots I’ve ever encountered. Hell, ya hardly know you got the shot before the nurse says, “See ya.”

Because of the quarantine, we won’t hit it to Bonneville this year with the Salt Torpedo. We could never reach the team at the Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials or receive any info. Plus, we needed a Sponsor or two, but the quarantine sealed the deal. Hell, I needed to find a trailer. We might look at the Ohio mile coming up.

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.

CHRIS MAKES THE SNAP-ON CALENDAR–My 1969 AMX is on the 2022 Snap-on mini Snap-Shots calendar!!! And just like I hoped, it is the car for July! I don’t have the hard copies yet, but our Snap-on® dealer, Kevin Griffith sent us this photo last night. Hopefully we will have them Monday. My husband Gabe had his 1946 Harley UL Flathead featured on the 2021 Snap-on® Snap Shots calendar.

The Mini Snap-Shots calendar reaches over a quarter million people each year.

The Snap-shots series of calendars was developed by Snap-on® Tools in 1995 as a tribute to the dedicated professionalism of automotive technicians and hobbyists who use Snap-on® products. The calendars annually have featured Snap-on® customers’ custom and classic vehicles they have created, restored or maintained.

Snap-on® franchises and representatives invite customers to submit photographs of custom or classic vehicles they own, which are then reviewed and narrowed down to a final group. I was notified in March that I had been selected as a finalist to be considered for one of the three calendars that Snap-on® produces: Snap-shots wall calendar, mini calendar and Tech Toys.

Snap-shot calendars are available from local Snap-on® Tools franchises or representatives and are distributed all around the world.

–Chris Gibbany
Moto-journalist/Event host/Bike builder
Old Iron Never Dies!

STUDY FINDS SUN—NOT CO2—May Be Behind Global Warming

New peer-reviewed paper finds evidence of systemic bias in UN IPCC’s data selection to support climate-change narrative

The sun and not human emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) may be the main cause of warmer temperatures in recent decades, according to a new study with findings that sharply contradict the conclusions of the United Nations (UN) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The peer-reviewed paper, produced by a team of almost two dozen scientists from around the world, concluded that previous studies did not adequately consider the role of solar energy in explaining increased temperatures.

The new study was released just as the UN released its sixth “Assessment Report,” known as AR6, that once again argued in favor of the view that man-kind’s emissions of CO2 were to blame for global warming. The report said human responsibility was “unequivocal.”

But the new study casts serious doubt on the hypothesis.

Calling the blaming of CO2 by the IPCC “premature,” the climate scientists and solar physicists argued in the new paper that the UN IPCC’s conclusions blaming human emissions were based on “narrow and incomplete data about the Sun’s total irradiance.”

Indeed, the global climate body appears to display deliberate and systemic bias in what views, studies, and data are included in its influential reports, multiple authors told The Epoch Times in a series of phone and video interviews.

“Depending on which published data and studies you use, you can show that all of the warming is caused by the sun, but the IPCC uses a different data set to come up with the opposite conclusion,” lead study author Ronan Connolly, Ph.D. told The Epoch Times in a video interview.

“In their insistence on forcing a so-called scientific consensus, the IPCC seems to have decided to consider only those data sets and studies that support their chosen narrative,” he added.

The implications, from a policy perspective, are enormous, especially in this field where trillions of dollars are at stake and a dramatic re-organization of the global economy is being proposed.

Paper Examines Sun Vs. CO2

Using publicly available data sets from the U.S. government and other sources, it is easy to explain all of the warming observed in recent decades using nothing but changes in solar energy arriving on Earth, according to the new paper.

Indeed, while it agrees that using the data sets chosen by the UN would imply humans are largely to blame, the study includes multiples graphs showing that simply choosing different data sets not used by the UN upends the IPCC’s conclusion.

If confirmed, the study, published in the international scientific journal Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics (RAA) by experts from over a dozen countries, would represent a devastating blow to the UN IPCC and its conclusion that man’s emissions of CO2 are the sole or even primary driver of warming.

—www.epochtimes.com

STURGIS BIKE WEEK “BUSIEST IN YEARS”
After a dip in average attendance during 2020, due primarily to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the 81st annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally has been one of the busiest in recent memory, report officials at the event.

“There are more people here than in the 31 years I’ve been doing this,” Meade County Sheriff Ron Merwin told the Rapid City Journal. Sturgis Public Information Officer Christina Steele said officials have heard the rally numbers could reach the 2015 record level of more than 700,000 attendees.

Public health officials have been raising Coronavirus-related concerns about the rally since before it started, particularly with the more contagious delta variant spreading across the U.S., but South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (R), who rode to the rally, baulked at the analysis, calling ‘super-spreader’ fears “fiction.”

–Bill Bish
NCOM Newsbytes

NEW FROM THE NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM–1948 Indian Chief

Indian released the Indian Chief in 1922, about twenty years after they began manufacturing. Like the Power Plus, at 61 cubic inches, it became their new Standard. The Chief from 1940 on is probably Indian’s most widely known design, famous for the streamlined skirted fenders and fuel and oil tanks. This 1940 on styling has become a very lasting design that has always epitomized the Indian brand. It’s a true American classic.

Famed Indian design engineer Charles Franklin penned the Chief as a larger version of the very successful Scout. It became Indian’s biggest seller. Like the Scout it incorporated a forward thinking gear primary which… minimized maintenance. Chiefs originally displaced 61 cubic inches, were enlarged to 74 cubic inches in 1923, then to 80 cubic inches in 1950 near the end of production which was in 1953.

After offering a “spring frame” for only a few years in the ‘teens, rear suspension came back in 1940, Harley’s rear suspension hit in 1958. Telescopic hydraulic forks were added to the Chief in 1950, a year after they showed up on Harley’s big EL’s and FL’s. While Harley-Davidson developed their overhead valve twin for the 1936 model year, Indian seemed to focus on styling and got a little behind in engine design, sticking with the flathead twin until the end.

For about 15 years up until 1940, E. Paul DuPont owned Indian, and paint colors offered reflect the DuPont paint company’s wide array of offerings. Dubbed “The Heavy Duty Plugger” in some literature of the time, the Chief was ideal for sidecar use. Indian offered a very stylish sidecar, color matched.

This fine Indian Chief is graciously on loan form Ben Farrar of Rock Island, Illinois. It’s one of about 25 Indians from very early in production up through the times when the marque was bought by a succession of entities wishing to revive the brand.

Specifications:

Engine: 74 Cubic Inch, 42 Degree V-Twin
Type: Air-Cooled, Side-valve
Transmission: 3-Speed, Tank Shift
Clutch: Foot Operated
Horsepower: 38HP
Primary: Chain Driven
Frame: Lugged, Tubular Steel
Suspension: Girder Fork/Plunger Rear
Electrics: 6 Volt Battery/Coil
Wheels/Tires: 5.00 x 16 / 5.00 x 16
Brakes: Drum, Front and Rear
Wheelbase: 62 Inches
Weight: 575 Pounds
Top Speed: 85 MPH

BANDIT SUPPORTS GOOD TIMES–Support Good Times x Bandit Tshirt. A collaboration between Keith “Bandit” Ball, Whiskey River Art, and Support Good Times. Available in black or white, with choice of front or back print on 6.1 oz. 100% preshrunk cotton.

I’m wearing one today. The classic art says a lot. I remember having my bike shot for the first time for Easyriders in 1971. I met Lou Kimzey and Pete Chiodo for the first time. We worked together for decades after that day.

www.supportgoodtimes.com

NEW FULL THROTTLE MAGAZINE IS NOW ONLINE

?AUGUST 2021
FULL THROTTLE
MAGAZINE
Click Below to View

Deadline for the September Issue is approaching!!!!
August 25th is the Deadline to get into the September Issue

SPECIAL DEAL – Buy 3 Months FULL PAGE AD – Get One FREE!!!!
Buy 3 FULL PAGE ADS (Sept – Nov)
and get DEC. FREE!!!!

NEW CONNECTING RODS FROM WISECO–
Over three years in the making, Wiseco’s Racer Elite connecting rods were designed in-house and developed through extensive R&D, both with Wiseco’s in-house engine dyno and on the Supercross and Motocross circuits.

At the start of 2019, Wiseco began working closely with Dean Baker, head of engine development for JGRMX and 20+ year veteran of professional race team engine building and tuning. “Wiseco did a really good job of designing a rod that wasn’t going to have major failures or issues right out of the gate,” notes Baker.

“I didn’t have to re-work the first or second iteration, it was more of a progression. The revisions have now been passed on to the consumer.”

During testing, Racer Elite rods were put through an initial 20 hours of durability testing before being moved to an additional 30 hours of in-depth and real-world testing. These tests even involved taking engines well above their OEM RPM limit to ensure sustainability in extreme conditions.

“Proving out a part is an evolution, where you sneak up on being confident in a part or question it if failures occur,” explains Baker. “We did not have any failures with the Racer Elite connecting rod, so my confidence is high.”

Proudly made in-house in Wiseco’s Mentor, Ohio manufacturing facility, Racer Elite rods utilize proprietary steel forgings and are subject to several heat-treating methods, ultimately resulting in a high-strength part capable of delivering extended service life.

They are precision CNC-machined and held to tolerances as tight as one ten-thousandth of an inch, and feature a rolled-in bronze bushing in the small end, oiling slots and passages in both ends. Each and every Racer Elite connecting rod goes through in-depth inspection in Wiseco’s in-house quality control lab, using CMM equipment to measure all key dimensions.

The measurements and weight of each rod, along with a unique serial number, are recorded on a specification sheet and supplied in the box with each rod.

“The number-one benefit is the quality of the materials used. The OEM rod is a good part, but it’s also built specifically for what the stock horsepower output and RPM range is. If you’re using a Racer Elite rod, it’s taking a step up in allowable performance. It offers higher strength and quality, which are necessary to push the limits of what the engine can do in terms of horsepower and RPM,” concluded Baker.

Wiseco’s Racer Elite connecting rods are available for most newer model Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, KTM, Husqvarna and Suzuki motocross-specific four-strokes, as well as the Honda TRX450R and Yamaha YFZ450R ATV applications. Every Racer Elite connecting rod kit includes the rod, OEM-quality crank pin, big-end rod bearing, and thrust washers where applicable. For complete technical details on Racer Elite connecting rods and a list of available applications, visit:

blog.wiseco.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJkvP-xdbcE&t=10s

–Dealernews

TWIN POWER BRAND–Introduces Max+ Batteries, A New Line of
American-Made Batteries for V-Twin and Cruiser Motorcycles

Fort Worth TX – August 18, 2021 – Tucker Powersport’s Twin Power brand has added a new line of American-made, high-performance batteries to its product line and will begin shipping them to dealers today. The Max+ batteries feature the same AGM-technology as original equipment batteries and are a great solution for owners of V-Twins and Cruisers seeking a high-quality, OEM-type replacement battery, especially in a time of serious shortages in supply.

The new batteries are packed with features to enhance their cranking performance and longevity. Advanced AGM (Advanced Glass Mat) technology is employed in their design, and they are manufactured using a rugged OEM-style case and terminals.

The stainless-steel hardware and terminal inserts won’t rust or corrode. The factory-sealed, valve-regulated, maintenance-free design and leakproof pressurized vent system ensure safety and long life. Superior cold cranking amp performance and vibration resistance round out the impressive list of attributes.

“Most V-Twin owners are very particular about the products and accessories that they install, and many choose to use factory-supplied components. If you are looking for the same features and performance of your OEM battery, you will love the new Twin Power Max +. These babies check all the right boxes and are proudly Made in USA,” said James Simonelli, brand manager for Twin Power and Biker’s Choice brand products.

Max+ Batteries are available for most popular late-model V-Twin applications under several part numbers (485254 – 484257). Retail prices start at $124.95 for the TPM-14L, TPM-20H, TPM-20HL and TPM-30HL-type batteries.

BIKERNET UNIVERSITY ENGLISH DEPARTMENT VOCABULARY LESSON OF THE WEEK–vamoose
[ va-moos ]
verb (used without object)

to leave hurriedly or quickly; decamp.

WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF VAMOOSE?
Vamoose is an adaptation of the Spanish phrase vamos, and unlike the majority of recent borrowings from Spanish, which preserve the original spelling and approximate the original pronunciation, vamoose is one of a small family of terms borrowed over 100 years ago that changed so much in both letters and sound that their connection to Spanish is almost unrecognizable.

Alligator is one of these words; it comes from a Spanish phrase that means “the lizard.” So are buckaroo, an alteration of the Spanish word for “cowboy,” and cockroach, from Spanish cucaracha.

The closest relative of vamoose is savvy, which derives from Spanish sabe (usted), meaning “(you, formal) know,” and is still sometimes used as a verb in English.

HOW IS VAMOOSE USED?
Sitting beside Russo in the passenger seat of his wheezing Ford Galaxy, all throughout that long cross-country drive, was his mother. She’d decided it was time to vamoose, too, and who better to escape with than the son whom she always called her “rock.”

MAUREEN CORRIGAN, “CARING FOR MOM, DREAMING OF ‘ELSEWHERE,'” NPR, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

“The Brazilians prefer to make xixi in the streets,” he said. “We don’t have enough bathrooms for everyone.” Nearby, a woman was making her own bathroom right next to the entrance of a residential building, vamoosing only when the doorman, Clever Santos Chavez, chased her away.

TERRENCE MCCOY, “AT BRAZIL’S CARNIVAL, RIO DECLARES WAR ON A DAUNTING FOE: PUBLIC URINATION,” WASHINGTON POST, FEBRUARY 24, 2020

QUICK, New Bikernet Reader Comment!–STURGIS RALLY BIKERNET WEEKLY NEWS for August 12, 2021

https://www.bikernet.com/pages/STURGIS_RALLY_BIKERNET_WEEKLY_NEWS_for_August_12_2021.aspx

Covid sucks!! Take care yourself! We just spent 9 days in the hills and got out safe. Great rally, our 32nd and every one of them are different. Welcome to the badlands!! Ride on

–Rik Savenko
Bismarck, ND

STURGIS HOOK-UP–
It was great seeing you again after all these years, I’m surprised our paths haven’t crossed in the interim! Thanks for showing us your bikes and other cool stuff.

I have attached the ER feature of Judy and the ’42 UL. I still have the bike in the garage but haven’t started or ridden it in quite some time.

The antiques are fun but there is a lot to be said about pushing the “start” button and riding off! I gave Judy your greetings and thank you for complimenting the boys, we are very proud of them!

Maybe we can get together again the next time we get out to the Crook City cabin. We hope you are feeling better and wish you a speedy recovery from the virus!

Regards,
–Eric

NRA GUN NUT REPORT–On Thursday, the Assembly Appropriations Committee will hear two anti-gun bills. SB 264 imposes further restrictions on gun shows and SB 715 further restricts Second Amendment rights of young adults. Please go to the NRA web site to contact committee members and ask them to OPPOSE SB 264 and SB 715.

Senate Bill 264 bans state officers, employees, operators, lessees or licensees from entering into any agreement to allow for the sale of any firearm, firearm parts, or ammunition on property that is owned, leased, occupied, or operated by the state. This imposes a one-size-fits-all restriction to prevent officials from deciding how to use venues. In addition, this prevents businesses from renting taxpayer-funded venues for lawful activities.

Senate Bill 715 limits when a hunting license satisfies the requirements for adults under 21 purchasing a long gun. This means an individual who has purchased a license for an upcoming season will not satisfy the requirements in order to obtain a firearm for hunting.

Thank you for making your voice heard against these bills!

Yours in Freedom,

Ken Lan
Communications Coordinator
NRA-ILA

http://www.nrailafrontlines.com/

[page break]

TRUCKER REPORT–You Have Trouble Parking? At Least, You’re Not a Trucker

We need truckers—these men and women crisscross the country to bring goods to shelves everywhere, and without them, our economic engine would grind to a halt. Commercial truck driving is not an easy profession, but in 29 states, it is the most common.

Finding a place to park has become one of the biggest problems truck drivers currently face, and that is a safety problem for everyone on the road. Lack of available parking space ranks number three on the American Transportation Research Institute’s Top Industry Issues report.

The issue is not just about having enough parking spaces. Drivers have primary hour limits (or Hours of Service-HOS Rules) for property-carrying vehicles. They’re called the 14-hour limit and the 60/70 limit.

Under the first HOS rule, drivers cannot be on duty for more than 14 hours, can’t drive for more than 11 of those hours, and only eight of those hours may be driven consecutively. When truckers come on duty, they must have had ten consecutive hours off duty. The second HOS rule states that if drivers work over a period of seven consecutive days, they can only be on duty for a maximum of 60 hours over that period. If drivers work eight consecutive days, they can only be on duty for a maximum of 70 hours. Parking is critical to make those rules work.

Even though OOIDA (Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association) has been highlighting this parking shortage for more than a decade, parking capacity remains a significant problem in every corner of the US. The Federal Highway Administration’s National Coalition on Truck Parking found that parking shortages exist at all times of the day, week, and year. The situation is more acute overnight and on weekdays. Major freight corridors and large urban areas present the direst of situations.

OOIDA’s Director of Legislative Affairs Bryce Mongeon explains how this impacts individual trucks and even other motorists:

“If you have a driver who is tired or wants to take a break or they are coming up on a federally mandated rest break, they need a safe place to park. Because of the shortage, if they can’t find a parking space, they are put into a no-win situation and have to decide, ‘Do I pull over and park on the highway shoulder? Do I pull over and take a break? Do I keep driving while possibly fatigued in violation of hours-of-service rules to find a legal parking spot?’ Obviously, that is stressful for truck drivers, but, more broadly, we are talking to Congress about how this is a safety issue for everyone on the road. If there are trucks parked illegally on the shoulder, that’s a hazard for other motorists.”

The FHWA claims there are about 313,000 highway truck-parking spots nationally: 40,000 at public rest areas and 273,000 at private truck stops. Currently, not many new spaces are coming online. Between 2014 and 2019, truck parking capacity has only increased six and eleven percent for public and private venues respectively.

This is such an issue that Congress plans to help alleviate some of the problem. In the House’s multiyear highway policy bill, some representatives want to fund a $1 billion grant program to help expand facilities for truck drivers nationwide. Specifically, the US Department of Transportation would be required to provide $250 million each year between 2023 and 2026 for truck-parking programs around the country. These would be safe rest areas for commercial drivers.

American Trucking Associations VP of Highway Operations Darrin Roth told American Trucker in December 2020 that most states don’t intend to increase capacity. He said the same is true with 79 percent of private providers. Roth noted:

“Whereas 38 percent of truck tonnage is in 32 urban areas, just 8.5 percent of truck parking spaces are in those areas. This is likely because land in large urban areas is scarce and expensive, and NIMBYism has likely prevented truck stops from being able to locate or expand in these areas. It’s critical to drivers that they are able to stay in locations where they’re making deliveries (primarily large urban areas) to maximize efficiency.”

Minneapolis is a prime example of the parking shortage and the problems that cities have with big truck parking on the street. On July 23, 2021, the city council voted to ban trucks over 6,000 pounds from street parking. Residents and businesses have complained that large trucks parked on the street obstruct signage and fire hydrants. The trucks are noisy, emit noxious fumes, and encroach on travel lanes and, of course, reduce parking availability for businesses and residents.

A truck parking ban is indeed a problem for owner-operators. Both OOIDA and the Minnesota Trucking Association have voiced strong opposition to the proposed parking restrictions. MTA President John Hausladen told Transport Topics that the measure provides no meaningful city resources to address the need for adequate truck parking. He added:

“The Minnesota Trucking Association is extremely disappointed with the action of the Minneapolis City Council today. We should be looking for ways to provide more safe parking for truck drivers, instead of pursuing a policy that would diminish an essential industry and do real economic harm to the city.”

Adequate parking is just one of the issues that truckers face—yet another infrastructure problem that the US needs to fix.

–NMA

BIKERNET BOOK OF THE WEEK CLUB–

The Indian has been the iconic image for American big V-Twins down the years, due in no small measure to the motorcycles designed by Charles B. Franklin – the Indian Scout and the Indian Chief.

This book not only chronicles his life but also sheds much new light on the history of Indian motorcycles, and often turbulent times of the Indian Motorcycle Company itself.

An absolutely essential book for Indian enthusiasts, motorcycle historians, and all who love the classic American V-Twin. 352 pages – paperback.

Franklin’s Indians
$50.00

CANCELLATION ALERT–Motorcycle Competition on Pikes Peak – Decision Postponed Until 2021

September 23, 2020

The Board of Directors of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb has announced that the decision of whether to include motorcycle competition in future years will be postponed until after the 2021 race.

In July of 2019, it was decided that to determine the long-term viability of the motorcycle program there would be no motorcycle competition offered in 2020. Race organizers planned to review all aspects of the event by gathering and analyzing data to determine the impact of the absence of the motorcycle program.

However, the COVID pandemic forced changes to the race in 2020 resulting in a program that was far from the norm including a 60-day postponement, the loss of nearly all international competitors and, most importantly, the absence of spectators.

“While we had hoped to make a decision post-race in 2020, there were just too many variables this year,” explained Tom Osborne, Chairman. “We worked very hard to stage the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb this year in the midst of the pandemic so that the tradition of this famous race could continue and it wouldn’t be a fair assessment of motorcycle program viability to make that decision now.”

BRAND New Bikernet Reader Comment!–360-Brake

https://www.bikernet.com/pages/360Brake.aspx

Can you please tell me if this type of 360 Brake System is still available for sale? I have this system on my bike and need replacement brake pads but am happy to purchase a new front/rear system.

If so, can you please provide me with a list of suppliers I may be able to contact in regard to this.

Thank you

–Bill Callister
billy1964@live.com.au
Brisbane, Qld, Australia

I was hoping a reader could help.–Bandit

NEW VEHICLE REGS IN THE EU— “By next year, the European Union will have, by far, the most stringent vehicle safety standards in the world with systems including Advanced Emergency Braking (AEB), Emergency Lane Keeping Assist (ELKS), drowsiness and distraction recognition and Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) all mandatory. By 2024 every new car sold in the EU will need to be fitted with these technologies.”

NEW YORK IMS SHOW CANCELLED—Sept. 3-5

CoViD strikes again, as the IMS Outdoors New York City stop will not be happening this year, as announced; “As a result of the state of New York’s recent decision to enforce proof of vaccination and rapid testing for public events of scale, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the New York event.”

–Bill Bish
NCOM News Bytes

Watch for Bill’s full report tomorrow.–Bandit

Second Tattoo Inspired ‘Art-Bike’ Design
Revealed By Indian Motorcycle

Highly respected modern-traditional tattoo artist Shige transforms all-new Indian Chief with a design dedicated to the Japanese Oni Demon with a storm of falling cherry blossoms.

The second of three headline artists work to be revealed in CGI as part of the ‘Indian Motorcycle X No Regrets’ tattoo art collaboration.

Indian Motorcycle unveil the second of three unique tattoo inspired designs, created by three iconic featured tattoo artists – Mayonaize, Shige and Carlos Torres – whose Indian Motorcycle Chief based works of art will each be revealed in high-resolution computer-generated imagery over the next three months.

Hailing from Yokohama, Japan, Shige practices the art of tattooing from his private studio ‘Yellow Blaze’ where he has refined his style over the past 24 years, interpreting traditional Japanese themed body art with his own unique twist.

Shige perfected his highly technical artistic skills in the mid-nineties while working as a motorcycle mechanic by day and tattooing at night, that passion for American motorcycles translated into his choice of design for the Indian Motorcycle Chief.

Talking with Indian Motorcycle’s Ola Stenegärd, Shige explained his design:

Ola Stenegärd – “I first came in contact with Japanese custom bike culture back in the ‘90s, the more I learned about Japanese culture, I started seeing parallels in the culture of craftsmanship. Everything from custom bikes to the Japanese art of tattooing. What is the story of the design?”

Shige – “I picked the ‘Oni demon with storm of falling cherry blossoms’ design. My understanding of tattooing is different from what the majority thinks – who understand it mainly as decoration. The reason for the placement of an Oni-demon tattooed on the belly means you have Oni-demon in the center of the body and heart, this translates to the motorcycle fuel tank.

The Oni-demon stands for strong will and protection; Oni is a demon, but its meaning is not evil. It wards off bad luck and protects you from evil. Having Oni-demon tattooed on the belly shows one’s determination to live in this harsh world with a strong heart. The Japanese language is full of mystery, and it is believed that the stomach contains the entire human heart”

“A tattoo has to be beautiful as the body moves. The cherry blossoms have to be perfectly composed as they are there to balance the Oni-demon, together with the deep meaning of the flower. Cherry Blossoms means ‘the pathos of things’. This image of ‘a sensitivity to ephemera’ can also be related to the motorbike – or even one’s life. That’s the reason why I chose this image. Showing the Indian Motorcycle Chief and the dramatic depth of life itself. It is not just about looks. I desire to put emotional drama into the design of this motorbike. And the Oni-demon does create this drama”

Shige’s design will be applied to a real Indian Motorcycle Chief later this year and revealed in the metal at a VIP event in London in Spring 2022, alongside designs from artists Mayonaize and Carlos Torres. Forty more of the world’s leading tattoo artists will all compete to have their Indian Motorcycle Chief designs made a reality in steel and paint later this Autumn by public vote.

#createalegend #indianmotorcycle #nrstudios – Indian Motorcycle x No Regrets

Win Your Dream Tattoo

Alongside the three ‘Art-Bikes’ designed by the three featured artists, Indian Motorcycle and No Regrets are offering the chance for riders to win a dream tattoo.

By registering for a test ride online riders could win a tattoo of their choice, in a two day studio session compliments of No Regrets & Indian Motorcycle, valued at €6000.

For more information about Indian Motorcycle’s Test Ride and Win tattoo competition visit https://link-indian.com/NBX8VG

– Austria
– Denmark
– France
– Finland
– Germany
– Norway
– Poland
– Spain
– Sweden
– Switzerland
– United Kingdom

MIC FLY-IN CANCELLED–The MIC Board of Directors is postponing the 2021 Capitol Hill Fly-In, given the increasing uncertainty regarding the Delta variant of the coronavirus and the limited access to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Many Hill and federal offices remain on work-from-home status and are not conducting in-person meetings. Stay tuned for updates here in the MIC RideReport and on the MIC website.

–MIC

THE AFGHANISTAN QUESTION—I asked J.J. what he thought of Biden’s actions in Afghanistan.

You might ask how does anyone in the 8,000 years of the place do there? We armed a million Muslims in affagystan thinking they would go to war with 100 million Muslims. They’re all on the same side over there.

But the Pentagon and DC think Islam is a religion, but it’s a global war machine.

It’s job is to kill, rape, extort and enslave. Kinda like EVERY OTHER FUCKING GOVERNMENT IN HISTORY!!

thank you.

–J.J. Solari

LIFESTYLE CYCLES DEAL OF THE WEEK— 2015 Harley-Davidson FXDWG – Dyna Wide Glide for $14,995.00

SEE IT HERE: https://www.lifestylecycles.com/default.asp?page=xPreOwnedInventoryDetail&id=10785884

This bike is a super clean very low mileage Wide Glide

ONLY 5584.00 Miles !!!!!

2015 Red metallic sunglo Harley-Davidson FXDWG DYNA WIDE GLIDE

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

* 103c.i. Motor
* 6-speed trans
* Two-piece seat
* Vance & Hines exhaust
* Forward controls
* Luggage rack

This bike has passed Lifestyle Cycles rigorous 92-point safety and mechanical/structural inspection. Whether you’re 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 $14,995.00 at Lifestyle Cycles (714) 490-0155

HEADLINE OF THE WEEK–Ya know, here’s the thing: You don’t go down into a place called Valley of Hell and expect good things to happen. Unless you’re, ya know, a bit dim.

No, what you do is you go to places called Meadow of Delight. Or Sylvan Glade of Happiness. If you see on the map a place called Valley of Hell, you don’t get excited and say to the kids, “Hey, Valley of Hell! Let’s check it out!” No. You stay away. You don’t check it out.

There’s a reason we’re all in face masks for two years because of an illness no one seems to agree on what it is or where it came from or what it does. It’s because of the same reason that entices us as being a good idea to go check out a place called Valley of Hell.

Maybe instead of carrying masks around to keep from getting whatever it is the masks are supposed to keep us from getting we should be carrying DICTIONARIES!

Thank you.

–J.J. Solari
Senior Investigator
Bikernet.com™
Den of the Deep Doom

NEW FROM NAMZ–Letric lighting Co. is very excited to announce the arrival of new additions to our “Color Series” collection! We have added six new unique headlights.

Our all new “Color Series” LED headlamp line-up is available in your choice of three different colors (red, blue, or gold) and are 100% Plug-n-Play. Our 5.75-inch version offers 2200-lumen low beam and 4000-lumen high beam, while our 7-inch version offers 2600 lumen low beam, 4400 lumens high beam with a full halo. These “Color Series” lights feature, 6000K Color Temp, Cree LED Chips, IP67, DOT, SAE & E-Mark compliant.

These new designs will enhance the visibility and style of any bike. Best of all, Letric Lighting Co’s high-quality LEDs are backed by our limited lifetime warranty.

These complement our already popular Color Series members, the Royal Flush and 45-Caliber Turn Signals, also available in red, blue, and gold. The Royal Flush LEDs come in packs of six and can be used as sequential lighting when paired with one of our sequential lighting modules.

Our 45-Caliber LEDs come in packs of two and are available in single-function red, dual-function red, and dual-function white/amber switchbacks. Both are hard wired for universal fitment and can be installed wherever you want some extra light!

Check out our 7″ Color Series Headlights at the NAMZ web site.

[page break]

WORLD PREMIER! –New 2022 FastDates Motorcycle PinUp Calendars & Yearbook?

The new 2022 FastDates Motorcycle PinUp Calendars featuring Iron & Lace Custom Motorcycles and Garage Girls Hard at Work photographed by renown glamour and motorsports photographer Jim Gianatsis make their return for 32-year of publication!

Both the new Iron & Lace and Garage Girls PinUp Calendars feature the beautiful Calendar Kittens photographed with many of the world’s best Cafe Racers, Bobbers, Metric and American Customs. You will want to get both Calendars, one for the house and one for the garage. What better way to enjoy each month but with great photography of the world’s best motorcycles and beautiful girls.

Order now at http://www.FastDates.com.

The 2022 Iron & Lace Calendar this year features cool new V-Twin Customs and Metric Cafe Racers from Yaniv Evan / Powerplant Choppers, Jamie Oliff Fabrications, Richard Pollock / Mule Motorcycles, Russell Mitchell / Exile Cycles, Daniel Stern’s custom sidecar, Ron Baldonado, and Todd Daniel / BX Custom Design Bagger. Plus there’s one more special treat, legendary actor Steve McQueen’s 1942 Indian Scout from the collection of Daniel Schoenewald. Together with two historic Iron & Lace Calendar shoots with never before seen shots: A Big Twin custom from legendary East Coast Hamster Club builder Dave Perewitz, photographed in downtown Los Angeles with Playboy Playmate Cynthia Brimhall. And Roland Sand’s /RSD “No Regrets” street racer with Playboy Playmate Tamara Witmer. Beautiful new FastDates.com Calendar Kittens this year include are Maxim’s Karina Vélez featured i n black lingerie on the cover of both Calendars, plus Playboy centerfold Monica Sims and Penthouse centerfold Riley Anne.

The 2022 Garage Girls Calendar offers another look at the beautiful Calendar Kittens, some with some cool new Cafe Racer and Collector Bikes at the request of fans who miss the discontinued Fast Dates Superbike Calendar. One of the bikes is legendary actor Steve McQueen’s 1942 Indian Scout. These mechanics may not know how to tickle a float bowl or change a spark plug, but does it really matter?

These beautiful wall calendars are your exclusive 16-month pit pass to top custom and race bikes and prettiest centerfold models in revealing swimwear and lingerie. FastDates.com Calendars are highest quality full color 15 x 15″ wire spiral bound with hang clip, printed on heavy art stock art board. These 2022 16-month Calendars being with September 2021. $24.95 each.

The new FAST 2022 Calendar Yearbook with 124-pages is both an OnLine Digital FlipBook and a 12×12′ high quality Printed Hardcover Coffee Table Book talking you behind the scenes for an even more exciting look at the incredible Custom Motorcycles, Legendary Bike Buiders and the Calendar Kittens who tamed them! Included is a special tribute to Hugh Heffner and Playboy magazine which provided many of our Calendar Kittens from the beginning. Now online at http://www.FastDates.com. FastDates.com Calendars are also available in the USA at Amazon.com, Calendars.com / 1-800-366-3645; and in Europe at Zodiac Motorcycle Parts / Zodiac.nl, and Custom Chrome Europe / CustomChrome.de

INDIAN MOTORCYCLE RACING WINS AT NEW YORK SHORT TRACK DOUBLEHEADER

Indian Motorcycle Privateer Sammy Halbert Captures First Win of Season aboard FTR750,

WEEDSPORT, N.Y. (August 16, 2021) – Indian Motorcycle Racing, presented by Progressive Motorcycle Insurance, continues its success within the 2021 American Flat Track (AFT) SuperTwins season, as Indian Motorcycle Racing privateer Sammy Halbert and Wrecking Crew rider Jared Mees each captured wins at the New York Short Track doubleheader. Piloting the FTR750, Halbert secured his first win of the 2021 season, while Mees returned to the top of the box for his third win of the season.

On Friday, the two-time reigning SuperTwins Champion Briar Bauman was in a close and aggressive battle with Halbert. Living up to his nickname, ‘Slammin’ Sammy Halbert was able to pull away from the No. 1 plate and secure the victory – leaving the two Wrecking Crew factory riders, Bauman and Mees, left to duke it out for second. Ultimately, Bauman was able to fend off Mees and reach the podium for his eighth straight race.

“Sammy has been battling an injury over these last several weeks, so to see him come back and battle with Bauman and get his first win of the season says a lot about his competitive nature and drive to win. Hats off to him, Kenny and the entire Coolbeth-Nila Racing team,” said Gary Gray, Vice President – Racing, Technology & Service for Indian Motorcycle. “In round two, we all saw a classic Mees performance, as he came back with a chip on his shoulder. He knew he could have his way with this track, and that’s exactly what he did. For Jared, there’s plenty of racing to make a run at this year’s championship, but he knows each race is extremely critical.”

Round two saw Mees return with a vengeance and lead all but the first lap from the Main event. While the line changed dramatically throughout the weekend, Mees smartly adjusted to optimize traction. His best decision came when he took the high line allowing him to pass multiple riders and put him out in front, ultimately leading the way through the checkered flag.

Following the doubleheader at Weedsport Speedway, Bauman maintains his lead with 197, while Mees sits in second with 175 points. Indian Motorcycle privateer Brandon Robinson is third with 168 points.

The 2021 AFT season continues August 21 at the Peoria Motorcycle Club for the Law Tigers Peoria TT. For more information on Indian Motorcycle Racing and the Indian Wrecking Crew, visit IndianMotorcycle.com or follow along on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

DENNIS KIRK OFFERS A DISCOUNT ON S&S PARTS— Dennis Kirk has a great selection of parts and accessories from The S&S Cycle to take your ride from stock to sweet.

And remember, orders placed by 8PM CST ship the same day, with free shipping on orders over $89.

Ride More. Wait Less.

SOUTH DAKOTA GOVERNOR ROCKS–Kristi Noem governs her state with rare humility and common sense

By Salena Zito

KEYSTONE, South Dakota — The only thing tiny about the size of this town, nestled in a valley in the Black Hills Mountains, is its 3-square-mile footprint, located a couple of miles below the ascent to Mount Rushmore.

As during most days that do not include snow, it was packed last week, with people sitting outdoors, eating at restaurants or pubs, shopping at local shops, or stocking up on bottled water for the last stop before their final destinations.

Most people in Keystone were heading to one of two places — Mount Rushmore, less than 3 miles away, or the Sturgis bike rally less than an hour away, in which South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem had just participated.

Noem, in an interview with the Washington Examiner, told me she is thrilled that most of them did both. “There is something very aspirational about attending the rally,” she said. “I think the people attending are all very unified in the fact that they’ve recognized the importance of freedom and personal responsibility. And by coming and participating in a long-held tradition with people that really do love our country, for them, is an encouraging and unifying experience.”

On Thursday of last week, as the 81st Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was coming to a close, the South Dakota Department of Transportation estimated that 423,273 motorcyclists had attended the annual event, nearly 13% more than last year, in the middle of the pandemic.

Noem said last year was quite a bit smaller than normal because of the pandemic. “I think they do very much feel like it’s a mission to take back their country in a way that brings people together rather than what we see on TV a lot, which is attacking each other,” she said.

Ahead of the event, Noem attended the rally that began on Aug. 6 and ended on Aug. 15. Anthony Fauci said the country was in the middle of a public health crisis and that he was “very concerned” the outdoor event would cause a surge in COVID-19 cases. He had not made any similar comments about, for example, the Lollapalooza festival event held in Chicago a few days before the Sturgis rally, which attracted well over 385,000 people, many of them using public transportation for the concerts.

–Yahoo News

 Something by a Selena Zito favorable about Noem. Gotta be a Chuck Zito relative, writing nice shit about biker disobedience. If there’s a Zito in journalism that can’t be a bad thing.–J.J. Solari

QUICK, OPEN THE BANDIT’S CANTINA BAD JOKE LIBRARY–

Joe visits a red light district full of whorehouses. He sees a broker and asks, “What are the rates?”

Broker: “$1000 for a girl, $200 for me, $120 for police.”

Joe: “You have made my day! Go, first get me a damn cop.”

Police: “Right in front of you that thief grabbed that woman’s purse and fled. Why didn’t you try to help the struggling woman?”

Man on street: “Sir, I know that woman. Her Facebook status says, ‘I can handle my own problems – don’t underestimate the power of a woman’.”

Police: “Thank you for the ‘notification’.”

From Guide for drinking whiskey:
First shot – Digestion starts working
Second shot – Relaxation happens
Third shot – Feel Intelligent
Fourth shot – Feel Naughty
Fifth shot – Feel like a King
For more such wisdom invite me for drinks.

–Wayfarer
Certified librarian
Bandit’s Cantina Bad joke Library

WILD, New Bikernet Reader Comment!

HOT ACTION BIKERNET WEEKLY NEWS for August 5, 2021

https://www.bikernet.com/pages/HOT_ACTION_BIKERNET_WEEKLY_NEWS_for_August_5_2021.aspx

I expect to see multiples of the 2022 version of that billboard on the roads into Sturgis and Bikernet banners hanging over the main drags in Sturgis, Deadwood and the big campgrounds when I hit town next year.

Both the wife and I will finally be retired and virus be damned, next year is our year to go west instead of just east coast events.

–Vern Moore
Kingsley, PA

I’ll work on it. Congrats on your retirement! –Bandit

LETTER TO THE LA TIMES–overland letter I just mailed to the la times. If I turn up dead under mysterious circumstances, they did it. tell the cops. thank you.

–J.J. Solari

re: your July 29 “all must obey us” editorial on universal vaccinations

Dear El Segundo Times Editorial Staff;

I read your July 29 Entire Staff Effort editorial that the unvaccinated are a risk to the galaxy.

There’s a reason untalented, unmotivated, unpopular, unattractive, unintelligent people become journalists. It’s because they are angry at Creation for having made them, basically, “seconds” versions of actual people.

Now, I can’t see any of your faces or see any of your probably muscle-free bodies, but I was able to navigate your combined prose offering in the editorial and would I be correct in guessing that the entire Times editorial staff is homely, misshapen 13-year-old frustrated, rancor-filled lesbians? Would I have that right?

You know, that very-badly-written editorial had not one shred of actual factual data in it regarding the annual cold and flu season which you insist is a contagion from another dimension of medical science.

All it had was snotty pouting sessions of badly-written frustration at having no actual power over others other than the ability to scare the crap out of bureaucrats and Screen Actors Guild members who dare to refuse to do what you say.

No one normal thinks twice about journalists and if they do it’s with the emotional version of a sour stomach. No one likes you failed novelists. Which you and me know is what you all are, though everyone else seems to think you hacks are explorers searching out truth. The only thing you hacks search out is new ways to corrupt vocabulary. What little vocabulary you have at your disposal.

You said, “hooray” in the editorial. You hoorayed some item of tyranny. No surprise there. You wouldn’t be journalists if you weren’t big fans of the obedience of all to the edicts of a few.

There wasn’t one reasoned argument in the whole childish terrible-twos mess. Just snotty insistence on everyone doing what you say. Or, just journalism, in other words.

Sincerely,

J.J. Solari
Senior Media Advisor
Bikernet.com™

Deborah Butitta Inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame–The Motorcycle Riders Foundation would like to congratulate board member and ex-officio Deborah Butitta, on her induction into the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame during the 81st Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Butitta was the recipient of the “Freedom Fighter Award” which recognizes individuals who have made a long-term, positive impact on the motorcycle rights community!

The Freedom Fighter Award recognizes the sacrifices individuals across the nation, and world, have made to protect the rights of motorcyclists through their efforts in the political arena and in grass-roots motorcyclists’ rights organizations.

Deborah Butitta was born and raised in Rockford, IL. To a modest family. As a young girl Deborah was around motorcycles and by high school could be seen riding on the back of her boyfriend’s motorcycle. In the early 90’s Deborah was introduced to ABATE of AZ, in 1994 Deborah joined the Motorcycle Riders Foundation.

During her tenure with the Motorcycle Riders Foundation Deborah held 3 different positions, including Corporate Secretary for 8 years. Currently Deborah is on the Motorcycle Riders Foundation Board of Directors, and she is the Chairman for the Motorcycle Riders Foundation Awareness and Education Board of Directors.

Congratulations Deb!

HELMET TESTING FAILURE–Summary of results based on aggregate testing data for the past seven years:

The sample size in 2020 was less than half that in 2015 and 2017. The problem with that is, the smaller the sample size, the less valid the result data will be. The only way to get the most accurate read on the true quality level of the helmets available to the purchasing public is to expand the sample size. To get the largest sample size possible, looking back over-testing results for several years is necessary.

Taking the look-back period out to seven years expands the total sample size to 183 helmets of all sizes, brands and models tested. Given the number of brands, models, and sizes of helmets on the market, even that number is woefully inadequate, but it’s all that is available to generate a reasonably current sampling of helmet products.

The percentage of helmets that were found to fail to meet the safety standards on one or more performance standards (what is tested to assess performance vs. labeling is described above) for the past seven years is 39.9 percent (73 out of 183).

That means that consumers who have purchased a helmet on the market in the past seven years labeled as “DOT Certified” have a four in ten chance of purchasing a helmet that does not meet the DOT safety performance standards, even though it may have a label on it that says “DOT Certified.” This percentage of failures is statistically about the same as it has been for the past several years.

–Ultimate motorcycling.com

QUICK MOVIE REVIEW–I know you are still busy but when you get a chance you should review the movie Born to Ride with John Stamos.

I don’t know when it was produced, but it had the cleanest Knuckle racer in it and a couple of stars.

I give it a B rating only because it was not a main line movie at the time. Good story line, highs and lows, and the guy gets the girl in the end.

–Gearhead

RARE RACING HISTORY AT WHEELS THROUGH TIME

We recently had the opportunity to acquire an incredibly rare racing machine for the Wheels Through Time collection. The serial #1 Factory Racing CAC, owned and Raced by Joe Petrali.

We’re proud to be able to preserve and share this piece of history for future generations!

As many of you know, Wheels Through Time is entirely funded through the generous contributions of our supporters. Through your support, we can continue to discover, preserve, display, and tell the story of the American motorcycle.

It’s incredible people like YOU that help fuel “The Museum That Runs.”

Joe Petralli’s Serial #1 CAC

This Factory machine was the personal race bike of Joe Petrali and was revived by the Harley-Davidson Factory in the ’70s. Petrali is considered by most to be one of the best racers of all time, capturing national championships in flat track, board track, hill climb, and even setting land speed records.

NEWS FROM THE MASTER OF LIGHT–We are home from Sturgis and things are hopping at the studio! Thanks to all who visited us in Deadwood. We are truly blessed that you carve time out of your rally schedule to come and see us!

Our production department is feverishly working to get a record number of pieces out in the coming weeks. If you have piece(s) on order, please know that they are working overtime and appreciate your patience!

Thought we’d send an update on this very eventful Sturgis and what’s on the horizon.

** Monday’s Legends Ride auction brought an amazing $55,000 for a 48×36 embellished True Grit signed by David and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem.

** Wednesday morning, at the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame induction, David unveiled his new painting of Jessi Combs (she was inducted into the Hall this year). David is donating this original oil to the Jessi Combs Foundation and they plan on raffling it off to provide scholarships for women entering the trades. They are putting it together as I write this, so if interested please visit thejessicombsfoundation.com or The Jessi Combs Foundation on FaceBook and Instagram.

David took the reference photo a few years back at The Race of Gentlemen in New Jersey. We plan on offering an exclusive canvas print of this new piece, “Shooting Star” once the raffle for the oil concludes (most likely October). We are now taking a list of interested parties for the print, so please let me know if you’d like to be included. We plan on offering matching edition numbers for those who have “Jessi”.

For those looking for the first Jessi print, it’s been sold out for several years but I just learned of a 32×24 ($4,500) and a 40×30 ($6,000) for sale. Please let me know ASAP if either is of interest.

–Greg Rhodes
International Sales Director
David Uhl Fine Art
Uhl Studios
303-913-4840

CLASSIC HELMETS FROM BIKERLID–Do you know? Bikerlid’s German Mayan Style Is Lowest Sitting DOT Approved Helmet On The Market.

THE SOLARI ALERT— “We can win this war if everyone will follow the wise and thoughtful recommendations of medical experts and government leaders,” said the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints, or Mormons, of Utah in a released statement regarding the Declared Pandemic, as I call it.

The statement did not offer any advice on how you tell the wise and thoughtful recommendations of the medical experts and the government leaders from the tyrannical and sinister ones. Which would have been helpful.

Of course, it could be ALL the recommendations of the medical experts and government leaders are wise and thoughtful. As is the case with all religions.

–J.J. Solari

LIFE IS NUTS AND THEN WE DIE—I had an epiphany today. That means trouble. Did you see the piece about Truckers? Environmentalists have attacked truckers for a long time. Now, they won’t let them park or rest.

It’s as if the younger generation wants to live in DisneyWorld without any access to the inner workings, industry, supplies, or power grid behind the colorful exterior. Oops.

I lived in a perfect example, Wilmington, California on the Port of Los Angeles. It turned into an industrial ghetto of homelessness. You could ride to Long Beach, a beautiful town of marinas and pristine beaches. Then ride into Wilmington where the trucks were bumper to bumper with junk yards, port cranes, and container parking lots. Folks drove around the town to avoid the industrial aspects. Citizens tried to regulate truck traffic and environmentalist constantly attacked air quality. Actually, the air quality wasn’t bad. 

Okay, so my epiphany was to have all the truckers go on strike until we have a national debate about Climate Doomsday, an open debate with all the scientists required to attend. It’s time someone paid for scaring the shit out of kids for 20 years and causing undo regulations and strife, not to mention extra pressure on truckers for doing their jobs. The country and the world deserve the truth.

What do you think?

We need to ride fast and free forever.

–Bandit

by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com

Dark, custom two-wheeled machines shot in dark settings. This is how a Japanese shop by the name of Bad Land likes to play the game, and most of the time it nails the effect it goes for.

Bad Land is one of those garages that don’t like to fool around when it comes to its own interpretation of two-wheelers. Specializing in reinterpreting Harley-Davidson creations, the shop has been over the years responsible for making possibly hundreds of unique projects, some of which we’ve already featured.

The transformed Harley you’re looking at now is called Ise Dragon, and it follows in the footsteps of all other Bad Land builds with cold, dark looks, a polished appearance, and custom parts at times so extreme it is hard to find anywhere else – the wheels, for instance, are of the shop’s own design and both sized 18 inches, but the rear one looks so deep it kind of makes one afraid not to get lost in it – check photos for details.

Of all the builds of the Japanese we’ve featured so far, this one probably has the most Bad Land-made bits. Aside from the wheels, which are shod in Metzeler tires, the Japanese shop contributed pretty much everything, from the triple tree to the rear fender

Click Here for full details: https://www.badland.net/hd-custom/ise-dragon/

Only the forward control unit and grips come from Performance Machine, and Ken’s Factory contributed the mirror and LED turn light.

We are not being told if the twin-cam engine of the motorcycle was tampered with in any way, except for the addition of a custom exhaust system.

The motorcycle was first shown in early 2020, and we have no idea what happened to it since. The radical design does however worth its time under the spotlight, and this is why we brought it before you today.

by Graeme Lowen

My fears of there being ice over the pass were unfounded and the road was dry. It was the stop at Tarras that provide us with chilly clues. I got talking to a lady who drove from Tekapo in the morning. She told us that the first club group ran into dense hoar frost and thick fog all the way from Tekapo to the Ohau turnoff. The guys who left 20 minutes later missed most of it.

Click Here to Read this Photo Feature Travelogue only on Bikernet.com

Join the Cantina for more – Subscribe Today.

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

from Press Release at BMWgroup.com and from http://www.tradearabia.com/

BMW Motorrad has agreed a long-term partnership with world-renowned British company Marshall Amplification, to raise the innovation and quality of BMW Motorrad sound systems.

The legendary Marshall spirit and the development power of BMW Motorrad will in future be reflected in new innovative products for motorcycles and music, especially in the BMW Motorrad Heritage segment.

For 60 years, Marshall, originally from Hanwell, London, now based in Bletchley, Milton Keynes (UK), have produced legendary guitar amplifiers used by the world’s best musicians. Since 2012 it has expanded their audio quality into award winning headphones and active speakers designed for music lovers.

PRESS RELEASE:
Innovation and premium quality for future BMW Motorrad sound systems.

Munich. Riding a motorcycle while listening to music – both fit well together, as they promise deep emotional experiences and intense pleasure on two wheels. It is not for nothing that generations of artists have dedicated their songs to the experience of motorcycling. “Born to be Wild” is a notable example.

To ensure that beats and basses perfectly complement the ear while riding, BMW Motorrad has long been engaged in intensive development work on its sound systems. With its now agreed long-term partnership with world-renowned British company Marshall Amplification, the innovation and quality of BMW Motorrad sound systems are set to reach new heights.

For 60 years, Marshall, originally from Hanwell, London, now based in Bletchley, Milton Keynes (UK), have produced legendary guitar amplifiers used by the world’s best musicians. Since 2012 they have expanded their audio quality into award winning headphones and active speakers designed for music lovers.

The legendary Marshall spirit and the development power of BMW Motorrad will in future be reflected in new innovative products for motorcycles and music, especially in the BMW Motorrad Heritage segment.

BMW Motorrad will present the first new products resulting from this strategic partnership very soon. Stay tuned to find out more about this on 29 July 2021.

by Siandhara Bonnet from https://rapidcityjournal.com

Bikers may see caricatures of themselves in a weeklong mural that will disappear after the 81st Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Oleg Satanovsky, product communications manager at BMW, said this is the first year BMW has been in Sturgis and wanted to do “something cool.”

“We’ve never really had a motorcycle that fits as a cruiser,” he said. “Last year we would’ve been here for the first time, but COVID-19 got in the way. Finally we were able to take everything, everything’s been packed up and we were waiting for it to start up this year.”

Satanovsky said people can submit photos by tagging BMW on social media. Throughout the week, an artist will add caricatures to a mural that features a BMW motorcycle and a rider in black and white spray paint.

Two artists from New York worked on the mural, along with another artist who works on caricatures.

After the week is over, the mural will disappear from Sturgis, but it’ll be online.

BMW isn’t selling anything at its stand on the northeast side of Main Street in Sturgis, but it is displaying its new R 18 model motorcycles.

Satanovsky said people are welcome to test drive the new model. Those who don’t have a license but are interested in the new model can sit on a bike that’s held on a stand.

“You can start it up, feel like you’re riding it, shift through the gears and learn how the motorcycle works without having a motorcycle license,” Satanovsky said.

The mural will be on display at the BMW stand on Main Street in Sturgis through Saturday.