McClure Nitro Harley Nationals Ready to Rattle The Rock

PennGrade1 AMRA All-American motorcycle drag racing series pre-race advance

event: PennGrade1 AMRA Jim McClure All-Harley World Finals

when: October 25-27, 2024

where: Rockingham Dragway in Marston, North Carolina, USA

When Rockingham Dragway posted their recent Street Outlaws event as the biggest Rockingham crowd of the year, PennGrade1 American Motorcycle Racing Association (AMRA) series boss Greg Baugh said “Hold my beer!” Because those TV car boys ain’t got nothing on the show that the flame-throwing Nitro Harley-Davidson two wheelers and the rough folks that ride them put on.

The PennGrade1 AMRA Jim McClure All-Harley World Finals will shake even Rockingham’s concrete grandstands as the world’s largest all-American motorcycle drag racing series comes back for its annual celebration of nitro, V-Twin speed, and the late, great Jim McClure.

Headlining this hallowed Harley Drags competition are the most thundering motorcycles on the planet— Circle M Ranch/Dove Fuels Top Fuel.

Defending Rockingham winner Jordan Peterson is fresh off a win at Bowling Green. His Mike Henry-owned, Mike and Jack Romine-tuned mount is on point and looking to hunt in the Sand Hills.

But this is Jay “Bulldog” Turner country, and the North Carolina Drag Racing Hall of Famer doesn’t take kindly to out-of-towners poaching on his land. Along with his teammates—two time NHRA champ Tii Tharpe on his Pfafftown-based Spevco mount and AMRA’s own John “JT” Toth—Turner intends to stand his ground.

He’ll have to deal with invaders from as far away as Finland at this truly international event. Juha “Sushi”Hintukainen and his wild ProCharged bike and Samu Kemppainen intend to pillage in the name of the Vikings. Even Elmeri Salakari and his dad Jaska’s blown 4 valve, 5.8 second V-Twin will be making exhibition passes.

Bad Apple Racing’s Tracy Kile has sat out the season so far, but the allure of the McClure Nationals has him back in the seat for this great event. AMRA champ Ryan Peery, California’s Tim Kerrigan, Virginia’s Ziggy Stewart, and more are expected to throw down at The Rock.

Bad Apple’s Jimmy “Mac” McMillen is also coming back to competition for the first time since the season opener in Louisiana. He’ll be riding Armon Furr’s Nitro Funnybike at The Rock against his teammate Cameron Gunter, champion Jim Doyle, Michael Balch, Racin’ Ray Robinson, Jason Leeper, and more.

The carbureted Hawaya Racing Pro Fuel class is one of the fastest growing in the country, with every event bringing out new riders and the return of old ones. Champion Sam White will face Cecil County winner “Bad Apple Mary” Dangrow, Norwalk and Bowling Green winner Curt Sexton, Funnybike racer Leeper, Hot Rod Carlisle, Rocky Jackson, Jim “Bad Influence” Martin and more

Not every bike at AMRA races is a nitro noisemaker, the majority are gasoline hot rods.

Outlaw Street bikes take gas to its most mind-blowing limits, mixing it with nitrous or compressing it with massive turbos. Charley Douglass will have to sit this one out after flipping over backwards last time out, but Tim Grindle, Ken Miller, and more are expected to turn out and put out.

Put bags on your Outlaw and you’ve got Zipper’s Performance Pro Bagger—turbo and nitrous behemoths throwing everything available in the mechanical and technological world to make all-out quarter mile assaults. Michigan winner Chaz Kennedy, Jeremy Williamson, Bowling Green winner Rick Hunnicutt, Jeremy Justice, Bert Baker, Andy Simon Sr. and more will be unleashing their Bagger beasts.

Thundermax Street Baggers will see Bowling Green winner Jimmy Maikranz, Michigan winner Keith Evans, No Problem winner Dave “Paco” Cartwright, Jeff Boudreaux, Thomas Boone and more fighting to keep their front wheels down the whole quarter mile.

Axtell Cylinders Hot Street bike will see Martin and Bowling Green winner Clayton Danford, Joe Petersen, Jason Crisp and more working no-bar, streetbike magic

Pro Modified and Zippers Performance Modified are wheelie-barred, gas-powered, tube chassis pure breds. Legendary racers Gary Douglass, Billy Doherty, Dave Doremus, John Price, Jason Adams, Chris Hoppe and more battle it out on these bikes.

Index classes are Top Eliminator 9.30 index, Super Gas 9.90, Thundermax Street Eliminator 11.50, BK Electric Super Pro 10.30, and Pro Eliminator 10.90. Sportsman legends such as Donnie Huffman, Cody Hayworth, Matt Hawkins, Bryce Creek, Chris “Crank” Lanktree, Monty Garrelts, John Shotts, Josh Maikranz, Heather Jendruch, Terry Mason, Chris Phipps, Chad Traynor, Crosby Blair, Bob Willis, Sean Clarke, and more apply their finishline skills in these classes.

Many of these same riders will also enter Eliminator Dial-in bracket racing, and so can you. Want to try your own American-made V-Twin out on the quarter mile? Bring it along with your safety gear and send it!

PennGrade1 AMRA’s Greg and Julia Baugh, and John “JT” Toth and Marianne Miller look forward to welcoming the whole Harley-Davidson family to Rockingham Dragway for the most special race on the motorcycle drag racing calendar.

Sunday, Oct 27, gates open at 8 am. Opening ceremonies and round 1 of eliminations start at noon.

Online Admission prices are $20 per day, $35 for two days, and $45 for the weekend available at https://tickets.thefoat.com/Ro…

PRICES GO UP AT THE GATE.

You can tent for free. RV hookup is $300 for the weekend, $250 power only. Dry camping is $40 for weekend. Please reserve at THEROCKRV.COM or call Rockingham Dragway at 910-582-3400

The track website is https://www.rockinghamdragway….

The track Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Rocki…

AMRA website

–Tim Hailey

EatMyInk.com

EXCLUSIVE: GOP Lawmakers Press Biden-Harris Admin Over Alleged Cover-Up Behind Major Fossil Fuel Crackdown

By Nick Pope

Contributor WUWT

Forty-five GOP lawmakers are demanding answers from the Department of Energy (DOE) after a government watchdog group accused the agency of covering up a key study that would have interfered with one of the Biden-Harris administration’s most aggressive crackdowns on fossil fuels.

The lawmakers wrote to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on Thursday to address a watchdog’s allegations that her agency conducted or drafted — and then quietly buried — a study on the emissions impacts of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports in 2023 before pausing approvals for certain LNG export terminals in January on the grounds that the agency needed to conduct such a review. Government Accountability and Oversight (GAO), the watchdog making the allegations, is suing the agency under public records law to obtain the thousands of pages DOE concedes may fit GAO’s specific request searching for the 2023 study that the agency allegedly buried because it was producing politically inconvenient conclusions, as first reported by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

“The Biden-Harris Administration’s attempt to conceal its findings on liquefied natural gas impacts is troubling. Despite evidence that U.S. LNG benefits both the economy and global energy security, the Department of Energy has imposed an indefinite ban on LNG exports to non-free trade agreement countries without legal justification,” Republican Texas Rep. August Pfluger, who led the letter, said in a statement shared with the DCNF. “The lack of transparency from DOE on existing studies, as well as the motivation behind the ongoing study, is unacceptable. The American people deserve accountability on the decision-making process surrounding our energy future.” (RELATED: Qatar Expanding Natural Gas Export Capacity After Biden Admin Paused New Hub Approvals)

–from WUWT

We’re just Bikers for Truth, seeking government honest and integrity.

–Banidt

Biketoberfest 2024

Story and photos by Katmandu

This October, your motorcycle mecca, also known as Daytona Beach and her surrounding state counties were heavily impacted by a strong, often Cat 5, hurricane named Milton. Yet despite heavy flooding in many neighborhoods and hundred mile an hour wind gusts the week before, the 32nd annual Biketoberfest kicked off in full hard-core fashion with Tropical Tattoo’s Chopper Time. This six-hour motorcycle show continues to bring the southern tribes back together if only for a couple of hours on a Thursday afternoon.  As Floridians, we spend days in preparation for a stinkin’ storm and three days after with no power, or coffee.  We can get rather testy. We secured the garage and protected the motorcycles at all costs.

Then, without too much warning, we feel the outside temperatures drop a solid fifteen degrees and it becomes perfect riding weather. This year, all the surrounding streets are lined with the massive piles of storm debris on every curb, but the sunshine was spectacular. Skies were bright blue and crystal clear. The air was actually crispy most of the day when this tattoo shop transforms into a big kid’s playground for all things metal, rubber and color.

The man behind the magic is Willie Perry. After sixty-nine years of Florida, most of it in Volusia County, he knows what makes for a good show. This one he hailed as almost flawless. There is teamwork in all areas of putting on this event. Willie often cites his people as the reason for this, from security to judging to helping set the band up. Tropical Tattoo shows have always been retro, gleaning back to the days of old and how it should or could still be.

Biketoberfest, often referred to as Bike Week’s little brother, with warmer weather, and lesser crowds may be thirty something in years, but Willie was having family chopper time in the summer months before lining up his shop and this show with the October timiKng of what started as The Daytona Fall Tour. Leave it to us to change the name to Biketoberfest a year later. He says it was around 2001 that the chopper became cool once more and with came the magazines, both local and national, were in attendance for Choppertime. The word spread.

And whether its March or October, the sheer intensity of the show, its craftsmanship and camaraderie, and especially its itty bitty sparklers often shining off by our healthy young women friends who don’t give a damn about the drop in degrees.

Bike builders both home spun or money backed would vie for a ChopperTime trophy. This writer believes this is where the industry trophies turned from golden Olympia plated bases into metal artworks relative to the lifestyle chopper heads live in. This has now come full circle as the metal works of designer “Little Chopper” of Gorilla Fabrications smoothed the lines and grafted a more contemporary look and feel.

Bikes are judges by people for the people. Unlike its rowdy big brother Bike Week, (there were 194 motorcycles to judge in March) here there were only 32 bikes registered for the fall show.  Consider winning a trophy from these various classes:  the Shovelhead Coalition,  Willies pick, Best Rat, or Reverand Al’s pick. The pastor outdid it with the custom trophy. The ladies best build was the newest category. Alas, my shovel was sold 4 years ago. Of course there are the Antique, Panhead and best Knucklehead class too! Just too many to share at this time.

My report is a bit late. I had a hurricane to deal with. Watch for another outstanding and packed Bike Week show. I hope this finds you all dreaming of more customized motorcycles, those young healthy women in fishnet and rhinestones!

Love and respect always, Katmandu

Now living in Motorcycle Mecca, Daytona Beach

It was 1982. I had just gone through my second divorce. I landed a new job at United Home Foods. They were a company that delivered a month’s supply of food to people who lived in the country. They had a sales staff who phoned people all over the state and sold them these monthly packages. They offered terrific beef from Nebraska sealed in plastic.

They ran all over the country with a fleet of brand new box trucks. I remember five Mercedes and five Volvos. My job was to maintain them. Any serious work went to the dealer. They were all under warranty. I did oil changes and lights and kept the diesel and electric refrigeration units working. I was on call 24/7 and lived next to the shop in a travel trailer. They paid me $500 a week, and I had a van and a credit card for anything I needed. It was the best job ever.

My supervisor was Glen Jackson. Glen was a ladies man. He was very charming and all the girls loved him. He had a crew of several girls working in the warehouse putting together orders and loading the trucks. They covered the whole state of Oklahoma. These girls all fooled around with Glen. Most of them were married and so was Glen.

We became great friends. I got in on that fooling around stuff a little. There was a gorgeous blond named Kelly who worked in the office. She fell for me and would come visit me in my trailer often. She was 19 and had a little baby. These were the most unfaithful married people I had ever seen.

We had a Christmas dinner 1982. The whole company was there. I noticed a little short blond named Donna. She worked in the finance division of the company. Her job was to get people to pay their food bills. She had this cute manner and voice no one could say no to. I asked if she wanted to go for a motorcycle ride. She said she would love to. She was separated but still married. She had a six year old daughter but she was with her dad in California. After a couple of rides on my 76 FLH I was in love. She seemed to like me too. We fit like a glove. We took a long weekend and rode to Santa Fe.

It was a great trip, the summer of ‘82. We did many more short rides that year. She loved riding. She was always good to go and never bitched about anything.

This company was very liberal about taking off. As long as I kept those trucks running, I could do anything I wanted. I was constantly buying and selling bikes and cars. I sold the Electra-Glide to my friend Ross. He owned it previously and I owned it before that. We just passed the thing around. I scored a real complete ‘47 Indian Chief from a friend of one of Donna’s relatives.

I gave 800 dollars for a complete Chief and most of another one in pieces. I brought the thing home and got it running for the first time in 20 years or so. I sold the basket job for $400. The reason I sold the Electra-Glide was for running money. Donna wanted her kid back and I drove her all the way to San Jose, but when we got there the father wouldn’t let her go.

We had to get the law involved and the girl ended up with child services while we drove all the way back to Oklahoma to engage a lawyer. Fortunately she knew a good one. He got her divorce filed and  temporary custody. She traveled all the way back to California on a bus. I had a friend out there who gave her a place to stay and helped her get her daughter back. They showed up at the house where she was living just as her dad was loading up a U-haul to move to Ohio with the kid.

 Donna called the police. They arrived, she showed  them the custody papers and dad was forced to relinquish the kid. When they got back to Oklahoma, I got to know her daughter. Not a very nice child. The trauma of all the shit she’d been through messed her up. I had a daughter the same age. They got along good. I kept busy keeping the trucks running.

We rolled into 1983 and I tinkered with the Indian. I didn’t have a bike, but I did drive a ‘76 Eldorado. That’s what we drove to California. Gas was cheap back then. The national speed limit was 55.

Sometime around then I sold the ’76 Caddy and bought a ‘79 Eldorado. I was a Cadillac man in those days.

 Donna and I split up for a little while around Christmas of ‘83. I realized I really loved her and didn’t want to lose her. We rode the old Indian for a while. I rebuilt the engine and it ran great. I had about 1200 dollars in it and I wanted another Electra-Glide. I traded it for a ’79 Glide.

Donna on the Indian her daughter standing behind her.

Donna in 1986 on a Honda I cut down for her.

 The bike I traded the Indian for. The burgundy one is the orange ‘76 with a new paint job by me. I also painted the ‘79. It was originally gold.

The spring of ‘84 Donna and I took a week off and headed south on the ‘79 Electra-Glide. We planned to go all the way to Tucson. We took back roads to San Angelo. Roughly the route I had ridden a year before on my trip to the Big Bend. From San Angelo we rode to Van Horn and hit interstate 20 and 10. They run together there. The engine was making a whining noise and running rough. I had to keep adjusting the points. If I had electronic ignition it would have quit right there.

We made it to El Paso. I pulled it apart in a Kragen auto parts parking lot right across the street from Barnett’s Harley-Davidson. I strolled in and met Sherm Barnett. He was friendly but wouldn’t let me borrow a cam bearing puller.

I bought a Sifton 440 cam and a new inner bearing from him. I bought a puller in the local auto parts house that I was able to pull the bearing with. The  early 80-inch Shovelheads were loaded with a cheap version of inner cam bearings. The Torrington bearing they used before was quality.

After about 30k miles it came apart. I recently found the same type bearing in my ‘98 Evolution engine. I replaced that one too. Anyway I was able to clean most of the pieces of the roller out of the cases with a flexible magnet. Some of it slipped through the crankcase breather gear and chipped of a piece off the case, but it didn’t hurt anything.

I wrenched it back together with limited tools, but then we didn’t have enough money to go on to Tucson. We headed up to Las Cruces and through Alamogordo and cloud Croft and then cruised through Ruidoso. Winding roads slid along verdant rolling hills scattered with pine trees and vistas overlooking Ruidoso lakes.

All the way Donna hung on like a trooper and never bitched about anything. It was early spring, March I think. We rode through Lincoln and saw all the Billy the Kid stuff, then over to Roswell and up to Clovis, where we got a room. The next day we peeled across the Texas panhandle against a terrible crosswind. We made it home on the rumbling too- old Shovelhead still running great. Soon after that it started blowing oil out of the breather hose. I pulled the oil pump apart and found a piece of cam bearing in the return pump. I found more pieces in the breather gear screen. If you have a virgin Shovel from ‘78-‘84 replace the inner cam bearing quick. Also if you have a ‘90-‘99 replace it.

During the summer of ‘84 the food company slipped downhill fast. I turned my job over to my buddy Ross Collins and sold the ‘79. I borrowed my friend Don Ward’s ‘71 Electra-Glide, put a full coverage insurance policy on it and Donna and I hit the road again. This time we headed west with the idea in mind to leave a bunch of drama in Oklahoma behind and find a new place to live.

We rode out of OKC in early July 1984. We headed back to New Mexico. That old bike was loaded down. We rode to Santa Fe again and met another couple on the road. They were from the Santa Fe area and Rode with us up through Chama where they still have a running steam train.

We crossed into Colorado and rode over the Wolf Creek Pass to Creede, where Bat Masterson once ran a saloon. We stopped for a while and had beers and listened to a band then headed back down to Pagossa springs. We stopped at this beautiful waterfall called Bridal Veil falls. We said goodbye to our new friends and rolled west to Durango where we got a room. Durango is a great town. We considered moving there but we kept going to Cortez the next morning.

On the way we rode up to the top of Mesa Verde and saw the Clift dwellings. It is crazy the things primitive people were able to accomplish. We rode up 666 to Monticello, Utah. Now it’s on highway 491. The first motel we pulled into didn’t have any business but they saw a couple on Harley as someone they didn’t want, so they told me flat out “we don’t have a room for you!” We straddled our ride and rumbled down the main street and found a much friendlier motel.

Next day we headed west on scenic 95 through Natural Bridges park and onto Hanksville. From there we took Highway 24 to 89 then hit 50 at Salina. We took 50 to the Nevada line where we camped by to road. We had a sleeping bag and we used it there.

I wanted a fire but didn’t have any matches or a lighter, so I pulled up some sticks and unhooked my battery negative cable and turned on the lights, and then I dipped a stick in the gas tank and held it by the battery terminal and touched the cable to the terminal. When the sparks hit the stick, we had a fire. We also had a pint of whiskey. We had a few shots and crawled into that bag and had a real good time. We slept like tired babies that night. No cell phone and no gun.

The next day we headed west on the loneliest highway in the US. Just west of Austin the rear tire blew. There we sat until an old yellow Chevy pickup with 4 big Indians in it stopped. We loaded that old dresser in the back and sat there with it all the way to the Honda dealer in Fallon. It was right next to Crown auto body which had painted my ‘55 Chevy in 1968. The same guy now owned the Honda dealer. I bought a tire and tube from him and put it on in the parking lot. I was stationed at NAAS (navy auxiliary air station) Fallon from ‘66 to ‘69.

We rode onto Reno where I found a friend I knew from the Navy. We decided that was the place for us. But we kept riding into San Francisco and found my old buddy Roark in Foster City. He helped Donna the year before, when she fought to get her kid back. I love that guy. He is still around and I hope he is well.

We hung around a couple of days and headed back to Reno to check on some jobs. Everyone wanted a local address so we headed south on 395 all the way to Barstow where we hit I-40 and headed home. It rained cats and dogs around Williams, Arizona. We stopped at Walmart and bought some of those yellow rain suits. We kept riding east. I can’t remember for sure where we spent the nights. I think Needles and Gallup.

We tired by the time we reached OKC two weeks from the day we left. That was the best two weeks of my life. Donna was awesome. We traded a ‘69 Coupe Deville to my cousin Jimmy for his ‘81 C20 Chevrolet truck. I hooked it to my 24-foot park model Travel-ease trailer and headed back to Reno. Ross held my old job. I loaded all my tools and all our clothes and Donna’s and her daughter into the truck and trailer and rolled to Reno.

We made that trip with no trouble and moved into an RV park in Reno. I got a job wrenching at Halman Chevrolet and Donna got on at Miller’s Outpost. We were flat broke by then and my old mom sent us 500 dollars. We did well in Reno and got married in September ‘84. Donna had problems and birth defects from a drug her mom took to prevent miscarriage in older moms. Turned out there was a class action lawsuit that Donna never took advantage of. She didn’t think she could get pregnant again but after 2 years of sex with her every night, she got pregnant about 5 minutes after I married her, go figure.

I got a better job working at Sierra Sid’s truck stop as a mechanic. I got a license to do smog tests. I bought an ‘81 moto guzzi 850T that had been on fire for 300 bucks. A little rewiring and spray paint and a Yamaha seat and I had a cool bobber.

Here is a shot of my old pal Ross Collins and the evil Midget Mike Cook. He has been on monster garage and he was the paper boy in Killers of the Flower Moon.

Ross has been my best friend since 1969 I have mentioned him before and Little Mike has been my friend since I first met him in Ross’s shop in the late ‘90s. Mike’s dad owned Steve Cook Creations, the finest custom cars ever built, like Dave Kindig in Utah only no tv show.

I traded the Guzzi for a ‘51 Ford Pickup with a Buick motor. I got it running good and Donna and I stopped by the Harley shop just browsing. At that time it was a small friendly dealer. McDonald’s H-D. McDonald himself told me I could have this limited edition ‘85 FXR if I could come up with 1000 dollars. They were using Ford credit at that time. I sold the pickup for 1000 dollars and bought a new Harley. Donna was several months pregnant. It was around March of ’85 and still chilly in Reno, but I owned a brand new Harley. In early June we went for warm winding mountain ride down to Placerville and part of scenic highway 49 in the gold rush country. We never had a problem of any kind.

My Boy was born on July 11, 1985. Our 7/11 boy, we named him William Andrew after me and my father. We called him Andy. In 1988 we moved to Vegas. The rest of the story is 12 years of hard work and wheeling and dealing to survive. Our relationship suffered because of drama stuff not related to bikes. so I will end this tale here. More later.

–Bill May

Hey,

What a wild week. I am going to step back onto the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Board of directors, if they’ll have me. I spoke to the Mayor of Sturgis, then she resigned and the city collapsed. I watched the next 100-year-old motorcycle rally for 2025 take shape, the American Trans Am from North Carolina to Oregon in September. I spoke to a JD Vance lead staffer about unveiling the policies impacting all Americans and I finally found time in my shop to begin the completion of my Knucklehead wiring.

One more thing, my computer and email system went haywire and I struggled with repairing, updating and dialing in my system with the help of my old friend Chuck, Robintek staff and MAC wizards from 3-Lanterns in Columbus, Ohio.

I guess it’s okay to hit the news…

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

The News was provided by the Bikernet Team including: Wayfarer, the Redhead, Bob T. Sam Burns, Laura, Barry Green, El Waggs, J.J. Solari, Amy White, Jenn and the rest of the crew.

RIDER OF THE WEEK–Harrie van EwijkIs is from Nijmegen, Netherlands, and now lives in Groesbeek. Unfortunately, I found myself distracted.

Nils Bialuch lives in Welver, Germany.

–Sam Burns

International Motorcycle Research Specialist

Bikernet.com ™

STRIDER ADDS NEW COLORS– All-New Bike Builder

Choose from exclusive new bike colors, fun favorites, and performance parts to personalize a Strider 12 Balance Bike.

Because one of the best parts of owning a Strider Bike is customizing it for your kiddo!

Build Your 12 Sport

Build Your 12 Pro

Child paints colors on a black and white illustration of a Strider Bike. On mouse hover, image changes to a custom matte black Strider 12 Pro with blue High-Traction Wheels, red Aluminum Riser handlebar, and yellow grips.

 Pick Your Perfect Ride

Print our coloring sheet and let your little rider design their very own dream bike! Mix, match, and make it fit their unique style.Go to the Strider website.

THE BUFFALO CHIP IS NEVER OUT OF GEAR–To those of you begging for a band announcement, we hear you loud and clear.

Bands Are Coming Soon!

If you want to see the bands

FOR LESS THAN $27 PER DAY

Get your Early Bird Passes now!

Prices will Never be this Low Again AND Special Prices Won’t Last Forever

Admission Includes Concerts, Entertainment and Camping

You can’t get more for less anywhere

Reserve Now

We list some of the bands fans like you have asked for… It’s fun to dream while you wait for the first announcement to drop! Get the lowest price of the year Join the Best Party Anywhere in 2025 for LESS THAN $27 PER DAY!

Reserve Now

See the Bands at the Buffalo Chip Website

A SERMON FROM THE BIKERNET THOUGHT TEMPLE–I Fear Not

Move, but don’t move the way fear makes you move.  

–Rumi

What is in the past remains there, and I move forward with confidence. I know that I have nothing to fear, for within me lies the strength to overcome every obstacle and limitation. Each lesson is an opportunity for growth, and I choose not to repeat the patterns of the past.

When old feelings of fear or doubt arise, I turn inward, release them, and find peace. I remind myself that I am never alone on this journey of life. Faith and trust in the Power of Spirit are always with me, no matter the circumstances.

It’s easy to be swayed by negativity and the prophets of doom, but I choose a different path. I choose to live a life filled with love, joy, peace, health, prosperity, and so much more. As I go through today, I raise my invisible shield against negativity and focus on the good.

Affirmation for Today:

Today is a truly great day. I release all fear, doubt, and negativity. I move through this day with complete confidence, knowing that everything is unfolding in perfect order. Nothing can shake my faith. I am grateful for the abundant gifts in my life, and as I live in this truth, I inspire others to do the same. Today is beyond fantastic—it is Super Fantastic!

And so it is.

Namaste

He who is not every day conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life. 

–Ralph Waldo Emerson

 THE BATTLE FOR THE–Right to Repair

The right to repair is the concept that consumers should have the ability to repair and modify their own devices, vehicles, and equipment. This includes access to the necessary tools, parts, and information needed to perform repairs.

Generally speaking, there are four key concepts around right to repair.

1. Original Design

–   Products should be built or designed so that repairs or modifications are possible. This includes providing the manuals or schematics so end users have the knowledge to work on their products.

2. Parts and Tools

–   Items you need to work on the product you own should be available at a fair price. The availability of parts, tools or diagnostic devices should not be restricted.

3. Technology

–   “Unlocking” products or the software used should not be prohibited.

4. Repairability

–   End users should know whether their products or the parts in those products can be replaced, repaired or modified.

As products become more complex the barriers to working on them also become more complex. In the last 15 years the debate on this topic has heated up.

In 2012 voters in Massachusetts passed a referendum that required car manufacturers provide the needed diagnostic equipment to consumers that at the time was restricted to car dealers. This was one of the first shots in the ongoing battle on the issue.

The debate around the Massachusetts law helped facilitate a “memorandum of understanding” (MOU) between two associations representing the independent aftermarket, the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association and the Coalition for Auto Repair Equality; and the vehicle manufacturers represented by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and the Global Automakers.

The agreement meant that manufacturers would abide by the new Massachusetts state law. Importantly motorcycles were NOT included in the MOU. That’s because the association for the manufactures side only included car makers, not motorcycle manufacturers.

However, motorcycle manufacturers did not escape the eye of federal regulators. In 2022, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) found that Harley-Davidson Motor Company (HD) was imposing illegal warranty terms that voided customers’ warranties if they used anyone other than the companies and their authorized dealers to get parts or repairs for their products. The FTC also alleged that H-D failed to fully disclose all the terms of its warranty in a single document, requiring consumers to contact an authorized dealership for full details.

It should be noted that a class action lawsuit was filed against H-D on this topic. In the summer of 2024, a federal court ruled that the company did not impose unlawful restrictions on customers that boosted the cost of repairs.

Many believe that the MOU, court cases and actions by the FTC are not enough to protect consumers right to repair or modify their products. As such several states are attempting to codify right to repair principles into law. At the federal level the REPAIR ACT (H.R. 906) seeks to address this issue. The tug of war between consumers and manufacturers is ending soon. Knowing the basics of the issue is important first step to understanding the stakes of this heated debate. 

Follow this and other strident motorcycle issues on the Motorcycle Riders Foundation web site.  

–MRF
www.mrf.org

THE TRAVELING SHERIFF–Made it down to Greece a third time this autumn

Everything is great except the country of Turkey are shipping Syrian refugees to Europe constantly.

Fun that your grandson is on the cover of Choppers Magazine and I have five pages some mag. Our World is small as I use to say

Will arrive Miami 26 th Feb meet up with Warren Lane. Then continue to New Smyrna Beach gearing up for my 70th the 4th of March in Daytona from 1985 I was there 26 years in a row saw all the changes….

Three weeks with the lady could be the last US visit, however I will try to visit you in SD somehow sometime.

Ride fast

—Chris
SHERIFFMEDIAGROUP SWEDEN

You better make it one more time!

–Bandit

Montana’s top POLITICIANS censor climate truth—

Our greatest enemy is not each other. The battle between Rs and Ds is a distraction.

Our greatest enemy is the World Economic Forum and its associated deep state, and rich dudes like Bill Gates who is buying up US farmland to reduce our future food supply.

WEF wants to own the world. They are rich. They are smart. They are organized.

If we were smart, we would fight this common enemy.

WEF must keep voters delusional about climate. People who believe their carbon emissions threaten the planet will approve government laws and taxes that will enslave them. Covid fraud is connected to climate fraud but that is another story.

WEF says they will control America by 2030, making us just one Senate term from being WEF slaves who will “own nothing, go nowhere, eat insects, and be happy.”

WEF needs to elect its people to Congress, so they can help WEF achieve its 2030 goals.

How to identify WEF candidates.

WEF are those who Support AG Knudsen’s purposeful loss of Held v Montana.

Censor climate truth.

Refused to be a party to my Amicis Brief on HvM.

These Montana WEFs are Senator Daines, Senate candidate Sheehy, Rep Zinke, Rep candidate Downing, Gov Gianforte, and AG Knudsen.

Good people are open to hearing climate truth even if they don’t believe it. Good people don’t censor climate truth.

If Montana had defeated HvM, it would have stopped WEF’s plan for America.

So, WEF made sure Knudsen purposely lost Held v Montana.

The media will not report what happened inside Knudsen’s office but his blatant non-defense of HvM cannot be hidden.

Montana is an easy WEF target. With a few WEF influencers, WEF can use money or threats to control elected officials.

WEF is after you, but I am in its way.

Since I am the only person in Montana who teaches and defends climate truth, what Trump says about himself also applies to me.

That’s why Montana censored me, blacklisted me, and tried (but failed) to destroy my climate business. By contrast, California contracted with me to do its largest wind energy survey and its key long-range drought prediction, and never harassed me.

There are many ways I could have helped Montana save a lot of money, but Rep Zinke, Gov Gianforte, and AG Knudsen chose to follow the eco-freaks on climate and censor me. They don’t understand professions. Would they choose an eco-freak to cure a heart attack?

–Dr. Ed Berry
Montana

WHERE FREEDOM STILL LIVES– Born Free 3 Texas

So my friend Henry & I made our way to BF3, considering trying it last year but had only had the RP a week so we were still getting to know each other.  She did excellent on her first intentional extended run, with the only issue being a slight fuel hiccup. 

As I passed the first station I heard my girls tell me I should go back, heading a bit farther and rounding a curve to find a good spot to go back, I hit reserve.  Signaling to Henry & his 6-gallon tank to turn around, I began making my way back and the RP starts cutting out and then dies!  And not in the best place along the this stretch of highway 59!

Wondering what the heck, as there should be a gallon of fuel, popping the cap to see what I could see?  We had discussed the fuel range differences in my S&S carburetor powered Evo to his injected M8.  The Bassani Road Rage 2 & S&S E do not like each other, but that’s a different story.

  Anyway, hitting the starter she fired up & I took off back to the gas station. Thank You Girls!  The rest of the 356 mile round trip journey was issue free.  Except for that one stretch there are plenty of gas stops.

Arriving at Yellow Rose Canyon and having not remembered to register online we were directed to the check-in area, online also save you $5.

  Walking back to the bikes the RP was already attracting attention!  Then making our way to the back parking, she was getting complements. I no sooner put the kickstand down when a guy in a cart with a camera suggested I move down to event and park with the FXRs from the tour and those who rode with them.  Assuming he meant the ride in show and finally figuring out just where that was, I parked. 

However when I started looking at all the bikes there in front of the stage, there was only one other FXR & it was a chopper. you can see my RP behind a nice Shovelhead in the Chopper area!

 Realizing my mistake, I pulled to the location where the FXR Tour bikes were, it was as if they were waiting for me as there was one spot left on the end, so she got a lot of attention!

A turbo powered M8 took the top FXR Tour honors and I’m sure it’s fast!  But Henry who’s building an RP, as well and myself are purist snobs.  If you want your Evo powered FXR to go faster put a bigger engine in it.  However our opinions also falls under the, “I didn’t build it to meet your expectations, I built it to meet mine!” category. 

Tried to get attendance figures, but haven’t heard back.  While we really didn’t see anyone coming out of Houston headed that direction Saturday morning.  Possibly due to the fact the majority of attendees got there on Thursday when the party began!  We had to cut out after the awards, I really thought I was going to take The Best Rattle-Can Painted RP fairing class.

–RFR

Passion has one face: INTERMOT 2024

INTERMOT 2024 is preparing for its appearance under the motto #Together We Ride. From 5 to 8 December 2024, the trade fair will once again be the central meeting point for the entire bike scene – from established motorcyclists to up-and-coming riders and urban bikers. The diversity of the scene and the special atmosphere of INTERMOT will take center stage.

The emotional trailer, which will be launched at the end of October, is intended in particular to emphasize the community aspect of INTERMOT. The film focuses on very different people in very different life situations, but who have one thing in common: a passion for motorcycling!

Prominent faces as protagonists

In order to emphasise the diversity that INTERMOT offers, the Koelnmesse team has found two suitable characters for the film in @sophiacalate, one of the largest German influencers on TikTok with over 1.5 million followers, and Claudio Heinzmann, musician and manager of his sister Stefanie Heinzmann, as representatives of the young, urban community. And Gerald Böse, CEO of Koelnmesse, was also keen to join the two other protagonists on his BMW to represent the diversity and attitude to life that makes the biker world so special – freedom, community and a passion for riding.

In addition to the protagonists of the film, many other influencers will of course be on site in Cologne, from Instagram and YouTube star @seaky to the singing biker from Bavaria, @paulmustano.

A complete list of creators can be found at

https://www.intermot-cologne.com/events/eventcluster-erleben/creator

Link to the INTERMOT trailer:

The German bike scene will kick off the 2025 season at INTERMOT from 5 to 8 December 2024. INTERMOT is the only complete showcase for the start of the season in Germany; almost all of the new bikes from the exhibiting companies can be experienced live in Cologne and some can be test ridden. INTERMOT is organised by Koelnmesse and the Industrie-Verband Motorrad Deutschland e.V. (IVM) as the conceptual sponsor.

Further information: https://www.intermot-cologne.com/trade-fair/intermot-2024/industry-trade-fairs/

The next events:

INTERMOT Cologne – International Motorcycle and Scooter Fair, Cologne 05.12. – 08.12.2024

polisMOBILITY – Moving Cities, Cologne 11.06. – 12.06.2025

INTERMOT Cologne – International Motorcycle and Scooter Fair, Cologne 04.12. – 07.12.2025

New Bikernet Reader Comment!

THE PREPARATIONS BIKERNET WEEKLY NEWS for July 11, 2024

Sorry to hear that about Gene Winfield. I shook his hand at the Starbird show in Tulsa in 23. Didn?t see him there in 24. He was riding around the huge show in a golf cart. Very nice humble man. I happen they keep that gal in jail for a while, a caregiver abusing their patients is horrible.

–Bill May

Nashville , TN

We are working with Bill on a Life and Times story. It should be published tomorrow.

–Bandit

CO2 CAPTURE SCHEMES–In an attempt to achieve economically crippling “Net Zero” emissions for America, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed new regulations that would necessarily require all coal-fired power plants to employ technology that would capture 90% of the carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted from the power plant.

Unfortunately, GOP governors in several western coal producing states have embraced this harmful and misguided attempt to solve a non-existent climate crisis.

Wyoming GOP Governor Mark Gordon is the Chair of the Western Governors’ Association and is promoting a plan to “Decarbonize the West” by using carbon capture. Joining him in promoting this scheme are GOP governors from North Dakota and South Dakota, Doug Burgum and Kristi Noem, respectively.

In recent publications, our Science and Research Associate, Dr. Byron Soepyan, provides the facts on the cost, negative consequences and the utter futility of attempting to modify global temperatures using this strategy. Below, we summarize facts that were gleaned from studies by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL):

Reduction in Power Output – Carbon capture is energy intensive and will reduce the amount of electricity available from the plants by 24%.

Cost of Capture – Retrofitting an existing coal plant would cost $988 million. Adapting all 148 existing coal-fired power plants would require an outlay of $146 billion (give or take a few million).

Minuscule Warming Averted – Based on the Model for the Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Induced Climate Change, if the United States ceased all CO2 emissions in 2010, the amount of warming averted would be only about 0.07 °F by 2050 and 0.19 °F by 2100.

Finally, besides being expensive and futile, keep in mind that all trees and plants need CO2, along with sunlight, water, and nutrients from the soil to produce oxygen and food, both of which are essential for all living beings.

Given the critical role CO2 plays in driving plant and crop growth, is spending over $100 billion to remove it from the air sensible? We think not. In fact, it is dangerous.

Read more from the CO2 Coalition on this matter:
The Cost of EPA’s Senseless CO2 Capture
The Cost of Wyoming’s Senseless CO2 Capture
Wyoming and Climate Change: CO2 Should Be Celebrated, Not Captured

M-8 OILING SYSTEMS– M-Eight HP+ & RACE SERIES Oiling Systems

FEULING oiling system kits combine all the needed components to finish your Milwaukee Eight engines oiling system under 1 Part #, available in HP+ or RACE SERIES kits. Our oiling system kits increase oil pressure, oil volume, engine oil flow and return oil scavenging.

Quieter and smoother engine operation

27% more pressure & scavenge gear volume

42% more scavenge volume via port sizing,

Matched engine case passages & holes

46% more oil volume to the crankshaft & rod bearing

15-25 degree cooler engine temperatures

15-30 degree cooler oil temperatures

10-30 more PSI of oil pressure

Reduces wet sumping and blow by

Helps Prevent oily air cleaners

Test results show 2 HP gain & 2 ft/lbs of TQ gain to the rear wheel

www.feulingparts.com

\NHTSA PIRELLI TIRE– Recall ID Number: 24T011

Synopsis :    Pirelli Tire, LLC. (Pirelli) is recalling certain Scorpion Trail II, Metzeler Tourance Next, and Next II tires sold as replacements and for the Metzeler Tourance Next 150/70R18 M/C 70V tire, also installed as original equipment on certain Triumph motorcycles.

Please refer to the recall report for specific sizes. Irregular tire wear may break the belt reinforcement, causing pieces of the tread to separate. Tread separation can cause vehicle instability, increasing the risk of a crash.

Dealers will replace the tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 6, 2024. Owners may contact Pirelli Customer Service at 1-800-747-3554.

–cdcs

THE BABE OF THE WEEK—Mary Cato

–Sam Burns
Talent Scout
Bikernet.com

WILD WOODEN VOODOO HALLOWEEN GRIPS–So I bought these, just installed them. They are real wood. Love the look and very comfortable.

Woodysmotorcyclegrips.com

Later

–Barry  G

BANDIT’S 5-BALL EMPORIUM REPORT—Each and every day something happens in Sturgis. It’s a quirky place with motorcycles and motorcycle people slipping in and out of town constantly.

Danial James is thinking about a line of Bandit’s Post art pieces. We’re still kicking it around. We will also create a special line of 85^th annual art images.

The Redhead compiles a daunting list of projects for the Bandit, whenever he shows up, hence the drill press. I drove the ’58 down to with a container load of Bandit Bike posters, poster tubes, all with historic shots of Bandit’s bikes. Hell, there’s one with Cat Von Dee.

Edge from the SmokeOut developed this Bedroll, but only sold them to bros who faced similar road consequences. Seems every time he went on a run it was with three or for slippery bastards and in each case he had to sleep on the deck. Then upon arriving home late, Renee his lovely wife made him sleep in the garage.

It’s not that bad in Sturgis. Most of the bros and babes sleep out under the stars, so I played a slick hand of five-card draw with the SmokeOut founder and won the rights to make real bedrolls for bikernet readers and anyone who might stumble into Bandit’s (that’s me) 5-Ball Emporium in Sturgis or online here.

These puppies are real Bedrolls and my guy made them even bigger at 76 by 44 inches. He also gave them thicker padding and Edge approved the canvas backing. They go for about $150 plus postage. Check the shop for deals.

The Redhead smiled and taped me on the shoulder, when she discovered the value of the old Easyriders Tech Tips and Tricks bookS. She thought I might take her to dinner if she sold one. Fat chance. They are signed and ready to go for about $45.

–Bandit

Harley-Davidson slashes forecast as sales slammed by DEI boycott, inflation

Shares of Harley-Davidson dropped after the iconic motorcycle maker slashed its full-year revenue forecast as its customers chafed at price inflation and high borrowing costs — as well as a social-media angst against it.

Spending on big-ticket purchases has slipped, with consumers wary of depleting savings and rising credit card debt, dashing hopes of a recovery in demand for manufacturers of leisure products.

Harley’s retail sales in North America, its biggest market, fell 10%.

Refer full story at Reuters News by clicking here

–Wayfarer

Associate Editor

Bikernet.com

BANDIT’S CANTINA LIBRARY BOOK OF THE WEEK–

Elspeth Beard – One of the Early Globetrotters wrote Lone Rider

​​I have been described as one of a select band of bold women to ride a motorcycle around the world. I left in October 1982, in the days before sat-nav, internet, email and mobile phones. The bike I chose for the trip was a second-hand 1974 BMW R 60/6 flat twin, for which I paid £900 in 1979 (the equivalent then of about $1800). This was a substantial sum at the time, especially for a machine that already had 30,000 miles on the clock.

UK Publication – 2017

Paperback or eBook available on Amazon or go to ‘Shop’ at the top of this page to order your signed copy.

North America & Canada publication – 2018

Paperback and eBook available at Amazon.com or direct from www.octanepress.com

​

Audio book available from Audible.com

https://www.elspethbeard.com

I don’t know how I came across this book, but I was inspired to buy and start reading it. Not only is it well written, but it captures the era of the ‘80s and world travels.

Another thing happened. Other than football games and old movies, a bunch of television programing went WOKE and is disgusting to watch. I started to read and I’m enjoying it. It’s way more educational and inspiring, unless you just read porn.

–Bandit

HERE’S THE RUB—Life is wild and we need to vote. We need to step up for freedom, honesty and integrity and show the rest of the world how it’s done.

I would like to write another book, finish my Knucklehead, start on the 1913 board track racer and dream about the next project. I’m tired straining my feeble brain on ways to save the country. It’s hard on an old biker, but what the fuck. We can’t sit idly by and let our country go to shit.

I like what the NFL is doing. They are reaching out against hate and asking folks to vote. I’m struggling to be inspired to finish the 105^th episode of Bandit’s Cantina, but I’ll get there and get everything prepped for the winter.

The museum is working on a Xmas party fund raiser. It’s non-stop around here, even if it’s snowing.

Ride fast and free forever,
–Bandit

Shit went nuts. Monday morning I pondered heading to the gym and kicking back, then the phone rang. Steve Klein called about the next Vintage cross country rally on 100-year-old bikes, called the American TransAm. It’s scheduled for next September and Bikernet will be a Sponsor. It’s carefully produced and orchestrated by the crew at Competition Distributing. Hang on for reports.

Then the phone rang and the Sturgis Mayor told me she resigned. This city is in disarray as staff quit, the budget is due and council members resigned. Then the hardworking mayor stepped away. The Redhead and I motored out of the winding canyon in the evening for the City meeting, when a senior member of the council resigned right in front of us. Plus, there are rumors of financial issues.

That’s not all. Some of you know I attempted to interview JD Vance regarding policies currently on the voting table. Chris Callen volunteered to produce the interview for Grease and Gears TV. I picked up the phone and dialed a number in Ohio. I didn’t expect a senior member of the Vance staff to answer, but Luke did and indicated some interest. I was blown away.

Shit, got crazy and Halloween was just around the corner. That’s not all…

REPORTS FROM THE MOTORCYCLE RIDERS FOUNDATION JUST FLEW INTO THE OFFICE

The Evolving MAC

In 2015 Congress passed and President Obama signed the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.  The FAST Act was the “highway bill” that covered infrastructure spending and surface transportation related policies for a five-year period. Included in the legislation was the establishment of the Motorcyclist Advisory Council (MAC).

The language used to create the MAC was brief. It simply said, “The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, shall appoint a Motorcyclist Advisory Council to coordinate with and advise the Administrator on infrastructure issues of concern to motorcyclists, including— (1) barrier design; (2) road design, construction, and maintenance practices; and (3) the architecture and implementation of intelligent transportation system technologies.”

During its lifespan the first version of the MAC held five committee meetings and submitted a recommendation report on March 11, 2020. To read the 2020 report click here. Because the MAC was created as part of the FAST ACT its duration was limited to the five year period the bill covered. The MAC was officially terminated in October of 2020.

While the creation of the MAC was a good step forward, there were concerns regarding membership. As time passed it became apparent that the nine members of the original MAC could not completely capture the diverse set of voices in the motorcycling community. As such, efforts began to expand the MAC and include more voices creating a new and improved MAC.

In both 2019 and 2021 the MRF helped advance stand-alone bills that recreated the MAC with an expanded membership. Representative Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Senator Gary Peters of Michigan all led the charge on creating the MAC 2.0 version. They were joined by over two dozen bipartisan cosponsors in this effort.  While keeping the original directive, the MAC 2.0 added motorcycle and motorcyclist safety to its jurisdiction.

Perhaps most importantly, the MAC 2.0 version, advocated by the MRF and lawmakers, included an expanded 13-member council with mandated qualifications and backgrounds. The new proposal directed the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) to seat the MAC with the following candidates:

•   Five representatives of State or local government with expertise relating to highway engineering and safety issues

•   One motorcyclist who serves as a State or local and safety or transportation design engineer;

•   One representative of a national association of State transportation officials;

•   One representative of a national motorcyclist association;

•   One representative of a national motorcyclist foundation;

•   One representative of a national motorcycle manufacturing association;

•   One representative of a motorcycle manufacturing company headquartered in the United States;

•   One roadway safety data expert with expertise relating to crash testing and analysis;

•   One member of a national safety organization that represents the traffic safety systems industry.

While the stand-alone bills stalled in Congress the message they sent did not go unnoticed. When it came time to pass a new highway bill and replace the FAST Act, the language set forth in the new MAC bills was dropped into the massive federal infrastructure bill. After a year delay, in November of 2021 the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act became law.  Included in that bill was the creation of a new and improved Motorcyclist Advisory Council.

However, while Congress created a new MAC, it still required the U.S. DOT to find, vet and seat the 13 members. After over 2 years of delays, in June of 2024 the new members of the MAC were announced. Included in that group was MRF Vice President Jay Jackson.

Soon the MAC 2.0 will hold its first meeting and begin its assigned task of making recommendations to develop federal policies that consider motorcyclists. It’s been a long journey to this point. The evolution of the MAC is a great case study in how sustained, targeted advocacy is needed to see results in Washington, D.C. For nearly a decade the MRF and its members fought for a seat at the table. One of our own will now be on the inside working hand and hand with federal policy makers ensuring the street rider has a voice in our nation’s capital.

–MRF

Join the MRF and find out more at www.mrf.org

BREAKING NEWS

SEMA, NTEA File Federal Lawsuit to Stop Advanced Clean Fleets EV Truck Mandates

SEMA and The Work Truck Association (NTEA) filed suit in the U.S. District Court’s Eastern District of California against the California Air Resources Board (CARB), to stop electric vehicle mandates CARB intends to implement through its Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulations.

The organizations contend that CARB’s actions far exceed California’s constitutional and state statutory authority and will have a dire effect on an industry that historically has led the way toward cleaner, safer vehicles through innovation and American ingenuity–particularly through alternative-fuel innovations, replacing older engine technologies with newer, cleaner versions and converting older internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to new electric or hydrogen-powered vehicles.

NEW FROM COMPETITION DISTRIBUTING–We’re excited to share that we’re working on producing OH dual port heads and cylinders designed specifically for the 2-cam bottom ends. These will be available in multiple configurations to suit your needs—whether you’re looking for top ends, complete motors, or even a full fire-breathing hillclimbing machine.

And this is just the beginning—there’s much more to come!

–Competition Distributing

Have a terrific weekend and don’t forget to vote!

–Bandit

Hey,

I don’t know what to make of today. It’s nuts. I’m reaching out the JD Vance’s staff today. Maybe I can interview him in Sturgis, SD. We’re burnin’ daylight.

I need to roll over to Scott Jacob’s and deliver some books. The Goat team is here trimming trees. I got the ’58 chevy running semi-strong. Still needs some details worked out. It might snow tomorrow and I’ll cover it for the winter. Today may be the last opportunity to exercise the classic. I’m getting close to turning back to the Knucklehead and finishing the wiring. I’m looking at a Titanium Elishewitz knifle. I feel it’s time for a change. I carry a knife every day, everywhere. As soon as I forget it, I need to cut open a box…

Let’s hit the news and don’t forget to vote…

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

The News was provided by the Bikernet Team including Wayfarer, the Redhead, Bob T. Sam Burns, Laura, Barry Green, El Waggs, J.J. Solari, Amy White, Jenn and the rest of the crew.

Electric Motorcycle Company Energica Shuts Down

Company to Will Liquidate Assets. EV world is shrinking. fast.

Is this the “Truth” about the Wall Street money trail I have been howling about on Bikernet.com since over one year ?

The scam, the mass-perpetration and self-perpetuation of a technological hoax and overall financial Ponzi scheme, the magnitude and scale of this fraud that even duped multiple governments of major nations around the world.

Once EV is out of USA, you can rest assured, no matter the investment in infrastructure or technology or capital expenses–other nations and at least majority of its businesses and citizens will have no interest in pursuing EV technology.

Currently, the handful of minions are latching on to the “dream” or rather the Fantasy Fiction (’cause it ain’t Science Fiction) due to the continued market share and sales of Elon Musk’s Tesla. The technocrat has strategically endeared himself to Presidential candidate and former-President of USA Donald Trump. People can be sure, Trump knows cons when he sights one.

Energica board of directors tried to attract funding instead of having improved their tech, business process and revenue streams. To pay off the company’s creditors and debt obligations, the board decided to fully liquidate all of its assets rather than going the Cake route of declaring bankruptcy and then finding a new owner.

Maybe that shows some level of “honor” — to sell off whatever possible to pay their dues rather than further milk and misuse the financial systems made available to businesses for their success.

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Right to Repair — Freedom Of Choice

Wear A Helmet If You Want To Wear One

Earlier today, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released a study claiming that since the mid-1970s more than 20,000 motorcyclists would have survived crashes had they been wearing a helmet. In total, the IIHS report says, 11% of motorcyclist fatalities over nearly 50 years would have been prevented by helmet usage.

While we understand and respect the mission of the IIHS to reduce traffic injuries, fatalities and property damage, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) finds it necessary to point out three principal tenets of our position on helmet usage. First, since our creation, the MRF remains steadfast in the belief that those who ride should decide. Fundamentally, we believe that each rider is in the best position to evaluate the choices they make when riding, which includes the choice to wear a helmet or not, as well as the type of helmet.

Second, the absence of a helmet mandate in the 33 states with freedom of choice does not force motorcyclists to ride helmetless. These choice states simply allow a rider to make their own decision. Thousands of riders in states that do not have helmet mandates ride with a helmet and we support their right to do so. Additionally, states with universal helmet laws do not claim 100% compliance.

Finally, a primary part of our legislative agenda and messaging is crash avoidance. A crash that does not happen is always safer than a crash that occurs. As such, focusing on avoiding or preventing a crash before it happens is far more valuable than making a crash “safer.” For this reason, the MRF has always supported rider training and motorcycle awareness as proactive measures.

This report demonstrates that motorcyclist fatalities are a growing concern for policymakers. While the MRF and IIHS view this topic differently, we will continue to work on areas where we find common ground.

Let Those Who Ride Decide Join The MRF

www.MRF.org

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BILL MAY AND THE BILL MAY REPORT–

Hey Bandit congratulations on setting records with the salt trike. That’s awesome. Regarding the ’58 Chevy feel free to call or text me anytime for info. I just put a new engine in this ’40 ford. It was running rough and he thought it had a bad valve, so he wanted me to pull the heads and have a valve job done. When I pulled the right head the gasket was blown completely out between the two middle cylinders. Valves were fine. I was cleaning the head surface on the block and found a big old crack right where the gasket was blown.

So the guy I’m doing it for ordered a new motor.
–Bill May

“I will call you shortly. ” –Bandit

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100-WORD FICTION CONTEST RETURNS–

The Last Cut.                                                                                                   

Speed marched into his apartment and hung his cut on the backside of the hallow door. He stared at his tattered 1%er patch.

Speed could not stand how the government turned on bikers and motorcycles. His old lady, Casey wrapped her arms around his narrow waist and said, “It’s all going to be alright Babe.”

Speed stared into her glistening emerald-green eyes and at a smile capable of melting cast iron. “Everything will be all right in the end,” he said and kissed her ruby red lips. “If it’s not all right, it’s not the end.”

–Gearhead

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BREMBO ACQUIRES ÖHLINS, LEADING MANUFACTURER OF PREMIUM SUSPENSION TECHNOLOGY

With Öhlins, Brembo expands its offerings for the automotive market to enhance its role as a Solution Provider of integrated, intelligent solutions to its customers

This deal marks the largest acquisition in Brembo’s history and further strengthens the Group’s brand portfolio

Öhlins has a strong racing heritage and presence in major championships as a renowned supplier for MotoGP, Formula 1, Superbike, NASCAR, and others

Bergamo (Italy), October 11th 2024 – Brembo today signed an agreement with Tenneco, a portfolio company of funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, Inc., for the acquisition of a 100% stake in Öhlins Racing, the leading manufacturer of premium, high performance suspension technology for motorcycles and cars in the Original Equipment, Motorsport, and Aftermarket segments.

“Öhlins is a strong fit for Brembo. It is a world-renowned brand, with a solid business and an unrivaled reputation, both on the racetrack and the road,” said Matteo Tiraboschi, Brembo Executive Chairman. “We welcome Öhlins to our Group as a great opportunity to expand our offerings for the automotive market. With this addition, we take another step forward in our strategy to provide integrated intelligent solutions to our customers, leveraging synergies across key technologies in the vehicle’s corner.”

Founded in 1976, Öhlins Racing is based in Upplands Väsby (Stockholm), Sweden, and has a strong international footprint. Öhlins employs approximately 500 people across two production facilities located in Sweden and Thailand, two R&D centers in Sweden and Thailand, and four distribution and testing branches in the U.S., Germany, Thailand and Sweden.

Öhlins’ suspension technology is renowned for precision, performance, and innovation.

Brembo leads the world in the design and production of high-performance braking systems and components for top- flight manufacturers of cars, motorbikes and commercial vehicles. Founded in 1961 in Italy, Brembo has a long- standing reputation for providing innovative solutions for OEMs and aftermarket. Brembo also competes in the most challenging motorsport championships in the world and has won over 600 titles.

See more at www.brembo.com

PREVIOUSLY THE NEWS WAS—-BREMBO MAKES A BOLD MOVE–

In a deal valued at $405 million, Brembo signed an agreement with Tenneco, a portfolio company of funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, Inc., for the acquisition of a 100% stake in Öhlins Racing today. “Öhlins is a strong fit for Brembo,” explains Matteo Tiraboschi, Brembo Executive Chairman. “It is a world-renowned brand, with a solid business and an unrivaled reputation, both on the racetrack and the road. With this addition, we take another step forward in our strategy to provide integrated intelligent solutions to our customers, leveraging synergies across key technologies in the vehicle’s corner.”

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THE BUILDER OF THE WEEK–

Tony Benassi lives in Ghisonaccia, France, and is from Poggio-di-Nazza, France.

–Sam Burns
Feature Bike Editor
Bikernet.com(TM)

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CHOPPERS MAGAZINE–Issue Number 16 Now Available

$14.00
Limited copies of Issue 16 now available

This Issue features Born Free 15, Motor Bike Expo, the Texas Fandango, and Fücker Chopper Fest. Along with some killer builds from Frank Ball, Brian Boles,  Devin Corbit, Robert Mayer, Brent Law, Alleyway Kustoms. We also have Danger Dan’s Baja Run and a pullout centerfold of Nick Resty’s Amoeba Chopper. Don’t let this one get away from you.

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BRAND NEW BIKERNET READER COMMENT–

THE BANANAS BIKERNET WEEKLY NEWS– for September 26th 2024

https://www.bikernet.com/pages/THE_BANANAS_BIKERNET_WEEKLY_NEWS_for_September_26th_2024.aspx

Used to be a member years ago. I reread your book Orwell and am currently reading Outlaw Justice.  I always did and do relate to your books like it’s my own life. 

I no longer ride a V-twin, but bike life is bike life. Currently riding a 2016 BMW GS.  Great machine for this area here on the west side of WA.

Your books, and articles are amazing and thanks for letting back in the Cantina.  I’ll be posting some more?

–Miguel Marlowe
Olympia, WA

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BANDIT’S CANTINA BAD JOKE LIBRARY IS NOW OPEN–

HARRIS finally breaks down and visits a remote northern reservation. With news crews following her around as they tour the place, the Vice President asks the chief if there was anything they need.

“Well,” says the chief, “We have three very important needs. First, we have a medical clinic but no doctor to man it.”

Harris whips out her cellphone, dials a number, talks to somebody for two minutes and then hangs up. “I’ve pulled some strings. Your doctor will arrive in a few days. Now what was the second problem?”

“We have no way to get clean water. The local mining operation has poisoned the water our people have been drinking for dozens of years. We’ve been flying bottled water in, and it’s terribly expensive.”

Once again, Harris dials a number, yells into her cellphone for a few minutes, and then hangs up. “The mine has been shut down, and the owner is being billed for setting up a purification plant for your people. Now what was that third problem?”

The chief looks at her and says, “We have no cellphone reception up here!”

–El Waggs

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FOSSIL FUELS ARE MAKING HURRICANES BETTER NOT WORSE– like Hurricanes Helene and Milton better

Fossil fuels have created unprecedented safety from extreme weather—and the recent hurricanes would’ve been far worse without them
By ALEX EPSTEIN

Myth: Hurricanes Helene and Milton show that we’re experiencing unprecedented danger from extreme weather thanks to fossil fuels.

Truth: Fossil fuels have made us much safer from extreme weather—and the recent hurricanes would’ve been far worse without them.

Truth: We’re experiencing unprecedented safety from extreme weather.

Media reports would lead us to believe that hurricanes like Helene and Milton are proof that fossil-fueled “climate change” is making extreme weather much more dangerous by virtue of being more intense and/or frequent. Mainstream data and climate science show otherwise.

Myth: We’re experiencing unprecedented danger from extreme weather.

Truth: We’re experiencing unprecedented safety from extreme weather, including a huge drop in extreme weather deaths in recent decades. All media reports on extreme weather should acknowledge this, yet none do.

You wouldn’t know it from typical media coverage, but we are far safer from extreme weather like Milton in today’s fossil-fueled world compared to the past. Climate-related disaster deaths, i.e. extreme weather deaths, are down 98% over the last century!¹

Myth: Extreme weather deaths may have decreased, but damages have increased.

Truth: Despite many incentives for global climate-related damages to go up—preferences for riskier areas, government bailouts—GDP-adjusted climate-related damages are flat.²

3 keys to understanding climate damage statistics:

1. Damage should be measured as percentage of GDP not compared dollar-for-dollar to a poorer past with less wealth at risk. (E.g., Miami Beach)

2. More people today choose to live in damage-prone areas.

3. Government bailout policies increase damage.

Myth: The damage of Milton shows how destructive today’s climate has become.

Truth: The damage of Milton shows how wealthy and populated Florida has become.³

Fossil fuels have driven our record safety from extreme weather.

Myth: Fossil fuels shouldn’t get credit for our incredible resilience to extreme weather, only blame for making weather worse.

Truth: There’s definitive proof that fossil fuels drive our resilience to extreme weather, while there’s little evidence they’re making weather worse.

Myth: Storms are a bigger danger than ever thanks to fossil fuels.

Truth: Storms are a smaller danger than ever thanks to the fossil-fueled machines that build sturdy buildings, as well as fossil-fueled weather warning systems and fossil-fueled disaster relief efforts.⁴

Death rate chart, storms

Myth: Floods are a bigger danger than ever thanks to fossil fuels.

Truth: Floods are a smaller danger than ever thanks to fossil-fueled flood control infrastructure and disaster relief.⁵

Myth: Fossil fuels don’t deserve much credit for plummeting climate disaster deaths; it’s “resilience.”

Truth: Fossil fuel energy makes us resilient through plentiful infrastructure-building, heating and cooling, irrigation, transportation, etc.

Myth: We don’t need fossil fuels to protect ourselves from extreme weather—we can just use alternatives.

Truth: There is no near-term replacement for fossil fuels for the 1/4 of the world that uses abundant energy—let alone the 3/4 of the world that doesn’t.

Fossil fuels will for decades remain uniquely able to provide low-cost, reliable energy to billions. That’s why fossil fuels are 80% of world energy and still growing.⁶

Alex is sorta long-winded with his reports, pun intended. If you want to dig into his entire report head over to his web site or read one of his informative books.

“Energy Talking Points by Alex Epstein” is my free Substack newsletter designed to give as many people as possible access to concise, powerful, well-referenced talking points on the latest energy, environmental, and climate issues from a pro-human, pro-energy perspective.

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CHOOSING HEADLINERS FOR THE CHIP–

Securing bands for The Best Party Anywhere® is no easy feat. It often takes the entire year before all the variables fall into place. But the process always starts by listening to requests from fans like you.

Planning is currently underway, and lots of you have been asking about bands and listing ones you’d ride across the country naked in a blizzard to see perform.

The following is a list of 25 bands that fans like you have put on the Chip’s radar. Are these the bands you’d go nuts to see join the Sturgis Buffalo Chip lineup in 2025?

See the Bands at www.buffalochip.com

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LIFESTYLE CYCLES DEAL OF THE WEEK–Stock# 14207

2016 Harley Davidson FLHXS Street Glide Special with only 36,562 miles!

The time has come for you to trade up for one of these Street Glide Specials here at Lifestyle Cycles, with a 103 motor and touring comfortability this is the bike you’ve been looking for!

* Two-Up Touring Seat

* Chrome Engine Guard with Highway Pegs

* Rider Floorboards

* Passenger Mini Floorboards

* 103 Cubic Inch Twin Cam Motor

* Vance & Hines Chrome Covered Intake

* 4 Point Docking Hardware

* Vance & Hines Chrome Dresser Duals

* Rear White LED Tail Lights

* Stock 6-Inch Chrome Handlebars

* Chrome Avon Contour Grips

* Dual Front Brakes

* Front White LED Tur Signal Lights and LED Headlight

* New Front and Rear tires

* Heel/Toe Shifter

* 6-Inch Smoked Windshield

This bike is only $16,995.00

Plus license, $85.00 documentation fee, and local sales tax. NO HIDDEN FEES like some dealers. And we have no reconditioning or prep fees. This bike has passed Lifestyle Cycles rigorous 103-point safety/mechanical/structural inspection.This motorcycle has not been refurbished and does not come with any warranty expressed or implied! EXTENDED WARRANTIES are available!

Fill out an online application today. We have EZ FINANCING

Lifestyle Cycles is located at 1510 State College Blvd,Anaheim,CA,92806. Open 7 days a week.

NOT LOCAL? WE HAVE SHIPPING AVAILABLE! Call today (714) 490-0155.

www.Lifestylecycles.com

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GAME OVER CYCLES NEWS FLASH–

During the Eternal City Motorcycle Show, which took place on the last weekend of September in Rome, the Polish company Game Over Cycles (GOC) won an award in the competition organized at the prestigious event.

GOC’s The Recidivist won the Special Prize in the Custom Contest organized by the Italian magazine Low Ride. The best custom vehicles from all over Italy and Europe took part in the competition. GOC was the only foreign company awarded in the competition.

The Recidivist is a custom machine inspired by the world of tattoos. Motorbikes are commonly adorned with tattoo motifs using an airbrush, however the uniqueness of The Recidivist lies in the fact that the bike’s entire construction is covered in tattooed skin branded directly onto the bike’s tires, tanks, seat, rear fender, lamp, and the sidecar, which is an integral part of the vehicle. All this makes The Recidivist the world’s first tattooed motorcycle.

The Eternal City Motorcycle Show is one of the largest motorcycle events in Italy. This year on 30 000 square meters 300 exhibitors presented their offer, and the event was visited by 25,000 guests over two days.

“We are glad that after the trophies won in Austria, Germany and the USA, we were also recognized in Italy, a country that loves motoring, especially motorcycles. The Recidivist still amazes people, and we bring home another respectable award, so it is a reason to be proud and happy,” said after the competition founder and owner of Game Over Cycles, Stanisław Myszkowski.

Game Over Cycles (GOC) is a Polish custom motorcycles manufacturer formed in 2012. The company is known for its original creations. Machines created by Game Over Cycles have won awards at world’s biggest custom bike competitions. The company has already won 31 awards, including 24 international ones, of which 8 trophies were received at the European Bike Week (EBW), the largest motorcycle festival in Europe and 9 awards in the homeland of bike customization, the United States of America.

www.gameovercycles.com

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ASSALT WEAPAN BONNEVILLE WIND TUNNEL UPDATE–

We have pictures, videos, and data from every run. There is just too much to share until I can get home, lay it out on the computer for proper observation. In short, we gained 25 m.p.h., we know our front and rear lift, how much horsepower to get 200 m.p.h., how much down force we have, and we are making these gains with 28 less required horsepower.

Observed the yarn on the Dioro Jeans sticker located back and bottom of the front fender. It is blowing FORWARD. We observed many interesting instances of both good and bad design, rider position, and slight changes on bodywork. Keith Ball’s original design was actually pretty darn slick and well executed. This was certainly worth the money.

Now, we will prepare the entire motorcycle for racing, dyno test at Michael Beland ‘s A1 Cycle dyno facility and then return to the A2 wind tunnel for final details. Then……we go in search of 200 m.p.h. I would like to thank the following Honorary Rough Boy Racing members for their generous monetary donations in helping me to get The Assalt Weapan Panhead back to Bonneville. Rod Balch, Joe Sparrow, Rod Sturgeon, Dan March, Craig Ziggy Zoet, and Andy Anderson. I spent all y’all’s money and it was worth it!!

Love y’all.

Berry Wardlaw
Accurate Engineering
Dotham, Alabama

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THE GREATEST THREAT– To Our Freedom Comes From Our Own Governments

It’s not about Brazil. It’s not about Europe. It’s not about Australia. It’s about how they’re working together to censor the entire Internet.

–By MICHAEL SHELLENBERGER

Whole days sometimes pass when I feel the wind at our backs in our fight for free speech. The European Commission sacked its top censor after he expressed concerns about Elon Musk interviewing Donald Trump. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of São Paulo to protest censorship. And Senators in Ireland appeared to have defeated hateful hate speech censorship legislation.

Then, the wind abruptly shifts. Brazil freezes the assets of Starlink, forcing Musk and X to make a Hobson’s choice on censorship. California’s Coastal Commission blocks additional Starlink launches because its members hate Musk. Word arrives that the Irish government will try to sneak through censorship legislation as early as this week. And we hear from our friends that the Australian government is trying to ram through legislation that would give the government the power to decide what’s true and false and bankrupt social media companies that disagree…

Read the whole report on the Public substack.

BANDIT’S 5-BALL EMPORIUM NEWS–

Oh Hell, where to start. Danial James is at it again as our exclusive fine artist. He just can’t stop.

If you see any images here you’re interested in you can call me, the Redhead, the Emporium captive, or Danial directly.

We built a sign for out front, so folks know we’re open from either direction.

I’m working with talented woodworker, Nikki, and she made a platform for my new drill press on top of an old butter churning machine I picked up from Mike the Picker in Whitewood. I think it worked…

–Bandit

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ACTION FROM THE VENICE VINTAGE RIDERS–

This month we head south…

We’re getting a bit creative with our south-bound route this month, due to some road closures.

Our final destination is Ballast Point Brewing Company.  They’re going to keep the back of the parking lot reserved for us.

Meet:
1625 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Venice, CA 90291

Destination:
Ballast Point Brewing Company
110 N. Marina Dr.
Long Beach, CA 90803

9AM – Meet
10AM – Kick stands up!

All years, makes, and models are welcome!

Make sure to follow us on Facebook & Instagram, or go to venicevintage.com for the latest updates on our events calendar.

See you there!

-VVMC

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NEW FROM THE FEULING CROWD–

VVT Cam Bolt Torque reaction tool. This tool allows removal/install of the VVT cam bolt, referenced by the factory as the spool valve.

.

With the Introduction of the VVT engine in the new 2023 CVO the process to access the camchest has come with a few extra steps. There is a special tool needed to hold the Cam Phaser Assembly in place in order to remove the spool valve bolt and access the camchest, we now have that tool available for you!

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TAUBLIEB Films Announces World Premiere of “PAY DIRT: The Story of Supercross”

at Newport Beach Film Festival

Narrated and Executive Produced by Academy Award-nominated actor JOSH BROLIN

Monster Energy and TAUBLIEB Films are thrilled to announce the world premiere of the highly-anticipated documentary Pay Dirt: The Story of Supercross, narrated by acclaimed actor Josh Brolin. The film will debut at the prestigious Newport Beach Film Festival on Saturday, October 19, 2024, at 3:30 PM at the renowned Lido Theater.

Event Details:
Location: Lido Theater, 3459 Via Lido, Newport Beach, CA 92663
Date: October 19, 2024
Time: 3:30 PM – 5:05 PM PDT
Tickets: Purchase at their website

This extraordinary full-length feature documentary film captures the thrilling and tumultuous journey of Supercross, the sport that has captivated millions. From its grassroots beginnings to its transformation into a global phenomenon, Pay Dirt offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the sport’s greatest athletes, risks, rewards, and the passion that drives them. With the support of Monster Energy and Feld Entertainment, TAUBLIEB Films is proud to bring this story to life.

“Monster Energy is excited to be a part of Pay Dirt, a documentary that dives deep into the electrifying world of Supercross. This film does an incredible job capturing the raw energy and intensity of our top athletes in the sport while offering an authentic glimpse into the challenges and triumphs of Supercross, making it accessible and thrilling for all audiences,” said Mitch Covington, Monster Energy Senior Vice President of Sports Marketing.

Featured Monster Energy supercross athletes include legendary and current icons: Jeremy McGrath, Ricky Carmichael, Ryan Villopoto, Brian Deegan, and Haiden Deegan.

“We’re only here because of the incredible support from everyone involved – from Monster Energy to Feld Motorsports – and, of course, the riders and production team,” said multi-Emmy-winning filmmaker Paul Taublieb, whose previous feature collaborations with Monster Energy include feature documentaries “Unchained: The Untold Story of Freestyle Motocross,” “FASTEST” and “Blink of an Eye.  “This is not a history of the sport, but rather, the story of the Supercross, and I’m humbled and grateful to be able to share this first screening at the great Newport Beach Film Festival.”

“Pay Dirt is a project born from a deep admiration for skill, courage and sacrifices of the incredible athletes who ride Supercross, and features an all-star cast of riders including Jeremy McGrath, Ricky Carmichael, Ricky Johnson, Bob Hannah, Haiden Deegan, and many others, including, speaking from prison, the man who created the sport, Michael Goodwin.” added TAUBLIEB. “Our goal was to bring their stories to life in a way that not only resonates with die-hard fans but also introduces new audiences to the world of Supercross.”

Following the Newport Beach premiere, Pay Dirt will have a special theatrical screening tied to the opening of the 2025 Monster Energy Supercross season at Anaheim 1. It will then be released in 500 theaters across the country. Shortly after that, the documentary will be available on popular streaming platforms.

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Buy Woke, Go Broke: The Failure of ESG Investing

ALAS, the ESG and sustainability movement, a financial juggernaut in its heyday, has performed poorly in the past two years.

This poor performance has been a result of a combination of factors including the boomeranging impact of Western sanctions on Russia energy exports, the collapse of “clean” energy stocks, the rise in interest rates, and the widespread backlash against ‘woke capitalism’ and climate change regulations in Europe and the U.S.

ESG investment momentum has slowed on both sides of the Atlantic since 2022. In 2022, for the first time in more than a decade, investors pulled more money from funds marketed as “sustainable” than they added. In the first half of 2024, the U.S. ESG market experienced net outflows of over $13 billion, on the heels of a $9 billion outflow in 2023. Morningstar, a financial research firm, found nearly 2,500 fewer sustainable funds globally in 2023 relative to the prior year and 2024 is on track for an even steeper plunge.

According to Torsten Lichtenau, Bain and Company’s global carbon transition practice lead, “When you look at the importance of [environmental, social and corporate-governance efforts], you can clearly see a huge peak in 2021 to 2022 where there was also a lot of action off the back of the Glasgow COP26 climate conference in 2021. Now it’s dropped back to 2019 levels.”

Enter “competitive sustainability”, a buzz phrase of choice of its most vociferous proponents. The European Commission’s 2022 Annual Sustainable Growth Survey (ASGS) presented a “competitive sustainability” agenda for the EU covering four dimensions: productivity, environment, fairness, and stability. In a word salad worthy of Brussel’s unelected bureaucrats, it describes the agenda as one where “a fair, just, green and digital transition which requires sustainable social conditions, will serve as a foundation for future prosperity and resilience. Well-designed labour market policies and social protection systems are the basis for resilience and inclusive growth.”

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Electric Enfield Motorcycles

Enfield is teasing an EV motorcycle ahead of EICMA on its Instagram and says it will be revealed on 4-Nov-2024

Refer https://www.instagram.com/p/DBJal9Xy6uQ/

Also see local news by clicking here

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THE SHOVELHEADS OF THE WEEK–

From Sam Burns
Feature Bike Editor
Bikernet.com

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JANUS MOTORCYCLE COMPANY REPORT–Remember the beautiful Sturgis Halcyon 250?

Remember the beautiful Halcyon 250 #490?

And that awesome Halcyon 450 #317?

All Sold.

Want one of these? They don’t last long.

Reply to this email to reserve or place your deposit on the website!

Want one from scratch? Get 40% off all your options this month! Build Yours.

Inventory Feature: Halcyon 450 #295

  Halcyon 450 #295 is fresh off the build stand and ready to ramble! This instant classic is set in our vintage red primary color with cream and copper pinstripes. A custom cream feather logo ties together the paint on the tank. Featuring saddle brown leather, this motorcycle is ready to turn heads everywhere it goes! Every new 450 comes with a 2-year warranty. Buy this beautiful motorcycle today and make the most of the remaining riding season!

Total Price: $17,460

Want a sneak peek on our Black Friday deal on this bike? Reply to this message and we’ll clue you in!

New Inventory Listed: Halcyon 250 #1135

Halcyon 250 #1135 is fresh off the build stand and ready to ramble! Sporting our classy black primary color, this simple, elegant 250 features black leather and a single silver pinstripe. With plenty of storage options, Halcyon 250 #1135 is ready for adventure. And rest assured, every 250 also comes with a 4-year fender-to-fender warranty.

Total Price: $9,855

I’M BACK–Every day is packed with action, projects and choices. I wrote to the JD Vance staff this week for an interview with Grease and Gears TV. I believe the media is missing the point, but we’re burning daylight before the election. Rocky the Lobbyist from the MRF helped me make a connection.

I went through the Chevy Carb and eliminated the electric fuel pump. It’s never run so good, but there is still more to do.

As you can see, we are transitioning Bikernet to a WordPress platform and I’m working with my web master, Joe Jorgenson every week to make it happen. We had a meeting yesterday.

I turned in my World Report to Cycle Source this week and discussed some editorial issue with Chris. You may see Charlie’s Knucklehead and the Salt Torpedo in the next issue.

The Mike Parti Bonneville Bikes are headed to the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and should arrive shortly. The Board has decided against the expansion project due to some financial woes, so they put it on hold.

I’m working on my goals for next year. We will continue to refine and improve Bikernet and Bandit’s Cantina. I would like to write more and maybe complete another book next year. I’m going to jump back onto my Knucklehead project next week and finish the wiring.

Next year I will dive into building a 1913 Harley board track racer. You’ll see it all come together here.

Somehow we all need to find our way back to Freedom next year, and be able to reach Nirvana. Kids need to know we’re living in the best of times not the worst.

Go Vote and be Free.

–Bandit

Charlie’s ’51 EL

Charlie’s a wild man with a long flapping gray beard. At 65 he screams through the black hills of South Dakota on and 1946 Knucklehead trying to out run the winter.

He hit a rusting, riveted guard rail recently, shattering his leg, which was pinned but wouldn’t heal. The doc pulled the pin, yet the painful leg refused to heal and Charlie snubbed the notion to quit riding. A year later, on the teetering, aching calf he hit another galvanized guard rail on a notorious mountain curve and slit his hand open, more pins. He’s still riding. “I’m trying to pay attention,” Charlie said.

Charlie has two ongoing loves, building antique motorcycles back to ’36 and riding with the wild-men of the AMCA in the black hills.

He wants a woman in his life but grapples with life’s lessons. But let’s check this story from the vantage point of his refurbished 1951 EL Panhead. He bought it originally as a chopper. At the same time he scored a 1955 Panhead bobber.

That happened in 2005 and his mantra was to build a bike every year or so. This occurred during his flashy era, and he hunted for all the correct sheet metal and shipped the pieces out for a knats-on correct Persian Red paint job. Married at the time and looking after his ailing mother-in-law (for 22 years), he worked commercial construction in Alsip, Illinois in the labor union.

His ol’ lady, Beatrix, for 31 years supported his single garage packed to the chrome gills with motorcycles parts. “Oh boy a trike,” she said when he tried to stuff a 45 trike into the packed shop mix of motorcycles, parts and tools.

He shipped his original but slightly modified wishbone frame, the 61-inch engine (the factory stopped building 61-inch ELs in ’52) and the four-speed transmission to Jim Long in California for restoration work and rebuilds. He handled the rest including meticulously researching ’51 Panhead construction and parts. Searching swap-meets for each correct component and rusting fastener, he parkerized  and painted each sought-after element and handled all the mechanical, tuning and testing until the ’51 was complete, correct, original and an everyday rider.  

This classic, tank-shift Panhead started first kick after stored in his current U-shaped shop in Boulder Canyon for 16 years. The shop wraps around his home like a horseshoe.

“It’s basically a brand new 1951 Panhead,” Charlie said, “with turn signals, an official Harley accessory kit at the time.” He is also willing to sell the sorta matching, sister-ship, polished, gloss-black 1955 Pan rebuilt from the ground up in the same manner the next year or so 2006-7. In ’55 the factory tested tins attached with only six fasteners to the thin aluminum lip around the head. They leaked and the factory returned to 12 fasteners.

Charlie generally doesn’t sell motorcycles, although he does sell parts. He has most every motorcycle he’s ever straddled, old and somewhat new.

Both Bikes are all original, super low mileage restored Classics. The ’51 is currently shinning and adding serious class to Bandit’s 5-Ball Emporium on Main Street in Sturgis, SD. If you’re interested stop by or call Bandit at 310-528-9258 or call the man, Charlie directly at 708-431-6778 at his RustyOldIron shop. He might also have a part you need.

Hey,
Here’s the deal. We’ve worked and spent an entire year to move all Bikernet Free Content (16,000 articles) onto a fast-acting, mobile-friendly, google accessible, WordPress Platform. We’ve encountered many twists and turns, but we’re getting closer every day to a better reader experience for the future. Bear with us as we make our final moves and replace the home page with an all new Bikernet Rider/Reader Experience.

— Robin Technologies

As you know by now, we’re going through changes and so am I. I’m sure I’m going to stumble from time to time, but we’re trying. I felt is was necessary to have a department for daily updates and reminders. This will give me and Mr. Wayfarer a place to share quick items and reminders about new Bikernet and Bandit’s Cantina content. Here’s the blast for Friday.

It’s CARB  …It’s Always CARB

This week, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced the rescheduled date for a hearing regarding “On-Road Motorcycle Emission Standards and Test Procedures and Adoption of New On-Board Diagnostics and Zero-Emission Motorcycle Requirements.” As you may remember, the original hearing was planned for January 25, 2024 and was postponed less than a week before its scheduled date. The new hearing will be on Thursday, November 7, 2024.

The public hearing will focus on a plan requiring an increasing percentage of California on-road motorcycle sales to be zero-emission motorcycles (ZEM) beginning with the 2028 model year. The proposal aims to have half of all new on-road motorcycles sold be ZEM by 2035.

CARB requested public comments before the January hearing. Three dozen groups and individuals submitted formal comments on the proposed plan. Interestingly, despite the nearly 10-month delay in holding the hearing, the rescheduled hearing “Does not extend that 45-day public comment period. Comments submitted outside that comment period are considered untimely. CARB may, but is not required to, respond to untimely comments.”

The Motorcycle Riders Foundation submitted comments during the original public comment period. The MRF comments are viewable on the CARB website. The hearing will be open to the public, both in person and via ZOOM. Those in California can attend the event in person. We encourage all bikers who care about the future of the internal combustion engine and motorcycling to have their voices heard.

–MRF

Join the Motorcycle Riders Foundation at www.MRF.org

THE ONE AND ONLY—There’s only one company on the planet making cast custom Ball-Peen Hammers and throwing axes. That’s the Nash Motorcycle Company hiding in California.

Here’s the definition of the Ball-Peen Hammer from Wikipedia: A ball-peen or ball pein hammer, also known as a machinist’s hammer, is a type of peening hammer used in metalworking. It has two heads, one flat and the other, called the peen, rounded. It is distinguished from a cross-peen hammer, diagonal-peen hammer, point-peen hammer, or chisel-peen hammer by having a hemispherical peen.

The Nash group of Hammers and Axes was inspired by Taber Nash and Jason Mamoa. Hell, I hope to come up with the change to have them cast Brass 5-Ball Hammers next year.

As you probably know, the Ball-Peen hammers became the self-defense legal weapon of choice, something a brother could toss into the cab of a pickup or strap to the leg of his rigid frame without police scrutiny.

We are living in strange times as our government sees fit to allow our country to be illegally invaded by foreigners, while at the same time trying to limited our 2^nd amendment rights to defend ourselves. Seems a tad unfair to me…

So, we’re fortunate to have Taber and Jason making quality Ball-Peen Hammers and throwing axes. And the Nash crew is offering a 15 percent discount to make our recession-era prices more comfortable. Here’s the deal:

–Bandit  

The Knuckle Axe

The Knuckle Axe  Nash Motorcycle Co. X Jason Momoa. The bigger brother to the Knuckle Chopper and a perfect size, 24” long. The Knuckle Axe has an American grown hickory handle topped with a 4 lb. stainless steel or bronze (Golden) head. Your choice of sheath.

Inspired by our mutual love for Harley’s first OHV motor, the iconic Knucklehead. First developed in 1936 this motor transcended the 2nd World War and developed a cult following from Harley enthusiasts and custom bike builders around the globe. The Knuckle Axe is also inspired by Jason’s passion for throwing hatchets, axes, and tomahawks. Cast in tool grade 420 Stainless Steel or Bronze with an antique finish and polished Knuckle nuts. Handmade and fitted with a hickory wood handle from the good ol’ U.S.A. This one of a kind axe is built to handle anything that comes its way. Hand stamped with Jason’s “On The Roam” logo as well as the Nash Motor Co. logo.

Choose from Black, Brown, or Natural leather sheath options (included in price of axe)  . These sheaths come with special stamping

Specs: Weight -4 lbs.     Length-24″     Hatchet head- 8″ long x 4.5″ blade length

You can order online at Nashmotorcycle.com

Tell ’em you came over from Bikernet.com. Bandit sent ya.