INDIAN MOTORCYCLE racing TAKES BACK-TO-BACK WINS AT VOLUSIA HALF-MILE DOUBLEHEADER Indian Motorcycle Privateer Brandon Robinson & Wrecking Crew Rider Jared Mees Win Back-to-Back at Volusia Half-Mile I & II, Respectively MINNEAPOLIS (March 16, 2021) – Indian Motorcycle Racing, presented by Progressive Motorcycle Insurance, jumped out to an early lead in the 2021 American Flat Track (AFT) SuperTwins standings, as Indian Motorcycle Privateer Brandon Robinson and Wrecking Crew Rider Jared Mees secure back-to-back wins at the Volusia Half-Mile doubleheader. Robinson’s season-opener win at Volusia Half-Mile I marked his third straight victory, dating back to the 2020 season finale doubleheader in Daytona. After winning his semi and getting a start on the front row in the Main, Robinson jumped out to an early lead but was battling with the second-place rider throughout the race. In his third season as an Indian Motorcycle privateer, the win marks Robinson’s fifth victory aboard the Indian FTR750. “Despite being injured for the bulk of the 2020 season, Brandon finished the year with incredible momentum, so it was truly exciting to see him pick up right where he left off and reach the top of the box,” said Gary Gray, Vice President – Racing, Technology & Service for Indian Motorcycle. “Having swept the Volusia Half-Mile doubleheader last year, Jared entered round two with fierce determination to secure the win and garner the all-important points at a track he’s exceptionally comfortable and confident on.” On Saturday, Mees won his semi and was able to return to the front row for the Main. Though, it was Wrecking Crew teammate and defending SuperTwins Champion Briar Bauman who captured the holeshot. After leading eight laps, Bauman was unable to hold on, as Mees made his pass and gained separation with every lap – ultimately cruising comfortably to his 54^th career win. The victory also marked his 34^th career win aboard the Indian FTR750, a race bike he won two Grand National Championships with in 2017 and 2018. Following the doubleheader at Volusia Speedway Park, Mees sits atop the leaderboard with 42 points. Robinson is closely behind with 39 points, while Bauman’s fourth and second-place finishes keep him within striking distance with 35 total points. The 2021 AFT season continues on May 1 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Atlanta Super TT. For more information on Indian Motorcycle Racing and the Indian Wrecking Crew, visit IndianMotorcycle.com or follow along on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

What do Choppers mean to you? I should know. I’ve worked with the greatest builders on the planet. I’ve built a few myself and I started in the industry because of Choppers.

Hell, I worked with the god father of the Chopper, Arlen Ness on several projects. So, what did they mean to me, when I first started to turn a wrench and built my first rat bike chopper? I was maybe 20, recently back from Vietnam, escaped the harsh family and wondered what the hell I was going to do next.

The Chopper represented mostly Freedom to me, middleclass freedom. The freedom to build something with my hands that would propel me into an alternate universe away from prying eyes and constant rules. I didn’t have money, but I could still strip a motorcycle down with simple tools and make it cool. All I needed was a set of extended tubes, a new set of handlebars and a welder.

I didn’t want to hangout with anyone. I just wanted to build and ride. It’s interesting, because I’m now looking at all the builders I knew and how they lived. Some of them built for attention and power, some for artistic expression and a few for money.  I looked at outlaws I’ve known and how they died or went to prison. Many builders, like Arlen and recently like the very talented Andrew Ursich are family guys who found something in the art of a chopper that moved them.

Some guys started as painters like Jon Kosmoski and David Perewitz and were lured into the underground of the Chopper rider.

Some guys worked only to make enough cash to pay for chrome and whiskey. We worked menial jobs during the day and flew into the night looking to get high and find love. We were lowlifes living off beer and steel. We didn’t want to be known. We didn’t want to hang with rich folks or be cool.

We just wanted to be left alone and find a wild open city freeway in the middle of the night to her apartment. When straights came around we faded into the background and disappeared on our Choppers. They were intimidated by us anyway.

That’s the way it happened during most of the ‘70s. Only a few companies made parts, but more were coming on line. Some of them started because brothers of the wind couldn’t find jobs for bikers, so fuck it, they opened a bike shop or started to make pipes like Kenny Samson.

Ron Paugh had a dad who knew how to punch out parts and coerced him into making tin primaries for his buddies. Hell, two bikers rode to California on choppers to find themselves broke and sleeping on the beach in Venice. They ultimately started D&D distributors and Easyriders magazine with Lou Kimzey.

For a while during the hippy generation, we rode from party-pad to party-pad hanging out, smoking weed and listening to music. I remember riding to a guy’s house and he had a large bowl on his coffee table filled high with hand-rolled multi-colored joints. I don’t know what he snorted the night before but it sure made him industrious.

I smoked a joint while he picked just the right tunes from Leon Russell to play to find his groove. I just wanted to ride back to my garage and make shit. My wife Laurie said I hated to sleep. I just wanted to learn and rebuild stuff.

My grandson now has like five bikes. Only two of them run. One is a mudflap girl FXR I built for my son, who then sold it to Frank Jr. The other is an FXRP originally rebuilt by Bob Tronolone. Frankie loves to ride, hates to drive and is rapidly becoming a master tattoo artist.

He basically Tattoos and rides. He’s been clean and sober for over 5 years and gets all he needs out of life with his needles and splitting lanes.

So, I knew brothers who gave it all up when they got married and started to raise kids. I know guys who turned their extended fork obsession to joining a club. I know guys who told the old lady to fuck off and rode off into the sunset.

I once compared chopper riders with sailors and other adventurers like mountain climbers, but they are different. Sailors don’t fight the man. They don’t build something absolutely new and innovative and risk their lives at 90 mph on a crowded freeway. Sure, there are risks in other endeavors, but the Chopper rider has an attitude.

He knows his time could be up at the next intersection. He doesn’t have a suicide-clutch moment to fuck around with disrespectful bosses, or harping ol’ ladies. He wants to ride and be loved for who he is. If you don’t get it, get out of the way. If I need to explain, sorry, I don’t have time.

I guess that’s why we scoffed at rules, helmet laws and rider etiquette enforced by the AMA. We pounded tables in front of judges and congressmen. We told cops to fuck off.

Chopper riders are a breed of outlaw, wanderer, artist, craftsman and warrior. Some are boot tough and rattlesnake mean. Some don’t ever mix with society. Most make their own path and wonder how they got there, but they know how to stay on the path. They built the choppers that got them there.

–Bandit

by Ben Kouchnerkavich from https://www.fourstateshomepage.com

Hideout Harley-Davidson in Joplin is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day early.

On Sunday afternoon, they held a Shamrock Saturday Event.

Live music, a food truck and other activities were available as the rain cleared up in time to hold the event.

Adults looked to purchase motorcycles while children were given the opportunity to color and have their artwork displayed around the dealership.

“This is our pre-St. Patrick’s Day event,” said Hideout Harley-Davidson sales manager Dale Wano. “What we try to do is every Saturday is have something going on so the public can come out and have a great time. We try to have some music [or] something so the public can do something that’s nice, safe and fun.”

Next Saturday, there will be a meet and greet with the local chapter of the Hideout Harley Owner’s Group, followed by an open ride.

Tyler O’Hara Grabs Podium Position with DIABLO™ Superbike Slicks

DAYTONA, Fla. (March 14, 2021) – Pirelli Tire North America returned to the winner’s circle once again at the 79^th running of the Daytona 200, claiming three out of the top four positions in the 57-lap shootout. TSE Racing’s Brandon Paasch has come close to victory at the speedway previously, but 2021 marked the year that the 19-year old would get the job done, piloting his Yamaha YZF-R6 to victory by 0.031 of a second. Tyler O’Hara used an impressive late race charge to take the final step of the podium in third aboard his Floyd’s of Leadville Kawasaki Ninja® ZX™-6R.

“It feels so good to get the job done here in Daytona,” said Paasch. “This has been a goal of mine for a long time, and to finally check this off the list, just feels amazing! My Pirelli DIABLO™ Superbike slicks worked incredible all day, especially towards the end of the race when it really counted, allowing me to chip away at the lead and make the pass for the win.”

Both Paasch’s YZF-R6 and O’Hara’s ZX-6R relied on the performance of Pirelli’s DIABLO™ Superbike SC1 120/70-17 front tire and DIABLO™ Superbike Daytona 190/60-17 rear tire to handle the challenges of the high-banked 3.51-mile course.

“I let the leaders get away from me a little bit there in the beginning laps,” said O’Hara. “I just never gave up though, and my Pirelli tires were working awesome. I’m so stoked to be up here on the podium, but to be honest, I really wanted to get that top step of the podium.”

Paasch’s relentless efforts saw him make up a six-second gap in the final stages of the race, including using the traction of his Pirelli slicks to get a drive and make the pass for the lead to take the victory on the final lap. O’Hara narrowly edged out fellow Pirelli rider Michael Barnes in a drag race to the checkered flag, finishing third and fourth, respectively. Geoff May would race to a hard-fought seventh and Ryan Jones carded a top-10 in ninth.

“What a way to make a return to the Daytona 200,” said Oscar Solis, road racing manager, Pirelli. “All weekend long our guys were competitive at the front of the field. Brandon [Paasch] been trying for this win the past few year’s, so to see him succeed and accomplish his goal is something that everyone at Pirelli is proud of. The pace that the guys were able to maintain with the DIABLO™ Superbike range showcases not only their performance, but durability, especially in a endurance-style format like we had today.”

RESULTS

Daytona 200 – Daytona, Florida

March 13, 2021

1. Brandon Paasch
2. Sean Kelly
3. Tyler O’Hara
4. Michael Barnes
5. Danny Eslick
6. Rocco Landers
7. Geoff May
8. Teagg Hobbs
9. Ryan Jones
10. Max Flinders

For more information about the complete line of Pirelli motorcycle tires, please visit Pirelli.com

Florida Governor DeSantis visits Destination Daytona during 2021 Bike Week!

–Rogue

Senior Editor

Bikernet.com

The new Vance & Hines 4-valve Suzuki motor had a stunning debut in qualifying sessions for the NHRA Gator Nations as four bikes with the new motor qualified to race on Sunday. Angelle Sampey of the Vance & Hines/Mission Foods team qualified #1, Reed Motorsports riders Joey Gladstone qualified in the third spot and Cory Reed in seventh, and War Racing’s Jerry Savoie qualified 13th.

Sampey notched a major personal accomplishment using the new motor and Vance & Hine chassis when the three-time champion made her first-ever run of 200 MPH. Sampey is one of only six riders to hit 200 MPH and only the second female to do so. Sampey was celebrated as part of the Denso Spark Plugs 200 MPH Club on Saturday.

Eliminations at the Gainesville FL event begin this morning. NHRA races are broadcast on FS1 and FOX Sports.

 

A Cooling Vest Can Be a Godsend in Triple Digit Heat!
Photos and text by Gary Mraz

It gets hot there in the South West this time of year and a cooling vest can be a godsend in triple digit heat. There are a lot of options for us motorcyclists, and evaporative cooling vests are common. You pull them out when needed, soak them in water and become a human swamp cooler. Ice-chilled cooling vests require ice packs or cooling packs that can freeze at a moderate temperature of 58° Fahrenheit. There are even thermoelectric cooling vests utilizing water pushed through tubes with motors and batteries.

Click Here to read this exclusive Product Review on Bikernet.

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

Harley-Davidson has kept its plans for the Sportster lineup under wraps for a few years now. Despite discontinuing the platform in Europe due to Euro 5 emissions standards and unveiling the Custom 1250 concept in 2018, the brand hasn’t officially announced the incoming model as the Sportster’s replacement. While the Motor Company has held its cards close to the chest up to this point, a trademark for the Nightster name might just be showing Harley’s hand.

Originally released in 2007, the Nightster was previously a 1200cc Sportster variant. Featuring a bobber stance and styling, the trim appealed to cruiser riders looking for a stripped-down experience. By 2013, Harley discontinued the Nightster with variants like the Forty-Eight and Iron 883 carrying on the bobber aesthetics for the range. The company let its trademark rights laps on the Nightster name since, but a March 2, 2021, filing could put the title back at the bar and shield’s disposal (barring objections).

The trademark submission hints at future plans for its Custom 1250 platform. With its entry-level model missing from numerous markets around the world, the Motor Company needs a fill-in for the long-in-the-tooth Sportster stat. Many see Custom 1250 as the perfect substitute for the air-cooled relic and it currently has a trove of Sportster monikers on demand.

Harley already trademarked the 48X name when it secured rights to the Pan America and Bronx back in December, 2017. By applying for the Nightster trademark, Harley would have old, new, and current names on tap for the Custom 1250 production model. The fact that the company plans to use the name for “motorcycles and structural parts therefor” also solidifies its intentions for the Nightster revival. Whether or not Sportster name comes along with it is still the big question.

by Maia Hart from https://www.stuff.co.nz

Running out of petrol in Grovetown led Ron Hebberd to a lifetime association with the Marlborough Motorcycle Club, which celebrates 100 years this month.

Hebberd, a Marlborough Motorcycle Club life member, joined the club in 1954.

“I went round to the garage, and the guy that had the garage was secretary of the club. I asked him if he could sell me some petrol,” Hebberd said.

“He told me he only served motorcycle club members after hours.”

The secretary asked Hebberd if he had “10 bob”.

“Petrol was three shillings a gallon at the time, I thought that was a pretty heavy after hours call out,” he said.

But a week later, a membership form arrived in the mail and Hebberd thought he might as well go along.

“I got interested and did a lot of organising for a long time, and I have competed in trials and stunts,” he said.

On March 23, 1921, The Marlborough Express ran a news story saying a Motorcycle Club had formed, with 60 members signing up on the night. A week later, the club’s first event was held in Picton, lead by president Dr Russell G Adams.

Ten years ago, Hebberd published a book Motorcycle Clubs of Marlborough.

The book covered key events for the Club, which included the first Waterlea Grass Track event in 1922, which was an event with five races.

A write-up in the Express said motorcyclists and intended competitors at the races had spent hours amidst oil and machinery – which they dearly love – tuning and trying out motor “bikes”.

Hebberd said it was the camaraderie that kept him so interested in the club. He was president for two periods, and on the executive for 19 years.

He used to live in Seddon, which was where he worked at a service station selling Yamaha motorbikes and also running a motorbike museum, before he retired.

Living in the rural town he “always knew who had a paddock that needed to be ploughed”.

“So it didn’t matter how much you tore it up, it was going to be ploughed the next week,” Hebberd said.

“So I could jack up events. One of the problems with running sporting events now, is that with this health and safety set up, you have to have so many things and all of these things cost money.”

He recalled the 50th Anniversary in 1971, held at the Race Club when he was president. He also organised the 60th Anniversary and 76th in 1996.

The club still held events, such as motocross, trials and cross-country each year.

Current Marlborough Motorcycle Club president Ben Norris said the club was still deciding how they would mark the 100th year.

Norris said the club still had a large group of people involved, and they planned to hold four different events this year.

It gets hot there in the South West this time of year and a cooling vest can be a godsend in triple digit heat. There are a lot of options for us motorcyclists, and evaporative cooling vests are common. You pull them out when needed, soak them in water and become a human swamp cooler. Ice-chilled cooling vests require ice packs or cooling packs that can freeze at a moderate temperature of 58° Fahrenheit. There are even thermoelectric cooling vests utilizing water pushed through tubes with motors and batteries.

We are excited to try out the big guns of cooling vests next installment with the Harley-Davidson Ice-Chilled version of this vest which includes four wearable ice packs and the Polar Products Cool Phase and Hybrid Design vests.

Harley-Davidson Cooling Vest– $60.00 2 to 3 hours
•Lining absorbs and holds water that slowly evaporates to provide a cooling effect for 2-3 hours depending on riding conditions. Vest is fully hydrated when soaked 1-2 minutes.
•Can be rehydrated up to 100 times.
•Fit & Mobility: Contrasting stretch mesh side panels provide a close fit. Elastic back waist.
•Design Details: Rubber LOGO patch.
•Materials: 100% nylon with embedded HyperKewl™ lining.

Alpinestars Coolant Vest $158.00– cooling effect claimed to last 3 days.
•Vest features an innovative cooling system which evenly releases moisture during rides, thus significantly regulating the vascular system and limiting the effects of heat exhaustion. Extremely
•Very light cooling vest, designed to limit the effects of the heat and to cool the upper part of the body whilst riding. Fill it with 500 ml of tap water, squeeze to spread it around and it will immediately start to cool, significantly reducing body temperature (at least 15°C less). The cooling effect can last for up to 3 days.
•Strategically placed air apertures that ensure optimum ventilation, breathability and airflow.
•Triple layer fabric with an inner coating which absorbs the humidity and allows it to remain dry.
•Anatomical design with stretch panels on the sides.