Pirelli Continues to Expand its Presence On- and Off-Track Heading into 2021 Monster Energy Supercross Championship Dedicated Team Available to Provide Trackside Support and Technical Assistance to All Riders Equipped with SCORPION™ MX Tires ROME, Ga. (January 13, 2021) – With the highly-anticipated 2021 Monster Energy Supercross Championship quickly approaching, Pirelli Tire North America has announced plans to expand on its presence in the paddock by adding new faces to the brand’s #PirelliNation rider support program. Beginning at the season opener at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on January 16, Pirelli will have its 18-wheeler race transporter on-site to provide technical support and trackside assistance to all racers competing on Pirelli SCORPION™ MX products. Pirelli continues to take pride in the motto “we sell what we race, we race what we sell” meaning that anyone can purchase the exact tires used by its professional race teams. Dedicated Team Available to Provide Trackside Support and Technical Assistance to All Riders Equipped with SCORPION™ MX Tires ROME, Ga. (January 13, 2021) – With the highly-anticipated 2021 Monster Energy Supercross Championship quickly approaching, Pirelli Tire North America has announced plans to expand on its presence in the paddock by adding new faces to the brand’s #PirelliNation rider support program. Beginning at the season opener at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on January 16, Pirelli will have its 18-wheeler race transporter on-site to provide technical support and trackside assistance to all racers competing on Pirelli SCORPION™ MX products. Pirelli continues to take pride in the motto “we sell what we race, we race what we sell” meaning that anyone can purchase the exact tires used by its professional race teams. “Expanding our presence on the racetrack and taking trackside support to the next level is what we’ve set out to achieve,” said Nick Walton, off-road race manager, Pirelli. “For 2021 we’ve added quite a few new teams and riders to the roster. It’s exciting to have a strong lineup, ranging from recent race winners in both the 250 and 450 Classes, to rookies, and the privateers at the grassroots level of the sport. The SCORPION™ MX range is race-proven throughout the world and we are looking forward to helping our riders reach new goals for this upcoming season.” Pirelli has added several new race teams to its lineup that includes Muc-Off Racing Honda led by veteran rider Justin Brayton in the 450SX Class and 250SX Class riders Mitchell Harrison and Mitchell Oldenburg. Brayton has had a long history with the Pirelli brand, which has seen the two achieve podium results together throughout the years. “I’ve had great success with Pirelli, including my first Australian championship in 2017,” said Brayton. “The team at Pirelli America are passionate and professional and working alongside them is a benefit to our entire program. The Muc-Off Honda Racing team is new to the 450 class in America and we are looking forward to the 2021 AMA Supercross Championship with Pirelli tires.” Also new to the Pirelli family for 2021 is FXR/Chaparral Honda Racing who is set to compete with rising rookie Carson Mumford and Coty Schock as well as Club MX with a three rider lineup featuring 2020 Daytona race winner Garrett Marchbanks, Jace Owen, and Joey Crown. Martin Castelo and Carson Brown are slated to be under the JMC Motorsports Racing tent. All three teams will compete in the 250SX Class. Returning with the brand includes longtime partner TPJ Racing that continues to set the bar for supporting privateer riders and dedicating themselves to the grassroots level of the sport. BarX/Chaparral/Ecstar Suzuki Racing will expand its amateur efforts into the professional ranks with Dilan Schwartz, Derek Drake, Sean Cantrell, and John Short in the 250SX Class. “We have had tremendous success with Pirelli in Australia, winning our first motocross and supercross championship with Pirelli and I’m confident in their product,” said Yarrive Konsky, team owner, Muc-Off Racing Honda. “Tim Gajser also wrapped up the 2020 MXGP Championship with Pirelli. Their tremendous record in WSBK, MXGP, and in Australia through our program gave me the confidence to partner with them globally for 2021.” The SCORPION™ MX range consisting of the SCORPION™ MX32™ Mid Soft, SCORPION™ MX32™ Mid Hard, and SCORPION™ MX Soft tread patterns are available in a variety of sizing options and will be used by all Pirelli riders at each of the 17 rounds. 2020 Pirelli Race Teams Muc-Off Honda Racing Justin Brayton Mitchell Harrison Mitchell Oldenburg FXR/Chaparral Honda Racing Carson Mumford Coty Schock BarX/Chaparral/Ecstar Suzuki Racing Dilan Schwartz Derek Drake Sean Cantrell John Short Club MX Garrett Marchbanks Joey Crown Jace Owen TPJ Racing Kevin Moranz Mason Wharton Matt Hubert Blaine Silveira Corbin Hayes HRT Racing Kyle Cunningham Austin Politelli PR-MX Kawasaki Cade Clason Joshua Cartwright Ludovic Macler Dakota Alix Luke Neese Ryan Surratt Devin Simonson JMC Motorsports Racing Carson Brown Martin Castelo Madd Parts/Double Eagle MX/Namura Technologies Kawasaki Bubba Pauli Joan Cros Logan Karnow Team Faith Todd Bannister Privateers Freddie Noren Chase Marquier Alex Nagy For more information about the complete line of Pirelli motorcycle tires, please visit Pirelli.com

From Discipline to Wild Custom Choppers
By Bandit with photos from Sam

It better be a good one, goddammit. About 1970 I completed another sweat-soaked tour off the coast of Vietnam, my last one. The winding down war took on a pot-smoking air of wonderful R&B tunes, loose broads, long hair and a constant party.

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by Elis Sandford from https://www.coventrytelegraph.net

The building has been brought back into use. The former home of Triumph Cycles founder Siegfried Bettmann is on the market having been converted into a series of luxury apartments and bungalows.

Located in the Stoke Park area of Coventry, the Victorian villa has been transformed as part of a huge development project.

The former home was sold by Coventry City Council to property developers three years ago having fallen into disrepair.

Since then, it has been restored and now exists as 14 one and two-bedroom apartments and garden bungalows.

It is described as being located in a leafy conservation area of the city.

According to the developers: “Each property has been individually designed with an emphasis on lifestyle and space. All properties have luxury fully fitted SieMatic kitchens, large living areas, good size bedrooms and fully equipped Porcelanosa bathrooms.”

Apartment sizes range from 840 sq ft to 947 sq ft, the bungalows from 430 sq ft to 915 sq ft and the mews range from 431 sq ft to 721 sq ft. All properties come with either one or two parking spaces.

Prices range from £180,000 to £360,000 and the Help to Buy Scheme is available for first-time buyers. All properties will be owned on a shared freehold basis.

What has been said about the properties?

Laura Wilson, New Homes Manager at Loveitts Estate Agents, said: “Witnessing this stunning Victorian villa – notably known as Siegfried Bettmann’s former residence – being restored to its former glory first-hand has been something of a marvel.

“Elm Bank’s clear historical significance coupled with its beauty as a property makes it a hugely sought-after location for any home hunter. The combination of the Victorian feel with modern furnishings truly epitomises luxury living – and all are up for grabs for a reasonable price.

“The development exudes the elegance of the Victorian era. All the properties on the site have held their unique character, retaining their original sash windows, brickwork and high vaulted ceilings.

“The jewel in the crown of the property is the bungalow which emulates the feel and style of a stately home with many of the original features retained including eight murals painted on canvas in the pre-Raphaelite style by artist Oscar Mancine, the original fireplace and parquet flooring still as it was nearly 100 years ago – just without the eye-watering price tag.”

History of Elm Bank

Born in 1863 in Nuremberg, Germany, Siegfried Bettman moved to Britain in the late 19th century and settled in Coventry. Soon after he founded Triumph Cycle Company which became one of the most famous motorcycle marques in the world and established Coventry as the home of the British cycle trade.

Bettmann lived at Elm Bank from 1905 until he died in 1951. Within those years Ramsey McDonald, a British Prime Minister in the 1920s, visited him at the property twice in 1925.

In 1952 the building was donated to the Coventry Education Committees and was used as a teacher’s clubs and resources centre until it moved in 1974.

In 2015 a blue plaque was erected by the Coventry Society that marks the property as the home of Bettmann.

Johnny Lewis continues with Royal Enfield through 2021

Milwaukee, Wis (January 12, 2021) Royal Enfield is pleased to announce Johnny Lewis’ Moto Anatomy organization will continue to campaign the Twins FT in Progressive American Flat Track (AFT) through 2021. After the program’s successful first season, which saw Lewis win during the Progressive AFT Finale in Daytona, the team will continue developing the Twins FT package for the AFT Production Twins class. Veteran flat track crew chief, former team owner and tuner David Lloyd will join Lewis and add depth and experience to the Moto Anatomy x Royal Enfield team.

Lewis and Royal Enfield announced the Moto Anatomy x Royal Enfield team in early 2020, with the intention of developing the Twin FT for AFT’s Production Twins class. The motorcycle was created in conjunction with Royal Enfield’s technical partner Harris Performance, a renowned road racing chassis builder in the U.K. Despite the late start to the AFT season, Lewis and Royal Enfield immediately achieved competitive results with a relatively untested platform. By the conclusion of the season, the Moto Anatomy x Royal Enfield team found its stride, finishing first and second respectively during the AFT Finale I and II in Daytona.

“Johnny Lewis has proven to be a valuable development partner and race winner for Royal Enfield,” said Breeann Poland, Marketing Lead – Royal Enfield Americas. “Royal Enfield is excited to solidify its future with Lewis and continue building upon the foundation created in 2020. The 2021 season is not far away, and while there is still work to be done, the team progressed quickly in just a few months, finishing the year with a win and second place in Daytona. We’re thrilled to get back to racing.”

Lewis recently completed the Progressive AFT Dunlop Tire Test at the Volusia Half-Mile as the team continues to gather critical data for the 2021 season. Lewis was able to complete more than 100 laps over the course of the two-day test with a new motor package. Decorated flat track team owner and crew chief David Lloyd will assist Lewis in 2021, as the team looks to further develop the Twins FT package. Lloyd brings more than 35 years of professional racing experience to the team and has developed competitive packages to multiple manufacturers.

“Our results in 2020 proved that we have the package to be a competitive team in the AFT Production Twins class,” said Johnny Lewis, Moto Anatomy x Royal Enfield racer and team owner. “I’m looking forward to building our relationship further with Royal Enfield. Now that the team’s future has been secured, it’s time to get to work. From top to bottom, the support from Royal Enfield has been fantastic and I’m looking forward to delivering more results for Royal Enfield in 2021.”

Lewis will continue development on the Twins FT at his Center Hill, Fla facility in the lead-up to the yet-to-be-announced Progressive AFT season opener. To relive Lewis’ inaugural campaign with Royal Enfield, click here to watch episodes documenting the Moto Anatomy x Royal Enfield 2020 season.

Local Businessman Keith Overton Partners with Celebrity Paul Teutul Sr. on New Orange County Choppers-Themed Restaurant and Attraction

St. Petersburg, Fla. (Nov. 17, 2020) – Paul Teutul Sr. of Orange County Choppers fame and area hospitality executive Keith Overton today announced plans to open the OCC Road House & Museum, a new restaurant and attraction based on Teutul’s wildly popular OCC brand. Located adjacent to the 9.5 acre complex that is home to Bert’s Barracuda Harley-Davidson, the one-of-a-kind destination restaurant will be decked out with a fleet of Paul Sr.’s custom choppers featured on the hit Discovery Network series “American Chopper,” along with hundreds of rare items from his vast collection of biker memorabilia, many never before seen by the public. With more than 11,000 square feet of indoor space, the family-friendly OCC Road House will be one of the area’s largest full-service restaurants, with indoor and outdoor seating for more than 325 guests to enjoy a full menu of classic American fare. The restaurant will also feature a massive 25,000-square-foot pavilion for concerts, outdoor dining, a billiards hall, floor games and other entertainment, and a retail store loaded with merchandise and collectibles for bikers, friends, and fans. The new OCC Road House & Museum is expected to break ground by the end of the year, with an anticipated opening in May 2021.

“As a long-time biker and St. Pete resident, I’m fired up to partner with Paul Teutul Sr. and bring something new and exciting to the dining and entertainment scene that will appeal to locals looking for great food, fun and live entertainment, and to motorcycle enthusiasts and OCC fans from all over the world,” said Keith Overton, owner and developer of the OCC Road House & Museum. “We expect this unique, destination experience to be an instant success, and a concept we will plan to immediately license to other interested restaurant owners throughout the U.S. and Europe.”

Overton, a 35-year veteran of Florida’s hospitality industry, served as President at TradeWinds Island Resorts for the past 25 years. During that time, he and his team worked with Bert King of Bert’s Barracuda Harley-Davidson and Paul Sr. to create the overwhelmingly successful St. Pete Beach BikeFest, which attracted 75,000 visitors to the area annually. “That experience got me thinking about other opportunities to build on the synergies from St. Pete Beach BikeFest and Bert’s brand-new destination dealership, and to further collaborate with Paul Sr. on something bigger and badder,” said Overton.

Partnering with entrepreneur, TV celebrity, motorcycle builder and founder of Orange County Choppers Paul Teutul Sr. was an easy decision for Overton, as the two have become friends over the past decade. According to Overton, Paul Sr. has long-standing ties to Florida and the local community, and a huge following in the Sunshine State. The OCC Road House & Museum will be an extension of the OCC brand, showcasing Teutul’s one-of-a-kind creations in an upscale, industrial environment that will make guests and fans “feel like they’re hanging out with Paul in his workshop.”

The restaurant and museum will be packed with motorcycle memorabilia Paul Sr. has personally collected over the past three decades, including an enormous “patch wall” with tens of thousands of patches he has been gifted by members of the military and first responders over the years. Overton and Paul Sr. welcome military personnel and first responders, past and present, to help continue to fill the patch wall, leaving their mark for others to see. An Orange County Choppers Wall of History will feature custom choppers in a “chronology of chrome” detailing the brand’s more than 20-year evolution.

Building the OCC Road House & Museum adjacent to Bert’s Barracuda Harley-Davidson dealership was a natural choice for Overton as well. One of the top performing Harley-Davidson dealerships in the country, Bert’s Barracuda has a loyal following and attracts a steady stream of bikers and brand enthusiasts from far and wide. In addition to this built-in customer base and the region’s enduring tourism appeal, the restaurant’s central location in Pinellas County will make it a convenient option for lunch, Happy Hour, dinner, and late-night entertainment for the many nearby businesses and residents of the greater Tampa Bay area. A full year-round calendar of live nightly entertainment, major concerts featuring regional and national acts, and other charity and special events at the campus pavilion is also expected to generate additional traffic to the restaurant and museum.

At a cost of more than $6.5 million to build, Overton expects the OCC Road House & Museum to provide a significant economic benefit to the City of Pinellas Park and the entire area by creating more than 50 construction jobs, and roughly 90 full-time and 20 part-time restaurant positions. “The timing of this announcement and the project is intended to bring some very positive news to residents and businesses in this community who are dealing with the negative effects of the pandemic. Paul, Bert and I are very confident about Florida’s recovery and the success of this newly created concept,” added Overton.

For more information on the OCC Road House & Museum, visit OCCRoadHouse.com or call Keith Overton, President & CEO, at (727) 432-3428. For media inquiries, contact Kelly Prieto, Vice President of Hayworth PR, at (386) 677-7000 ext. 2.

It better be a good one, goddammit. About 1970 I completed another sweat-soaked tour off the coast of Vietnam, my last one. The winding down war took on a pot-smoking air of wonderful R&B tunes, loose broads, long hair and a constant party.

More and more of the guys on the ship experimented with drugs and the half dozen originals, including myself took a back seat, concerned that the man would come down on us.

You don’t want to get busted in the service. They take a much harsher attitude toward crime, and the brig isn’t fun. Shortly after we returned to Long Beach, the Captain decided a vacation to Acapulco would be a blast. I took the week off to start to look for motorcycle parts and hang out with Laurie. We were cool, when we were together, but her religion was beginning to be a downer in a world gone wild and nuts.

When the ship returned, I rode my Sportster to Dago and slipped on board and a brother met me in the radio shack on the main deck. “You wouldn’t believe the shit we scored. “Wanna try some.” I passed, while he lit up a massive doobie behind a tall rack of vacuum tube radio receivers. The dense pungent smoke and rich herbal smell filled the compartment. “It’s cool,” He muttered through the billows of smoke, but I didn’t like the overt vibe.

I slipped up to the OE office to check in and return to my duties repairing and maintain UHF line of sight communications equipment. Off the coast of Nam, the bastard, 5-inch double-barreled cannon outside my compartment hatch would make a coffee cup jump 6 inches each time it fired. It fired a great deal during my second tour, sometimes 4-hours a day. I shattered more than one coffee mug. During the third tour we mostly cruised the coast looking threatening bad.

Admiral Zumwalt took over the Navy and allowed enlisted men to grow beards.

There was a lot of talk around the ship about the score in Mexico. Seems a group of guys bought weed and stashed it in tall heavy paper burn bags and canvas life vests.

All day long guys were smoking weed and joking about the heist and the party in Mexico. About 4:30 I slipped into my small steel coffin jammed with communication equipment and considered rolling a joint for after I left the base. A couple of other guys were going to stop by and give me a taste of their score before heading out—they never showed.

I stashed my shit in a secure location about 5:30 and as soon as I left my area next to that solid steel 5-inch semi auto gun emplacement, I heard the bad news. The ship had been raided and about a dozen guys were hauled off the ship along with their 50 pounds of weed.

The ship was battleship gray. The work compartments were gray and I believe galley was painted white along with the mess hall and sick bay. I grew up believing battleships were gray for a reason and so was equipment. I can’t get over the recent paint fad in this country and the use of gray tones. Bullshit. Gray is for battleships, equipment and steel, not homes.

Gray set the tone for that cold winter day in Dago when our brothers were handcuffed and led off the ship to be sent to the base brig. Brigs are bat-shit bad, torture chambers for treasonous acts, attacking officers, deserters and murderers. They weren’t designed for kids who stashed bags of weed on a ship.

This was a new world to everyone from young guys who smoked some weed in high school, to guys who had never touched the stuff and were now experimenting. I would bet half the guys on that ship didn’t know what marijuana was. But suddenly, for a handful of young sailors the consequences of their party actions hit home hard.

The military establishment didn’t know what the hell to do with these guys. Immediately, they were threatened with prison and dishonorable discharges, which would fuck with their lives forever. I remember discussing the options with some young sailors who broke down and cried in shame and fear for the notion that their folks would find out and they would no longer have rights to the G.I. bill for college after the service.

The brigs were ruled by hardcore Marines who didn’t like sailors and treated prisoners as if they were thrust back into a bootcamp on steroids. They weren’t allowed to do anything without a Marine guard’s permission, nothing, including taking a piss, standing, sitting or eating. They couldn’t speak, except to say, “Sir, yes sir, may I take a piss sir?” Any infraction could mean a nasty baton beating or standing at attention and forced to piss your pants.

Weeks passed with only rumors on board. Slowly, the word came down that most of them would be allowed to leave the service with general discharges. Even then, they found themselves in a dreaded gray area between dishonorable and Honorable. It allowed them to leave without punishment, but also without any benefits. A couple of these guys were married and it hit them particularly hard. First, they would have no income. And at the time rebellion wasn’t accepted within most American families. These guys went home to shame and disgrace.

Here’s an official description:

“Bad paper” – or less-than-honorable discharge status from the military – can cause veterans shame, stigma, and ineligibility for VA benefits. Many veterans, and some VA health care professionals, assume that a less-than-honorable discharge status on a veteran’s discharge documents automatically disqualifies them from healthcare, disability compensation, educational assistance, and other VA benefits.

Though entitlement to benefits is unlikely if you received a less-than-honorable discharge status, there are some exceptions made by VA now. There are a variety of types of less-than-honorable discharges that carry different consequences in post-military life currently, but not in 1970. Additionally, VA can make a case-by-case determination of “character-of-discharge” that could potentially allow service members to access healthcare and other benefits, if (and only if) you request medical treatment or submit a disability compensation claim.

The ship sailed from San Diego to Long Beach for pre-tour repairs with the help of Todd’s shipyard adjacent to the Long Beach Naval Base. I remember bumping into one of my high school pals, Larry St. Marie, who had joined a union along with some other guys from high school. He was welding on our ship. I rode my modified Sportster over to Long Beach to see some to the guys from the High School fraternity I was involved it for a short time. We had gang wars with an opposing school. They were still hanging out and I didn’t get it. It was time to move on.

My XLCH had a 6-over front end, taller risers and was stripped and custom painted. I didn’t fit it, but it looked good for a guy’s first custom bike.

I stayed in touch with Larry. He got into hot rods and I believe experienced a nasty divorce that altered his thinking in a negative direction. Divorce can do that except for us outlaws who cherish freedom almost as much as love.

I was determined to leave the St. Paul before it made another passage across the Pacific. I put in for a transfer but was denied then an opportunity surfaced and I escaped to the USS Maddox.

It was a reserve Tin Can or Destroyer. A training ship that was sorta famous. Nobody ever discussed it. 

Here’s the story from Wikipedia:

The Gulf of Tonkin incident (Vietnamese: S kin Vnh Bc B), also known as the USS Maddox incident, was a disputed international confrontation that led to the United States engaging more directly in the Vietnam War. It involved both a real confrontation and a fabricated confrontation between ships of North Vietnam and the United States in the waters of the Gulf of Tonkin. The original American report blamed North Vietnam for both incidents, but the Pentagon Papers, the memoirs of Robert McNamara, and NSA publications from 2005, proved that only the first attack actually happened.

On Sunday, August 2, 1964, the destroyer USS Maddox, while performing a signals intelligence patrol as part of DESOTO operations, was claimed to have been approached by three North Vietnamese Navy torpedo boats of the 135th Torpedo Squadron. Maddox fired three warning shots, and it was claimed the North Vietnamese boats attacked with torpedoes and machine gun fire. Maddox expended over 280 3-inch (76 mm) and 5-inch (130 mm) shells in a sea battle.

According to the false report: One U.S. aircraft was damaged, three North Vietnamese torpedo boats were damaged, and four North Vietnamese sailors were killed, with six more wounded. There were no U.S. casualties. Maddox was “unscathed except for a single bullet hole from a Vietnamese machine gun round”.

It was originally claimed by the National Security Agency that a Second Gulf of Tonkin incident occurred on August 4, 1964, as another sea battle, but instead, evidence was found of “Tonkin ghosts” (false radar images) and not actual North Vietnamese torpedo boats. In the 2003 documentary The Fog of War, the former United States Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara admitted that the August 2 USS Maddox attack happened with no Defense Department response, but the August 4 Gulf of Tonkin attack never happened. In 1995, McNamara met with former Vietnam People’s Army General Võ Nguyên Giáp to ask what happened on August 4, 1964, in the second Gulf of Tonkin Incident. “Absolutely nothing”, Giáp replied. Giáp claimed that the attack had been imaginary.

The outcome of these two incidents was the passage by US Congress of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which granted US President Lyndon B. Johnson the authority to assist any Southeast Asian country whose government was considered to be jeopardized by “communist aggression”. The resolution served as Johnson’s legal justification for deploying U.S. conventional forces and the commencement of open warfare against North Vietnam.

In 2005, an internal National Security Agency historical study was declassified; it concluded that Maddox had engaged the North Vietnamese Navy on August 2, but that there were no North Vietnamese naval vessels present during the incident of August 4. The report stated, regarding the first incident on August 2: At 1500G, Captain Herrick ordered Ogier’s gun crews to open fire if the boats approached within ten thousand yards (9,150 m). At about 1505G, Maddox fired three rounds to warn off the communist [North Vietnamese] boats. This initial action was never reported by the Johnson administration, which insisted that the Vietnamese boats fired first.

There you have it. The Maddox had a small crew and on weekends reservists came on board for training. Once or twice a year we made training sojourns to Mexico, like Mazatlán or San Francisco. Once we cruised beyond San Francisco through inland canals lined with mothballed ships. It was an eerie sight dark and forboding like a war vessel cementary.

A short biker came on board for training, Andy Hanson was building his first chopper and wanted to share it with me. He lived in Culver City and was learning how to rebuild engines from Bob George, a big round, smiling man who had an engine rebuilding shop in his back yard. We started to hang out and I started to learn about engines from Bob, who had built a wild dual-Shovelhead drag bike.

I went to the drags with these guys and when Bob popped the clutch all the primary chains snapped. Bob, the mellow, mad scientist lived until his death with a tiny angry girlfriend who screamed and yelled about anything. Bob went onto start to race at Bonneville and built a Streamliner around his dual-engine, stroked Shovelhead configuration.

I also started to hang out with Lose Bruce who worked the parts department at Long Beach Harley, where I bought my Sportster. His guys lived in North Long Beach and prepared all year for a run up north. They built cool shit and did a lot of drugs. One of the guys was hit by a truck around Gorman on the Golden State Freeway and they all returned to handle the business of the funeral.

Then they peeled out again and only got as far as San Jose where they crashed a Hispanic concert and Bruce was stabbed a bunch of times but survived. It was the era of the reds and they drove bikers wild. I was still in the service and I smoke weed, but hardly even drank.

On the artistic side these guys built bikes that had a certain flair. They were mechanically tight, not radical in any respect. And they understood the rigid frame code. Nothing messed with the lines of the frame. They only painted the tank and frame. Usually, no front fenders were used and the rear fenders were generally flat trailer fenders and chromed. At the time, we could only get trailer fenders and the old ribbed Triumph fenders.

I’ll never forget riding to Andy’s pad for the first time. He had his frame on a milk crate in the living room. It had been painted a wild metallic purple with silver flames on the Sportster tank. There weren’t any custom tanks at the time, except cheap little Peanut tanks. An extended glide was mounted to the frame with chromed neck cups, shaved trees, extended chromed legs and the lower legs were bare chromed tubes with no tabs for any fender or brake anchor. There were no disc brakes at the time.

Andy was learning Harleys fast from Bob and other builders. I believe he worked days as a machinist at an aerospace plant and at night in his garage on bikes. I helped him start H.E.S. (Harley Engine Specialties). His first product was an aluminum pressure plate for 4-speed clutches. It was a hit. I think Ben Kudon is still making them at American Prime.

While still on the Destroyer I did permenant shore patrol duty, which was actually only 30 days. Throughout the Holidays of 1970 I roamed the back streets and pike in Long Beach.

My concept of the years here is fleeting. I’m trying to stick with my first custom bike experiences before I became involved with Easyriders Magazine. But occasionally, like with Bob George I’m skipping around. I introduced Bob to Joe Teresi, the Jammer boss, and that’s how we ultimately held the world land speed record for motorcycle for 16 years.

Meanwhile back in 1970 shit was happing fast. Like today our society faced upheaval and didn’t know what the hell to do with it. We went from crew cuts and straight-laced behavior to long-haired radicals, war protests and choppers. Everything felt cool and free, and the girls went wild. Their clothes changed, their habits changed and sex changed.

We all experienced it and had to make conscious and unconscious decisions. I went from being a clean-cut serviceman with a beard to a longhaired biker going to Long Beach City College welding class to escape the service a few months early. That’s where I met Seymour, a member of the Outlaws MC who introduced me to Hangmen in San Pedro. He wanted me to become a member, but that wasn’t in the cards. I was beginning to sort through the outlaw code.

Maybe it was all about age? Just after the service I started school in Long Beach on the G.I. Bill and begged for a job at U.S. Choppers in the city of Industry. We rode with LA Sheriffs who were crazier than the Outlaws because they could be. Most cops were like the brig marines. They just wanted to kick ass and take names. We were the rebels on two wheels.

I still find it fascinating. The chopper clan represented sex, fun and artistic style as if you can build a motorcycle and ride it into an alternate universe. But some guys just see metalflake as money. More and more I begin to understand the nature of man. You can line-up five guys in a room and have a bad ass walk in and give each one the finger and say, “Fuck you, punk. You ain’t shit.”

One brother might pull a gun and blow the sonuvabitch away. Another might punch him out and another might run or make some lame excuse. Yet, another might negotiate with the guy. This equation can be applied to five guys looking at the ultimate chopper and giving his opinion. They could range from the money aspect to honor and respect to, “I wouldn’t ride that piece of shit if you paid me.”

I’m also trying to understand the lure of motorcycles and women. Laurie stood in the way of the adventure to come as did many women. For a long time, I was around bikers and outlaws who didn’t treat women well and were racists. I didn’t follow that code. I treated women with tenderness and respect, but when they stood in the way of freedom, I was forced to move on.

That also applied to various aspects of my life. If I didn’t like the way folks were treated or the direction the business was going, I had the balls to say adios, and usually it was at just the right time.

I’ve got to say that I love women and have studied them all my life. The same applies to motorcycles. There’s a sexy aspect to a chopper, it’s long and lean, tight and alluring. Here’s the perfect example: fat rear tire bikes. I’ve never built a bike with a tire bigger than 180, although I think my Indian has a 200. I didn’t like the fat tire mechanical obstacles. Then the brothers, or maybe Bert Baker came up with the right-side drive transmissions. But to me they made a bitchin custom motorcycle look like it had a fat ass.

Now I’m really fucking with the time frame. See you next time.

–Bandit

For many of us around the country, the colder months have hit… and they’ve hit hard. Looking for a warm-weather escape so you take that bike out of storage? We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite warm-weather rides perfect for cruising this time of year. You can send us a postcard to thank us later. You can send any season riding story to Bikernet.

Pack your bags and beat the winter blues by checking out one or more of these winter riding destinations.

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

Not a week has passed in the new year and Japanese bike maker Honda already announced the first changes to the lineup for the 2021 model year. As you might have guessed, these changes first and foremost target the iconic Gold Wing family.

The touring bike line, in production in the Japanese stables since 1974, bets even more on its ability to handle whatever needs the rider has for long stretches of road. With that in mind, the biggest change pertains to the trunk capacity of the Gold Wing Tour.

According to the Japanese, the trunk can now hold two full-face helmets, thanks to an increase in capacity by 11 liters, to a total of 61 liters. Additionally, the passenger seat has been improved by giving it a “more relaxed angle” and taller profile, but also by making it of thicker foam.

Last but not least, the 45-watt speakers have been bettered as well, there is now a standard XM radio antenna, and optimized automatic volume-adjustment. The bike family now also supports Android Auto alongside the existing Apple CarPlay integration.

“Honda listens to its customers, a fact that is highlighted in our latest new-model announcement,” said in a statement Lee Edmunds, Senior Manager of Powersports Marketing for American Honda.

“In the case of the Gold Wing and our smallest street-legal CRF models, the 2021 iterations reflect improvements that were highly requested by people who ride them every day, and the motorcycles are better as a result. We look forward to customers getting the chance to experience the updates themselves.”

Sporting all red turn signals as the single most important visual upgrade, the new Gold Wing family goes on sale in February in five variants, with prices starting at $23,900 for the standard version and going to as high as $32,600 for the Gold Wing Tour Air Bag DCT.

Photos and text by Bill May

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