by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com 1972 Harley-Davidson XR750 Evel Knievel Is Not Quite the Real Thing, Comes Close In 2020, Harley-Davidson celebrated the 50th anniversary of the XR750 in style by wrapping the entire racing hardware it fielded, including the team haulers, uniforms, and branded accessories, in the iconic Jet Fire Orange, the competition color used by the Harley-Davidson Factory Flat Track team. But other hues are perhaps equally iconic for the model. The XR750 was introduced as a replacement for the KR750 in 1970, and quickly became the dominant force in the AMA Grand National Championships. In fact, the model is to date the most successful in the competition’s history, having won 28 championships between 1972 and 2008. The racing two-wheeler was ridden to success by the sport’s big names, including Jay Springsteen, Mark Brelsford, or Cal Rayborn. But an even more prominent name of the age is linked to it: Evel Knievel. One of the most famous stunt performers in history, Knievel rode the XR750 from 1970 to 1976. On the bike, he set a new world record by making it airborne and literally flying over 19 cars, a stunt that was filmed for his namesake 1971 movie. The record stood for 27 years when it was taken to 20 cars by Bubba Blackwell, also riding an XR750. Like all stuntmen, Knievel identified himself through several iconic elements, including the colors he used on his rides. And in charge of making his bikes and helmets stand out was his favorite painter, George Sedlak. The bike you see in the gallery above is not one directly linked to Knievel but is painted as a replica by Sedlak—after the stuntman retired, the painter began working on such projects on request. This one sports the colors red, white, and blue on the fuel tank, but also things like the bike maker’s name in big letters, stars all over, a golden horseshoe, and even an image of the rider jumping a canyon with a bridge in the background. We uncovered this one on the lot of motorcycles going under the Mecum hammer at the end of the month in Las Vegas. We are not told who it was originally made for, nor how much it is expected to fetch.

by Chris Best from https://www.wkrg.com

“Singling out of one specific group is profiling and we, as motorcyclist, are well aware of this fact,” says Matthew Schroeder, State Director, Dixie ABATE of Alabama, Alabama’s only state motorcycle rights organization. He’s talking about Alabama Senate Bill-357 which would require motorcycle helmets to have reflective features for high visibility.

Part of the complaint is that this only adds to the expense of already costly safety gear. Decent helmets aren’t cheap, and those with reflective features tend to cost even more. State Senator Clyde Chambliss (R) sponsored the bill. You can read it in full here – click this.

“Mandating a requirement to add reflective material to helmets is counter productive to making riders more visible. Many riders already wear high visibility shirts and reflective jackets when riding. Many riders also having additional lighting for visibility,” said Schroeder. The Director of the Department of Public Safety would determine what qualifies as “reflective features.” The Director would then publish a list of those that qualify.

The legislation also targets feet. It would make riding or being a passenger on a bike while not wearing shoes illegal. That may present another issue, what qualifies as shoes? Does that mean it’s illegal to ride in flip flops or sandals? Or do those qualify as shoes? The law also makes it illegal for anyone to allow a child to ride without a helmet or shoes. Riding a motorcycle in Alabama without a helmet is already illegal.

The law would also make it illegal for dealers and other retailers to sell helmets in Alabama without the reflective features. That would mean riders could not buy a cheaper helmet, then add their own reflective materials. “We feel that the Senators and Representatives would be a lot more productive in regards to motorcycling , if they would pass legislation requiring a motorcycle skills test and teach motorcycle awareness in drivers education,” said Schroeder.

METEOR 350 TO ARRIVE AT NORTH AMERICAN DEALERS

349cc single-cylinder Meteor set to arrive at dealers in May

Milwaukee, Wis (Wednesday, April 6, 2021) — The Royal Enfield Meteor 350, announced in late 2020, is set to debut at Royal Enfield dealerships across North America. Drawing on Royal Enfield’s rich history, the middleweight Meteor revives the iconic name given to its predecessor, which was released in the 1950s. The Meteor 350 pricing will begin at $4,399 for the Fireball.

The Meteor 350 is a new design built from the ground up, created by designers and engineers based at Royal Enfield’s two state-of-the-art technical centers, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and Bruntingthorpe, UK. With a fuel-injected 349cc air-oil-cooled single-cylinder engine, the Meteor generates 20.2 bhp and 19 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. Designed with a balancer shaft, the new platform gives a smooth and well-mannered riding experience, while retaining Royal Enfield’s “thump.” The Meteor 350 also features a twin downtube spline frame, a seat height of 30.1 inches and a curb weight of 421 pounds, making it an approachable and fun motorcycle for nearly any rider.

“The Meteor 350 is a perfect balance of fun and style for any rider,” said Breeann Poland, Marketing and Communications Lead-Americas. “Riders will have the opportunity to choose the Meteor 350 in three model trims: the Fireball, the Stellar and the Supernova, each with its own unique personality and styling. The Meteor displays Royal Enfield’s commitment to our global position as the leader in the middleweight segment, offering a diverse lineup of motorcycles to all riders.”

The Meteor 350 will be available in seven color variations. The Fireball will be available with blacked-out trim pieces and pinstripe wheels, while the Meteor 350 Stellar will offer a passenger backrest. The Supernova will offer both a windscreen and a passenger backrest. A constant-mesh five-speed gearbox and multi-plate wet clutch handle shifting duties and deliver a smooth, linear feel to the rider. The Meteor 350’s 19-inch front alloy wheel features a 100/90-19 57P CEAT tubeless tire, while the rear is equipped with a 17-inch 140/70-17 66P CEAT tubeless tire. The Meteor 350 comes standard with telescopic 41mm front forks and twin emulsion adjustable rear shocks, with six-step preload settings to adjust ride characteristics.

Making its debut on the Meteor 350 is the new TBT (Turn-By-Turn) navigation pod, known as the Royal Enfield Tripper, a navigation display device for real-time directions, built within the Google Maps Platform. The Tripper displays the best route to reach a destination using Google Maps’ navigation. Paired via the Royal Enfield App to the rider’s smartphone, the Tripper is simplicity itself, clearly and efficiently giving the required level of information whilst remaining unintrusive.

A full line of Genuine Motorcycle Accessories will be available to further customize the Meteor 350 depending on the rider’s preferences, including parts such as windscreens, backrests, larger foot pegs and more.

The Meteor 350 is set to arrive at dealerships in May. For more information, visit your local Royal Enfield dealer or www.royalenfield.com.

 

Review of Hunter Biden’s autobiography “Beautiful Things”
By J.J. Solari

Editor’s Note: All information in this article has come from trusted sources who wish to remain anonymous who have spoken to people who have read reports regarding speculations deemed to be actual and factual speculations regarding reported likelihoods that are considered well within the parameters of probability as determined by science with a plus or minus accuracy that is deemed acceptable over and above the charts and models traditionally used in the determination of determinants under conditions of anonymity.

Click Here to read the Wild Book Review on Bikernet.

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Some climate alarmists have been claiming that global warming has been decreasing agricultural productivity. (For instance, see here.) But real data proves otherwise.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is plant food. Increasing CO2 and warming have enhanced plant growth and makes plants more water-efficient.

And, according to NASA, “greening of the Earth mitigates surface warming” (Link). NASA writes: “A new study reports that increased vegetation growth during the recent decades, known as the ‘Greening Earth’, has a strong cooling effect on the land due to increased efficiency of heat and water vapor transfer to the atmosphere.” This is based upon satellite observations.

The Heartland Institute has created a new website (Climate at a Glance) which “puts frequently argued climate issues into short, concise, summaries that provide the most important, accurate, powerful information.) Their section on crop production begins:

“Longer growing seasons, higher temperatures, and more atmospheric carbon dioxide are creating ideal crop conditions. As global climate modestly warms, the U.S. and global crop yields are setting new records almost every year.

The same is true for nearly all other nations, too. Thanks in large part to longer growing seasons, fewer frost events, more precipitation, and the fertilization effect of atmospheric carbon dioxide, farmers are producing more food on less land, allowing them to feed a growing global population.” (Read more)

The Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change provides summaries and reviews of scientific papers.

Here are the conclusions of their summary studies of plant productivity:

Distant and historic past:

In spite of claims that rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations and unprecedented global warming since the inception of the Industrial Revolution are destroying (or will destroy) the productivity of the biosphere, the terrestrial vegetative biomass of the globe as a whole continues to rise; and it appears to be doing so at a remarkable rate.

As for why is this so, it may well be that the twin evils of the radical environmental movement (rising temperatures and atmospheric CO2 concentrations) are not the evils they are made out to be, but actually blessings in disguise … blessings that are fueling the biosphere!

Recent past:

In spite of climate-alarmist claims that the temperatures of the latter part of the 20th century and on through the present were unprecedented over the past one to two millennia (which is highly debatable) and that atmospheric CO2 concentrations were the highest they had been for several hundred millennia (which is true), as well as the fact that mankind yearly harvests and/or destroys much of the planet’s natural vegetation, the total yearly production of terrestrial vegetative biomass for the globe as a whole continues to rise, and at a remarkable rate.

Projection for the future:

Throughout the course of the current century, even the severe warming predicted by current climate models will not likely be detrimental to plant growth and productivity.

Rather, it will likely be a major benefit, enhancing plant growth and soil organic carbon storage, which (in addition to their own virtues) will provide significant negative feedback to global warming as the Greening of the Earth continues!

A review of papers on grasslands finds “as the air’s CO2 concentration continues to increase, grassland species should respond positively by exhibiting increased rates of photosynthesis.

“In addition, such increases in photosynthesis will likely occur even under unfavorable growing conditions characterized by less-than-adequate soil moisture, inadequate soil nutrition, elevated air temperature, and physical stress imposed by herbivory.

“Thus, Earth’s grassland species will likely grow ever more robustly in the future, thanks to the ever-increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration produced by the burning of ever-larger quantities of fossil fuels.”

The studies above are on plant productivity in general. More specific studies on food crops show enhanced growth with warming temperatures and increases in carbon dioxide.

Written by Jonathan DuHamel

www.ClimateChangeDispatch.com

Editor’s Note: All information in this article has come from trusted sources who wish to remain anonymous who have spoken to people who have read reports regarding
speculations deemed to be actual and factual speculations regarding reported likelihoods that are considered well within the parameters of probability as determined by science with a plus or minus accuracy that is deemed acceptable over and above the charts and models traditionally used in the determination of determinants under conditions of anonymity.

–J.J. Solari

Grave and concerning concernings regarding people who
were found to be sound asleep in restaurants and hotel
lobbies and on busses and trains and on porch swings
and in hammocks and at picnic tables and in chairs
around swimming pools and in some cases at roulette
wheels and slot machines and card games inside casinos
are being voiced and uttered…. in that all of these people
have been found to have had a copy of Hunter Biden’s
autobiography, “Beautiful Things” either still in one hand or the other or at least on or near their persons, many of
these people having been unable to be reawakened
without medically-administered stimulants.

“I have never slept so well,” was a common utterance
upon being reawakened.

“This was like a tranquility of slumber unexceeded even in the womb,” was the response of one person returned from unconsciousness.

“It was like a calm oblivion,” said another.

“It was like a soothing pablum of storytelling devoid of any intellectual accretion over a lifetime,” a reanimated woman said: “It soothed and embalmed the mind and the spirit, in fact it was like being in a spiritual limbo where there was neither good nor bad, nor right nor wrong, only the quiet iteration of simplicities and the overarching message of love.”

“It was like being read-to by mommy at bedtime: it had that level of calmness and reassurance” said another, after being roughly shaken back to consciousness.
“It was like entering a beautiful mind that neither reflected, nor judged, nor learned, nor evolved; it was like going back into the womb where there was only warmth and safety and a peaceful darkness of calm and sleep,” said another.

“It was like BEING a narcotic,” one man said. “this COULD put the sleeping industry out of business,” he added upon some reflection. “Beds, sleeping aids, recordings of the sea or quiet rainfall……these could all disappear from human use as aids to slumber.” He then with a wide-eyed smile picked up the Biden book near him and stared at it. “This is a godsend during the jury-selection process when that letter comes in the mail that you have to show up for the legal shitshow that is The American Jury Privilege/Duty Or Else.”

One man upon being administered pure oxygen which
slowly reopened his eyes gazed at his revivers in a kind of trance and pleasantness of expression and kept
whispering “….the emptiness…..the emptiness….I never
wanted to leave it.”

Another awakened reader said he felt like he was in “an
apocalypse of rainbows.” He went on to paean “There are levels and dimensions of maudlin vistas of childlike prose that have been opened to me like never before. Walking slowly along the long lines of car hoods at a successful car lot and reading the prices placed on cardboard in large letters, one after another as you walk beneath the flapping and small triangular banners snapping in the breezes USED to be the bellwether of focused insignificance capable of human experience without one falling into unconsciousness. However, that experience is like the frenzied bombing of Guernica compared to THIS. I am QUITE impressed.”

Another roused dreamer said, “It’s like the drawings and
sayings and expressions and decorations usually
encountered when entering a kindergarten classroom….all transformed into letters onto pages. Quite pleasant, if you ask me. Especially the falling asleep aspect, which I was notorious for in school. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to relive their childhood. Especially the most meaningless aspects of it. Which in my case would be the first grade. On up.”

“You could read this while drowning in the North Atlantic
under waves a hundred feet high and suddenly you would
be relaxed,” said another man after being jostled awake.
“It’s a vocabulary version of morphine. I have the strange
urge to buy ten more copies. He’ll never have to write
another book: I’ll just keep on buying this one.”

Most interesting to the many people who volunteered to
slowly awaken the scattered populations of people
slumbering in inappropriate places and under
inappropriate conditions was the number of people who
actually were sound asleep while still upright on their feet.

“I was listening to the audio version while walking around
the block,” one man said, finding himself on his feet and
yet being gently and repeatedly nudged by an “awakener”
as they are coming to be called. The people awakened
from a standing position are without exception mildly
rattled by the experience. “Who knew being asleep while
standing was even possible” was a common first observation.

Researchers who have studied the phenomenon have agreed that the book has the power to
solidify a person into absolute concrete-like inaction.
Coupled with this are the reported observations by the
stricken that they have a vague recollection of basking in a kind of sublime euphoria of dormancy devoid of ambition, goals, accomplishments, focus, interests, values, opinions, conclusions, curiosity, action, reaction, understanding, awareness, notions, ideas, or a sense of urgency even regarding breathing. “It was kind of like going out of existence but being very comfortable with the idea” was an oft-heard evaluation of the experience.

It was observed by Awakeners that even flies that had randomly landed onto a book had to be systematically slid off the object to remove them. Whence they then reactivated themselves and flew off to resume normal life.

One man said, “It was like what someone once said about listening to a Led Zeppelin song that I forget the name of that he described as ‘sinking through mayonnaise.'”

This reviewer may or may not have actually read the book.

Like many others I remember being awakened by a
stranger in a public place with the book close at hand. He
had an armband on that read “Volunteer Awakener” and
he informed me that I had been asleep. I noticed I was at
the mall food court, an uneaten hamburger and an
undrunk soda at the table and the Biden book also there,
unopened. The cover had a picture of a little boy holding
onto the descended hand of an adult’s arm. Seeing it, I
began to doze off. The Awakener quickly removed the
book from my sight and I was immediately once again
awake.

“We wear special glasses that, like sound-nulling
headphones, neutralize the photons coming from the
photo into 1’s and zeroes. We return the book to the owner upon demand but so far no one has asked to have that happen.”

I asked, a bit alarmed, “What of the people listening to an
audiobook of it while driving??”

He said he personally has not delved into that aspect of
the phenomenon and admitted he was very reluctant to
ever do so. He looked upset at the prospect.
And there you have it! The choice is yours!!

Enjoy!
J.J. Solari

Sam —

The Texas House Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety voted out NRA-backed permitless carry proposals, HB 1911 and HB 1927, by a 6-3 vote. Please click the button below to contact your State Representatives and urge them to pass these permitless carry measures!

CONTACT YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES!

https://act.nraila.org/actions/campaigns/11456

HB 1911 and HB 1927 would allow law-abiding citizens to carry a handgun without a state-issued License To Carry (LTC), and the current LTC law would not be repealed under these measures. Criminals who are prohibited from possessing firearms would still be barred from carrying guns.

The committee also voted out HB 918, which lowers the age eligibility requirement for an LTC to 18 for, and extends this option to, a person who has obtained an active family violence protective order or magistrate’s order of emergency protection. HB 1407 would allow a LTC holder to have a handgun in his or her vehicle that is visible and in a holster but not on the person.

All of these measures will head to the Calendars Committee, which will consider whether or not they will receive a House floor vote.

For more information about these measure, please see our original alert.

Yours in Freedom,

Amanda Sanders
NRA-ILA Grassroots Programs and Campaign Field Operations
http://www.nrailafrontlines.com/

 

According to a survey conducted by the Spanish motorcyclists’ organization Asociación Mutua Motera (AMM), 65.5% of the motorcyclists surveyed do not agree with the mandatory use of airbags.

The Spanish Directorate-General for Traffic, within measures to reduce the accident and severity of its consequences on the motorcyclist collective, is considering the mandatory use of airbag vests or jackets. While it would be a measure that would not take effect immediately – it could take several years before it was mandatory and it would probably only be mandatory for intercity driving – AMM decided to conduct an opinion poll, in order to have a clear idea of the feeling of the Spanish motorcyclists’ community.

To find out the reasons for this result, AMM – a member of FEMA – reviewed the comments left on different social media channels. Most motorcyclists that agree with the recommendation to wear an airbag vest or jacket do so because of the safety they could provide. However, this majority does not agree that the use should be mandatory. Reasons for this are the high price of airbag vests and jackets and the lack of reduced VAT (Value Added Tax, a consumption tax) for safety garments.

Many riders consider that before imposing more obligations, the Spanish government should fulfill its obligation to have the infrastructure in optimal security condition. Riders also want the government to fulfill old promises such as legalizing intercoms for motorcyclists.

–from FEMA

2,547 Motorcyclists have participated in the survey, and a clear majority (65.49%) said no, the use of an airbag vest or jacket should not be mandatory in any case. Of the respondents 29.05% said yes, it should be mandatory and 5.46% had no opinion.

Surprisingly, among the respondents that said ‘yes’, a majority (21.08%) supports compulsory use at all times, both in the city and on the road, compared to those defending the use of airbag vests or jackets on the road only (7.66%).

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

Despite being rather old, Knucklehead motorcycles are still around in relatively large numbers, and a good chunk of them still come in excellent condition. It looks as though each and every one of them, either on display in a museum somewhere or up for grabs through whatever means, has something special and unique to offer.

In the case of this here two-wheeler, that something special would be notoriety. Aside from the fact you’re looking at a first-year Knucklehead (according to Harley’s numbers, about 1,500 of them were made back in 1936), it was also the star of several high-profile events over the years.

It was back in 2003 when the bike climbed the highest on the ladder to success. First, it was part of a massive Harley event in Milwaukee, meant to celebrate the company’s 100th anniversary, and then its image was used on a Miller collectible beer can released that same year.

The bike is presently part of the John Bernard Estate after being purchased back in 1989. It was restored by Dick Winger, a member of the board of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America, and now the plan is to make use of all of these things to get as much money for it as possible during the Mecum Las Vegas auction at the end of the month. Click Here to See Auction Page.

The EL is as original as they come, boasting the telltale red and black paint scheme and the 61ci engine sitting inside the frame—for reference, the engine number is 36EL1586. Most importantly, the two-wheeler has barely been used, as the seller claims there are just 40 miles of use on it, though that’s probably since the restoration was completed.

The Knucklehead is selling with a title, but no mention on how much it is expected to fetch (or on the reserve for it, for that matter) is made.

by Dustin Wheelen from https://www.rideapart.com

Access to vintage motorcycles hasn’t been the same during the global pandemic. With museums shutdown and social distancing mandates in place, enthusiasts have relied on the internet to brush up on the classics. Of course, the story is much different if you’re fortunate enough to have a vintage motorcycle collection of your own. For the rest of us, the Barn Find Hunter video series scratches that itch with its latest installment.

Presented on the Hagerty YouTube channel, the series lives up to its name. From uncovering a 1928 Ford Model A Roadster in the U.K. to doting over a Shelby GT500 in San Diego, California, host Tom Cotter focuses on classics of the four-wheeled variety. Luckily, the latest Barn Find Hunter episode is the first Barn Find Hunter dedicated to motorcycles, and it delivers the goods.

Starting at the residence of Steve Davis, Cotter picks through cluttered garages and dusty storerooms to bring us a trove of rousing relics. Whether it’s Honda’s CT minimotos, Yamaha’s SC motocrossers, or a Hercules Wankel rotary bike, Davis’ collection consists of the motorcycling’s legends and oddities. The North Carolina-based collector didn’t stop with fully-built bikes either. Davis dedicates one full barn to discarded exhaust systems and a pile of cylinders and heads for ‘70s Japanese motorcycles.

For some, the dusty, rusty, and bestrewn collection might border on hoarding. For others, the old bikes have aged to perfection. Regardless of your slant, Davis’s efforts are admirable, but they don’t include a Vincent Rapide or Velocette Venom. For that, Cotter travels to Davis’ neighbor. Simply referred to as Robin, the Briton also shows off his Norton Dominator and Tn original Triumph Bonneville.

Unlike Davis’s expansive collection, Robin’s manageable stable is masterfully curated and maintained. But, which would you prefer for your personal motorcycle museum: collecting as many motorcycles as possible or a select few that you can feasibly look after?