by Swarajya Staff from https://swarajyamag.com Expanding its overseas operations, Indian motorcycle maker Royal Enfield is setting up an assembling plant in Thailand, reports Nikkei Asian Review. This would mark Royal Enfield’s second plant out of India, as it recently operationalised its first overseas factory in Argentina. The company aims to utilise the upcoming Thai plant as a hub to export to other nations in the ASEAN, including motorcycle-intensive markets like Indonesia and Vietnam. It should be noted that Thailand is Southeast Asia’s largest automobile manufacturer, and houses factories of some noted and global motorcycle majors like Honda, Yamaha and Harley-Davidson. The Royal Enfield factory in Thailand’s Chachoengsao province will be using at least 40 per cent of local parts while importing the rest from India. The facility is expected to start operations in April 2021. It should be noted that Royal Enfield has witnessed its 2019 year-on-year sales in Thailand more than double. It already has 36 showrooms in Thailand and is planning to expand with showrooms in Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia in the coming years.

Dynas are tricky and handling is key. They are more popular now than ever and the later units were tougher with a new frame, 49mm front ends and cast swingarms.

That’s the way to go, but it’s also, especially with big inch twin cam engines, tougher on the stock motor mounts, which are handling keys.

If you feel your bike being pulled to the left or to the right, there’s a very good chance you power train is out of alignment. And guess what, there’s not much you can do about that with your current set up.

Motor Mounts from Custom Cycle Engineering

$499.95

Installation was a 20-minute grape. Jeremiah and James slipped his bike up on a Bikernet lift and hoisted it in the air. They used a shop jack to raise the tranny just slightly, while leaving the shocks in place. This took the pressure off the motor mount coupled from the transmission to the swingarm.

They made sure the jack would not be in the way from dropping the massive rubber mounted unit out from under the trans.

They unbolted the stock unit and dropped it down but didn’t lose track of the fasteners. The CCE unit comes with some of the fasteners but not all of them. “We like the stock Allen head self-tapping units the factory uses to the frame,” Tim, from CCE said. “They are easy to reach with an Allen socket and an extension.”

They dropped out the stock unit, cleaned the area and installed the modified, heavy-duty, rebuildable CCE rear motor-mount. Rick the previous owner wanted to add some shine to the area, so he used heavy-duty stainless fasteners to the swingarm. Our team tapped the unit another ½-inch and everything slipped back together.

The CCE unit is self-rebuildable. Any bike owner can pull his CCE unit out of his bike and add a new cast rubber unit from CCE and replace it.

“In all the time we’ve built these puppies, I’ve only helped two owners rebuild their mounts,” Tim said. “They easily last over five years.”

“I replaced the front one with a new stock unit,” James said. “Tim is helping me order the CCE front job. But even with the stock unit up front and the CCE mount in the rear my handling tightened, no more wobbles. The new unit is slightly stiffer, so I noticed some more vibration, but that may smooth out as it breaks in.”

Next, we will install the 
Dyna Front Motor Mount (05 to Present), DMM 2014-1L (2006-Present)

There you have it. Reach out to CCE regarding their mounts for Dynas and FXRs. Also, they make the finest tall rubber-mounted dog-bone risers for all Harleys. And if you need longer tubes for any glide, they have center-ground units.

–Bandit

Johnny Lewis Forced to Retire From Dallas-Half Mile

Team hard at work preparing for Atlanta Short Track

Milwaukee, Wis September 26, 2020: Johnny Lewis was continuing development of the Royal Enfield Twins FT when an unexpected valve issue forced his weekend to end early. The team had entered the weekend riding high on the momentum of their gutsy performance at the Williams Grove Half-Mile, but despite quick action the issue proved insurmountable.

The Center Hill, Fla based rider and team owner worked on making improvements and adjustments to the Twins FT package over the past two weeks. Collaborating closely with a myriad of partners, the Moto Anatomy x Royal Enfield team tested a number of new parts and setups in the lead up to this weekend’s races.

“We’ve been able to make positive steps forward with the Twins FT in the last two weeks, and there is still much to learn,” said Johnny Lewis, Moto Anatomy x Royal Enfield racer. “The team is still 100 percent focused on development and we understand more every time we run the bike. We know what happened and the team are already hard at work on adjustments and new parts so we’re ready for the Atlanta Short Track event.”

Lewis and team look towards next weekend at Dixie Speedway for redemption. Recognizing the challenges of development, Lewis’ Moto Anatomy x Royal Enfield team is prepared for the work that lies ahead. With a sound strategy and positive attitude, the team is ready to roll into Atlanta.

The ladies of the BUILD TRAIN RACE program will join Lewis at Dixie Speedway next weekend as they debut their INT650 custom motorcycles as part of the Atlanta Short Track event. A special exhibition will take place during the weekend and fans will see road racer Melissa Paris, amateur flat tracker Jillian Deschenes, photographer Lana MacNaughton and New York motorcycle repair shop owner Kerry Sano compete against one another in an eight lap Main. As part of the program, Lewis will spend a day with all four women this week to help with their race craft ahead of the weekend.

Be sure to follow @MotoAnatomyxRoyalEnfield on Instagram to stay up to date on the latest results and insights from the track. You can watch a short film documenting Lewis’ debut of the Twins FT at the Williams Grove Half-Mile here..

by Tony Abu Momoh from https://www.herald.ng

Kelly Knievel, the son of late stuntman Evel Knievel is suing Disney and Pixar for using the daredevil character Duke Caboom in the movie, Toy Story 4. The character is based on Evel Knievel real name Robert Craig Kneivel Jnr who was a daredevil stuntman in the 1970’s.

According to Kelly, the movie giants gained financially from a character based on his father without his permission. According to Knievel junior, his father did not thrill millions, break his bones and spill his blood just so Disney can make a bunch of money.

The character in contention, Duke Caboom was voiced by Keanu Reeves in Toy Story 4 and is described by Disney-Pixar as a 1970’s toy based on Canada’s greatest daredevil stuntman with confidence and swagger. The character has however never been able to do stunts advertised by his own toy commercials.

See Also: Plateau Attack: Police confirms 5 people killed by Gunmen

Kelly stated in the Federal Trademark suit that he has had ownership of the publicity rights to Evel Knievel since 1978 and is seeking damages totaling $300,000 for false endorsement and unjust enrichment.

Kelly alleged that there were similarities in the physical appearance of Knievel and the character Caboom. He also alleged that a propelled stunt toy sold as a marketing strategy for the move, Toy Story 4, was similar to another toy released by Evel Knievel in 1973. Kelly was also unhappy that the Caboom character was marketed as part of a McDonald’s happy meal promotion.

The suit further said Disney had instructed cast members of the movie not to draw comparisons between Knievel and Caboom in public even though it was obvious to observers that there was a connection.

Disney however denied the allegations saying its lawyers would vigorously defend what it called baseless claims.

In response to this, Kelly issued a statement saying, “It is obvious Duke Caboom is a knock off of Evel Knievel. I don’t see a big long line of Disney executives ready to get on a motorcycle and jump 13 buses, nor do I remember any Canadian daredevils from the 70s. While we note that Disney uses their Mickey Mouse lawyers to aggressively protect Disney intellectual property, they did not seek permission to use Evel Knievel at any time.”

by Silvian Secara from https://www.autoevolution.com

This gorgeous thing’s outfit boasts some serious retro vibes.

Back in 2015, the motorcycle realm was delighted with the arrival of a new player on the scene. Tamarit Motorcycles debuted with as many as five magnificent projects that served to let everyone know they aren’t messing around. Over the years, the Spanish firm amassed an impressive selection of no less than 52 custom entities. Besides constructing some of the raddest one-off two-wheelers you’ll ever come across, the Elche-based company also prides itself with a delicious inventory that hosts over 170 aftermarket components manufactured in-house.

One thing’s for sure; these moto specialists are no amateurs! Their stunning one-off machines guarantee to soothe the soul of even the most pretentious rider out there. In case this stirs your curiosity, Tamarit’s majestic undertakings can all be admired on their social media profiles. But first, let’s take a minute to drool over one such masterpiece, namely a 2008 model in Triumph’s iconic Bonneville lineup that’ll certainly raise your pulse.

I’ll have to point out the obvious and say the ‘08 Bonneville is one hell of a donor. It is powered by a vicious DOHC parallel-twin behemoth, with a generous compression ratio of 9.2:1 and a truly humungous displacement of 865cc. At around 7,200 rpm, this fiendish piece of air-cooled machinery is capable of producing up to 66 bhp, along with a feral torque output of 52 pound-feet (70 Nm) at 6,000 revs. A five-speed gearbox transmits the engine’s unholy force to Bonnie’s 17-inch multi-spoked rear wheel by means of a chain final drive.

The powertrain is hugged by a tubular steel cradle frame, which rests on a set of 41 mm (1.61 inches) forks at the front, coupled with fully-adjustable dual shock absorbers and a double-sided swingarm on the opposite end. Up front, stopping power is taken care of by a single 310 mm (12.2 inches) disc and a two-piston caliper, accompanied by a 255 mm (10 inches) brake rotor and a two-piston caliper at the rear. Triumph’s marvel has a dry weight of only 451 lbs (205 kg), while its wheelbase measures just over 59 inches (1501 mm).

To have this bad boy stand out as a genuine one-of-a-kind creature, Tamarit Motorcycles kicked things off by browsing their very own catalogue for an array of custom modules that’ll have it look the part. These include a fresh tail section, open side panels and a tiny front fender, as well as a hand-crafted belly pan and one tasty leather saddle. Additionally, you will notice a classic-style fairing that brings about a vintage aesthetic.

The firm consulted Motogadget’s range for a complete LED lighting package and installed a pair of Victory Classic TT tires to keep things looking retro. Oh, and of course, there are aftermarket clip-on handlebars that round out the new appearance. To wrap it all up, the rew applied a timeless blend of metallic black and silver paintwork, complemented by discrete golden accents.

Right, now that we’ve come to the end of this Bonneville’s story, I’ll be heading over to Tamarit’s Facebook and Instagram profiles to please my eyes with some of their other spectacular works of two-wheeled art, and I’d encourage you to do the same. These ravishing beauties will leave you speechless!

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

You might have already caught the first episode of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman’s new adventure called Long Way Up. The duo decided this time to travel over 13,000 miles (21,000 km) from the city of Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego, all the way to Los Angeles. They did so riding bikes, as usual, but not just any bikes: they used electric Harley-Davidson LiveWires.

A close look at the images already shown reveals that these were not your regular LiveWires, the ones you’ll be able to get from the neighborhood dealer. They were modified for the task, and the bike maker admitted as much this week, when it announced the launch of a six-part podcast documenting the changes. And with the announcement came, of course, the first details on these modifications.

Harley says it established a special team to handle the task of converting the LiveWires to machines that could withstand the rigors of such a journey. And they nearly nailed it, we reckon, as we’re told the job was ready in just a month, and the results are as real as they get.

We’re told the LiveWires used for the adventures used the stock Rechargeable Energy Storage System (RESS), the stock chassis, and the stock Revelation powertrain. What wasn’t stock were the rotors, wheels, and tires, with these last two pieces of hardware taken from the upcoming Pan America. There were also custom windshield, rear shock, and triple clamps.

We are not being told, at least yet, whether the range of the two-wheeler changed as a result of the upgrades.

“Harley-Davidson stands for the timeless pursuit of adventure,” said Jochen Zeitz, Chairman, President and CEO, Harley-Davidson.

“This podcast series is a premier showcase for how Harley-Davidson’s talented staff of engineers and designers go above and beyond in their mission to create motorcycles that unlock adventures wherever they may lead. These efforts can be experienced in the 2020 LiveWire – a shining example of how Harley-Davidson innovates to lead in the electrification of motorcycling. It’s an experience that can only be truly understood after riding it.”

Harley’s podcast will be available on both Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

by Aditya Kalra & Aditi Shah from Reuters and https://www.business-standard.com

Harley, known for its heavy touring motorcycles, struggled in India mainly because of high import duties. Harley’s 33 dealerships will likely come under Hero’s management under the new arrangement, said one of the sources.

Harley-Davidson Inc is in advanced talks with India’s Hero MotoCorp for a distribution deal which will allow the U.S. firm’s iconic motorcycles to be sold in India, after it stops local manufacturing there, three sources told Reuters.

The Milwaukee-based company said on Thursday it will stop sales and shut its manufacturing plant in India, effectively abandoning the world’s biggest motorcycle market after a decade of unsuccessful efforts to gain a foothold.

Harley however is in talks with Hero MotoCorp to enter into a distribution arrangement that will allow the Indian company to import and sell Harley bikes as its sole distributor, two sources with familiar with the talks said.

“Hero will be the master distributor for Harley bikes in India … This will be a partnership, a strategic alliance,” said one of the sources, all of whom declined to be named as the discussions were private.

Discussions are also ongoing to let Hero become a contract manufacturer for at least one Harley motorcycle with 300-600 cc engine capacity, which it will launch later, the first source added.

The financial details of the deal were not immediately clear.

Asked about talks with Hero, a Harley spokeswoman said the company can’t comment on “rumours or speculation”. On Thursday, it said it was “changing its business model in India & evaluating options to continue to serve customers.”

Hero MotoCorp, which is the India’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer by sales, said it doesn’t comment on market speculation. It produced 6.4 million two-wheeler scooters and motorcycles in the fiscal year ending March 2020, a third of India’s total output.

Harley manufactured just 4,500 motorcycles during that period, largely assembled from imported knock-down kits at its plant near New Delhi, which it will shut as part of its announced restructuring.

Harley’s decision to stop direct manufacturing marks another major exit by an automotive player in India and is a setback for Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has been inviting foreign firms to ramp up local production. Ford Motor and General Motors have both pared their India operations in recent years.

Harley, known for its heavy touring motorcycles, struggled in India mainly because of high import duties – which U.S. President Donald Trump often criticized India for – and also because its locally assembled bikes faced high taxes.

Hero typically sells motorcycles with engine capacities of under 200 cc and a deal with Harley will help speed up its entry into the mid- and high-engine segments favoured by biking enthusiasts and young leisure riders, the second source said.

“In that segment, biking is moving to a fashion purchase for leisure, weekend rides and Harley bikes will do well with higher local content,” said the source, adding Harley was also likely to provide technology know-how and inputs on quality standards to Hero.

Harley’s 33 dealerships will likely come under Hero’s management under the new arrangement, said one of the sources.

RSD Joins S&S Cycle as the Only Two Indian Challenger Entries Against a Field of Harley-Davidsons;

RSD Calls Upon Veteran Racer Frankie Garcia to Pilot Modified Indian Challenger

 

MINNEAPOLIS (September 25, 2020) – Indian Motorcycle, America’s First Motorcycle Company, and Roland Sands Design® (RSD), the popular and innovative custom motorcycle, apparel and lifestyle brand, today announced its Indian Challenger entry for the inaugural Drag Specialties King of the Baggers invitational at Laguna Seca Raceway. Piloting the RSD Indian Challenger will be veteran motorcycle racer Frankie Garcia.

 

With its entry, RSD joins S&S Cycle as the only two teams to enter an Indian Challenger against a field of 12 modified Harley-Davidsons. Featuring a best-in-class 122 horsepower with a race-tuned S&S exhaust, RSD race wheels shod in Dunlop super sport tires and a hydraulically-adjustable FOX® X RSD rear shock, the Indian Challenger provides a superior base for RSD to transform Indian Motorcycle’s high-performance American bagger into a race-ready machine capable of pushing heavy bike limits at historic Laguna Seca.

 

“There’s something both absurd and awesome about racing baggers at Laguna Seca, and it’s exactly the type of craziness we live for here at RSD,” said Roland Sands. “The Indian Challenger is an incredible platform, and we definitely will be competitive. But make no mistake, our priority is to have a great time, and how can you not at an event like this? Hats off to the gang at Moto America and Drag Specialties for bringing this event to life.”

 

Piloting the RSD-modified Indian Challenger will be veteran motorcycle racer Frankie Garcia. As a member of the Indian Motorcycle-RSD Super Hooligan race team, Garcia is no stranger to RSD’s ability to transform stock motorcycles into high-performance, racing machines.  Coming from a motorcycle racing family, Garcia has been riding since he was two and racing since he was four. He brings diverse experience in nearly all forms of racing, including flat track, supermoto, motocross and road racing. In 2006, at 15 years old, Garcia become the youngest athlete to compete in an X-Games motorcycle event.

 

“It’s a real honor to have the opportunity to not only participate in the inaugural King of the Baggers race, but to represent RSD on one of only two Indian Challengers in the field,” said Garcia. “I’ve had the opportunity to spend some time on a stock Challenger, and believe me, this bike wants to go fast and handles like a bike half its size. It’s the perfect platform for something as radical as knee-dragging baggers at Laguna Seca.”

 

“Of course, Roland and the RSD team wouldn’t miss out on an opportunity to race baggers on a historic road racing course,” said Gary Gray, Vice President – Racing, Technology and Service for Indian Motorcycle. “It’s going to be a ton of fun, and we cannot wait to see what Roland and the RSD team put together.”

 

The King of the Baggers event will be part of the MotoAmerica Superbike Speedfest at Monterey on October 23-25. The inaugural race will join the premier MotoAmerica Superbike, Supersport, Liqui Moly Junior Cup, Stock 1000, Twins Cup and Heritage Cup racing.

 

For more information and ticketing for the Drag Specialties King of the Baggers, visit MotoAmerica.com. Learn more about S&S Cycle at SSCycle.com, and Indian Motorcycle at IndianMotorcycle.com, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 

By Mark Morgan, Peter NavarroFOXBusiness

Every month, under the flag of Operation Mega Flex, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) does an enhanced inspection of small parcels arriving, primarily, from China.

Over the course of 14 monthly “blitz operations,” a decidedly unlucky 13% of the Made-in-China packages inspected have contained a type of counterfeit product or other contraband that can defraud, harm, or even kill Americans.

Operation Mega Flex is a CBP initiative that began in June of 2019 as part of a broader Trump administration effort, also involving the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, to crack down on the dangerous flood of counterfeit goods pouring into America from China, often through the distribution networks of e-commerce platforms like Alibaba, Amazon, and eBay.

This “flood” is indeed a flood. Every single day, about 700,000 small Made-in-China parcels pour into America. About 68% of these parcels are handled by the United States Postal Service at ports of entry like New York’s JFK Airport, Chicago’s O’Hare, and LAX in California. The remainder of air parcels come into cities like Memphis, Cincinnati, and Louisville in facilities managed by private carriers like DHL, FedEx, and UPS.

If the data collected thus far from Operation Mega Flex accurately captures the scope of the Made-in-China contraband problem – and the data has been remarkably consistent over the 14 monthly blitz operations to date – here’s what it means: On a daily basis, nearly 90,000 Americans are being assaulted in one form or another through small parcel mail by unscrupulous Made-in-China exporters.

Just exactly what forms do these Chinese assaults take? As CBP has looked under the Made-in-China hood in the course of inspecting over 71,000 parcels, it has found four different categories of “discrepancies.”

On a daily basis, nearly 90,000 Americans are being assaulted in one form or another through small parcel mail by unscrupulous Made-in-China exporters.   

For starters, about a third of the Made-in-China contraband is counterfeited. The Chinese knockoffs uncovered by CBP have included everything from Louis Vuitton bags, Ferragamo belts, Rolex watches, and Apple earbuds to fraudulent China Virus test kits and fake prescription drugs like Lipitor and Viagra. That’s not just a consumer rip off – fake medicines can outright kill you while defective electronics products can burn your house down.

APPAREL GROUP SAYS BROAD BAN ON CHINA’S XINJIANG COTTON IMPOSSIBLE TO ENFORCE

A second major category uncovered by Operation Mega Flex is even more deadly.  It consists of assorted drug paraphernalia along with deadly narcotics such as fentanyl, methamphetamine, and oxycodone.

In just one package seized this past March at the JFK facility, over 5,000 grams of the dangerously addictive opioid, hydrocodone, were uncovered—that’s more than 55,000 doses.

Then, of course, there are the various fake documents like driver’s licenses, passports, and police badges–the latest blitz operation last month seized several Department of Justice Special Agent badges that were remarkably realistic.  And if you need a gun or a silencer or an automatic weapons converter, you can get that from Communist China too, courtesy of e-commerce platforms.

US LAWMAKERS QUIZ DISNEY CEO OVER XINJIANG & ‘MULAN’

Finally, there are all manner of agricultural products that illegally enter the United States that have the potential to wreak great havoc with our food supply chains or our personal health. For example, when a deadly African swine fever wiped out over a million pigs, America’s own pork supply was threatened by shipments of potentially infected Chinese pork – the virus can live in raw meat for weeks and frozen meat for months.

More recently, we have seen an influx of unsolicited packages originating from China containing mislabeled seeds. As another example, in June of 2020, CBP specialists intercepted a Made-in-China package containing thirteen unsealed bags filled with vials of blood, plasma, and human urine, all believed to be infected with STDs and STIs such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, and hepatitis.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS

The Trump administration is strongly committed to putting an end to both the Made-in-China contraband inundating America through small parcels and the role that e-commerce platforms are playing in facilitating such illegal trafficking.

As Operation Mega Flex continues to gather data on these problems, and per the authorities of the presidential Executive Order “Ensuring Safe & Lawful E-Commerce for U.S. Consumers, Businesses, Government Supply Chains, and Intellectual Property Rights,” CBP will increasingly monitor, and if necessary begin to significantly restrict, the flow of Chinese packages into American households.

If e-commerce platforms like Alibaba, Amazon, and eBay fail to increase their scrutiny of China’s contraband trafficking and continue to refuse to accept their full and fair share of policing this dangerous problem, they will likewise be held accountable. American lives and livelihoods are both at stake, and the Trump administration will continue to do everything necessary to protect both.

Mark Morgan is the Commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Peter Navarro is the Assistant to the President for Trade and Manufacturing Policy.

Hey,

This is another fascinating week.

I’m reading Deadwood, the Golden Years, by Watson Parker. It’s basically a history of the region and mining, the impact on the region and the Indians. Since I’m trying like hell to move there, I need to know.

I’m also reading the Moral Animal, Why We Are the Way We Are, the New Science of Evolutionary Psychology. It’s a heady book about us and where we come from and how we got here. That term natural selection comes up over and over. Did you know that 99 percent of all species on the planet do it the same way from a wasp to a human. It’s also about the differences between men and women.

Speaking of Magazines, another motorcycle magazine, Cycle World bit the dust last week, maybe two. The new Easyriders seems to be stumbling, although it never got off the dime over the last couple of years. A lot of talk, a couple of parties and very little action. Ah, but I just got a peek at the new Choppers magazine, issue 2 and the new issue 3. This is tough. Cary Brobeck, the owner and editor only prints maybe 2,000 copies and attempts to sell them mail order. That’s a tough one, for lots of reasons.

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