Wishing you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year

* * * *

Pittsburgh, PA – After 27 years of print magazine publication, The Source Media Group, Cycle Source Magazine, Track Side Report and Torque Performance publishers have launched their motorcycle media brand into the future. Grease & Gears TV, a three-year project to bring motorcycle media back to televisions and beyond, has started to pick up speed. After the initial soft launch during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Grease & Gears is growing strong.

Due to the enormous support from Dennis Kirk, Grease & Gears is now available on Apple and Andriod devices, Roku, and Firestick. So, no matter where you are or what screen you want to watch it on, 24/7 motorcycle entertainment is at your fingertips. So what is it? “It’s kinda like Netflix for motorcycle riders.” Explains Chris Callen, President of Source Media Group. It’s a collection of stories from the road, inside the garage, and collected over our travels. The great events we go to and the incredible bikes we see all with a deeply personal connection since it is no longer their interpretation of what someone said, but their voice brought to life through video and contained in a place where it will live on forever.

The channel is, as Callen went on to say, “…nothing different than the work we have done for three decades. Subscribers pay us to deliver stories on motorcycles, the people who build them, and the places they go on them. Same thing here. We just have another dimension with the video component.” While this is nothing new in social media, as many YouTube sites now focus on motorcycle media, the difference, Callen says, is that Grease & Gears exists outside of the algorithm. Nothing slows the roll for people who want to see great motorcycle media, not even commercials, since they do not exist on Grease & Gears TV.

Collaborators are a big part of what makes it run. With nearly a dozen content creators, some of your favorite personalities like Professional Monkey, Jason Sims, and even Michael Lichter have a home on Grease & Gears where their content can be accessed. With hundreds of hours of programming already up and running, you can expect the regular delivery of fresh new content from the whole team.

In addition to great motorcycle entertainment, and depending on your subscription level, there are giveaways, exclusive content, monthly drawings for prizes, and even talks of “Subscriber Only” events at rallies like Sturgis and Daytona. Source Media has always been strict about its value-added approach to its print magazine over the years, and Callen indicated that this will have the same values. “I always think about the person that sets down their five or ten bucks for a magazine. That’s hard-earned money, and if they give it to me to show them part of the world that I get to see, I’m gonna make sure they get more than their money’s worth.”

While the magazine will continue to be published digitally and in print, this new chapter for Source Media has found new life in media. While citizen journalism has done a very good job in the last ten years to promote the motorcycle business, there is something about the tried and true methods of journalists who have made telling these stories, asking questions, and making sure regular people are counted, an honest approach that will provide longevity to our culture.

You can get more information by heading over to www.greasengearstv.com today. Take a look around and see what all the buzz is about.

About Source Media Group:

Source Media is the parent company of Cycle Source Magazine. Now, a 27-year history in bringing motorcycle news, information, and entertainment to the masses, a branch of the media company today. With arms in video, podcasting, multi-casting, and video work, Source Media spans a monthly average reach of nearly 2.5 million. With their weekly show ShopTalk, Promoters of the SmokeOut Rally, live broadcasts from events, and now their own television network in Grease & Gears TV, Source Media would like to think they have transitioned from what was the definition of a motorcycle media company in the nineties when they first started to publish. Still, at its core, this is a grassroots company with the common man’s perspective at the forefront of what they do. You can expect the same approach to continue as they move into the next frontier of Moto-journalism. www.cyclesource.com

About Dennis Kirk:

Dennis Kirk was first created in 1969 as a little snowmobile parts store and mail-order business in the small town of Rush City, MN. As the years went on, they grew and expanded into other power sports, including Motorcycles, Dirt Bikes, ATVs, and Snowmobiles. Because of their great selection, competitive prices, and excellent customer service, Dennis Kirk quickly became one of the world’s largest aftermarket parts dealers.

Today, Dennis Kirk is a leader in aftermarket hard parts, accessories, and riding gear. No matter what you’re looking for, you are sure to find what you need. Our long experience in the industry gives us a leg up on our competition. Our buyers are able to find the parts you need for all of your repairs and upgrades, all while keeping our prices extremely competitive. We also are able to keep the most parts and gear in stock at our fully automated shipping facility, which means we can ship your parts extremely fast with Same Day Shipping. You will spend less time waiting and more time riding. www.denniskirk.com

Hey,

This will be a major year coming up. Our government, truth and democracy is at stake. We can’t continue to let 10,000 people across our borders daily without cost and consequences.

These are dangerous times and we need everyone to wake up and get involved. Here at Bikernet, we will continue to deliver thought-provoking info on oil bans, car bans, freedom bans, but it’s up to you to check out everything, make decisions and vote.

If you don’t want to take on the task to save the country, join the MRF, the IMA or your local motorcycle rights group and let them do the hard work.

Let’s hit the news:

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

THE ELECTRIC FILES–India’s Government may end subsidy on electric two-wheelers: Report

Earlier this year, the government had already reduced the subsidy, which resulted in a decrease in the demand for electric two-wheelers. However, the demand seems to be stabilizing now, leading government officials to argue that the transition to cleaner-fuel vehicles will happen naturally due to the economic advantages of running them, despite their higher initial cost.

The subsidy for electric two-wheelers is expected to end in a few weeks as the government is not keen on introducing the third phase of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (or FAME III), according to the Times of India.

As per the report, the finance ministry and other wings of the government do not see any merit in extending EV subsidies.

Read more at:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/renewables/govt-may-end-subsidy-on-electric-two-wheelers-report/articleshow/106132541.cms

–Wayfarer
International Editor
Bikernet.com™

OFFICIAL BUFFALO CHIP MOTORCYCLE SHOW GUIDE 2024–Cure PMS with These Custom Motorcycle Shows.

It can be tough being a motorcycle enthusiast during the first few months of the year. If only a passion for bikes could burn hot enough to change the weather! Hardcore riders might learn the best practices for winter motorcycle riding, but that leaves the rest of us with a bad case of PMS—parked motorcycle syndrome.

Thankfully, winter and spring provide time for builders, manufacturers and aftermarket companies to develop their latest creations. You’ll have the opportunity to get out of the house and see all their amazing handiwork during these upcoming custom motorcycle shows.

Colorado Motorcycle Expo
January 27-28, 2024
National Western Complex

When it comes to cool custom motorcycles, parts and entertainment, you’ll find the best of the West in the Mile High City during the Colorado Motorcycle Expo. This two-day event is the largest motorcycle show and competition in the Rocky Mountain region and the largest indoor parts swap in the country.

See around 100 bikes competing in up to 20 categories, search for treasures in the swap meet or hunt for your next ride in the used bike corral. There’s something for everyone with a full schedule of entertainment and activities including live music, tattoo contests, adult big wheel races, vendor shopping, kids’ activities and more!

Sturgis Buffalo Chip President Rod “Woody” Woodruff will be on site to award the first in a series of “Spirit of the Chip” Awards for 2024. This award celebrates the bike and builder that represents the spirit of the Buffalo Chip and the custom motorcycle culture so prevalent at the Chip. The award includes a custom guitar trophy and two week-long passes for the annual motorcycle and music festival during the 2024 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Make sure you pay a visit to the Sturgis Buffalo Chip® display while you’re there for a chance to win passes to the Best Party Anywhere® during the 2023 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

WIN 4 COLORADO MOTORCYCLE EXPO ADMISSION PASSES AND 2 BUFFALO CHIP RALLY PASSES!
Enter to Win!

Motor Bike Expo
January 19-21, 2024
Veronafiere

Every January, Verona, Italy becomes the capital of the motorcycle world as enthusiasts from across the globe descend on the city for the world’s largest custom motorcycle event. This massive expo attracts more than 170,000 visitors to explore over 700 exhibitors in over 1 million square feet of exhibition space.

MBE is the beating heart of the international motorcycle scene. It provides a complete representation of the global two-wheel industry from special to sport to off-road and touring. You’ll have the opportunity to admire unique custom motorcycles from around the globe, as well as the latest models from major motorcycle manufacturers. (Not to mention, all the beautiful MBE hostesses.)

Get a taste of the show by checking out the Buffalo Chip’s previous trips to MBE in Sturgis Rider News’ Highlights from Motor Bike Expo.

Mama Tried Motorcycle Show
February 24-25, 2024
Eagles Ballroom

To a custom builder, an invitation to display your bike at the Mama Tried Motorcycle Show is as good as getting a golden ticket. This indoor invitational features only the best, with over 100 motorcycles of all calibers––flat tracker, hill climber, chopper, bar hopper, you name it. And you’d be hard pressed to find a cooler venue to see them all in.

In frigid Milwaukee, this two-day event helps builders, riders and enthusiasts keep their fire stoked all winter long. Make sure to plan your trip for an extra day on the front end to check out the Flat Out Friday indoor flat track racing shenanigans.

To catch more of the vibe from this show and the races, check out Sturgis Rider News’ No Fun at Mama Tried & Flat Out Friday.

Donnie Smith Bike Show
March 23-24, 2024
St. Paul RiverCentre

You can count on the Donnie Smith Show for a memorable kickoff to your spring riding season. Known as the Midwest Extravaganza, it offers 35 classes of custom motorcycles, the largest swap meet on the planet, tons of vendors and live entertainment. Strolling around the show will also give you the chance to meet industry celebrities, premium sponsors, artists and gear heads.

The Buffalo Chip is the first display you’ll spot as you travel down the escalator into the show. Stop by to see the signature series B4 custom built by Lloydz Garage to be auctioned off during the Legends Ride®. Along with this eye candy, Chip staff will be on-site to answer questions and sign you up for free passes to the Best Party Anywhere.

In addition, Buffalo Chip President Rod “Woody” Woodruff will personally select the motorcycle that fires him up the most for the rally and best represents the Best Party Anywhere to win another “Spirit of the Chip” Award. The award includes a custom guitar trophy and two week-long passes for the annual motorcycle and music festival during the 2024 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Check out Sturgis Rider News’ The Return of the Donnie Smith Show for highlights from the 2022 event.

The Handbuilt Motorcycle Show
April 12-14, 2024
Austin American Statesman

In an increasingly digital and mass-produced world, the Handbuilt Motorcycle Show is working to revive the culture of physical craftsmanship. This exhibition is an inspiring showcase of works from builders and craftsmen that combine knowledge, skill, and ingenuity to create one-of-a-kind truly hand-built machines.

People crave the satisfaction and creative outlet of producing something truly unique and fit to their own design and functional preferences. This renaissance of working with our hands has helped create the movement that is the custom motorcycle scene.

By sharing this work, The Handbuilt Show adds fuel to a revolution in the making. It is their vision that visiting the show will inspire you to pick up tools and use your hands to make something of your own.

The One Motorcycle Show
April 19-21, 2024
The Zidell Yards Barge Building

Grab a pal and come feast your senses on custom motorcycles, cars, art, rock and roll, stunt shows, bike demos, vendors, a little racing, grub, brews and everything else that could possibly be squeezed into an abandoned 14-acre shipyard.

Since its inception in 2009, the One Motorcycle Show has been attracting thousands of bikers, non-bikers and bike enthusiasts to the Pacific Northwest’s booming moto mecca for three days of immersive motorcycle fun each year.

Celebrating its 15th year in 2024, the show features over 300 custom, classic, concept and rare motorcycles from all over the world for all types of folks to enjoy—young, old, mild and wild.

Get a feel for the show by checking out Cool Bikes & Cool Kids from the One Motorcycle Show.

Black Hills Motorcycle Show
May 25, 2024
Deadwood Mountain Grand

After a highly successful reboot in 2023, Deadwood Custom Cycles is again presenting the Black Hills Motorcycle Show in Historic Deadwood, South Dakota. The new venue, fresh entertainment, and exciting vendors that debuted last year all combined to make this one of the premier motorcycle shows in the Midwest!

If you can make it through winter, the best motorcycle event of them all is waiting for you on the other side—the Best Party Anywhere at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip!

It’s got everything gearheads, enthusiasts, riders and racers would want, including daily custom motorcycle shows, legendary rides, multiple days and disciplines of racing and thousands of your new best friends. Not to mention nine nights of world-class Sturgis concerts.

Presented by the Sturgis Buffalo ChipBuffalo Chip®

This nine-day festival of concerts and motorcycle events promises to bring you exciting events like flat track races and live performances from artists like Aerosmith, Willie Nelson, Ozzy Osbourne, Kid Rock, Keith Urban, Rob Zombie and many more.

Find out more or get passes to the Best Party Anywhere at www.buffalochip.com and find out why it continues to be one of the most televised festivals in the world.

–Robert P.
Marketing Director
The Largest Buffalo Chip in the World

–Bandit

GRAMP’S RANTS–by J.J. Solari, the Methless-Methuselah Mouseketeer

Calling the enemy “terror” is a government/journalism tactic to avoid you putting an identity on actual humans trying to kill you for not joining their religion.

Fighting terror is impossible. But you are supposed to think it’s something actually sensible and noble. All the while what it really is, is government and journalists being on the side of the enemy and calling you an idiot and priming you for your slaughter. So far, they’ve been right.

Calling the enemy terror is like calling firearms a health crisis, calling oil as having something to do with fossils, calling hairspray and air conditioners a destroyer of the ozone layer, calling Jan 6th an insurgency, calling looting reparations, calling healthy people a threat to the sick, calling something a vaccine that does not come under the definition of a vaccine, calling you losing your job “keeping everyone safe,” calling carbon dioxide a “greenhouse gas that leaves footprints” when there is actually no such thing as a greenhouse gas much less one that leaves footprints, and then there’s the one about the earth actually being a greenhouse – which in reality is glass-enclosed building which is heated by trapped incoming infrared light radiation. Not by carbon dioxide heating up the interior.

You’ll notice no greenhouse in history has ever erupted into explosive flames due to “overheating.” However, in government-journalistland earth is a greenhouse. Earth will someday be declared by these two petri dishes of diseased souls as being Paradise once everyone on it is extinct. Then the government “employees” and the journalists will buttfuck each other into Green Monkey Rectal Disease oblivion and Gaia will rejoice by masturbating her own Earthtwat with a mighty Redwood whilst singing the Peter, Paul and Mary songbook.

You see, government “employees” and journalist “reporters” get away with these “let’s see how fucked up these zombies are” experiments because so far, they haven’t hit the Pushback Zone. Because apparently there isn’t one. The zombies are, in fact, at this point, actually zombies. Stay listless my friend.

–J.J. Solari

RECENTLY DISCOVERED DOUGH BALL WHISKEY—Cookie Dough, flavored Whiskey.

Our award-winning Cookie Dough whiskey rolls in like a mischievous bulldog who just found your secret stash. With irresistible aromas of freshly baked cookies wafting from the oven, don’t be fooled; this bulldog comes with a cookie dough-infused bite of chocolate, butter and hints of caramel. Pour up a glass and unleash the bulldog within.

https://doughballwhiskey.com/cookie-dough-whiskey/

“I tried it. Hold on, it’s sweet.” –Bandit

The Master Comes to Bikernet

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

I’ve heard a lot about Steve Huntzinger, and his restorations. I admire his determination to bring these old motorbikes back to the exact specs they were built by, and his attention to getting it right, no matter how long it takes.

Oh man, it would be priceless to serve as an apprentice for like-minded people who show abilities and a love for getting history right like Mr. Huntzinger does.

My hope is that the likes of men like Steve Huntzinger and Matt Walksler will be around for many years to come, so great American craftsmanship from years gone by will be kept alive. Thank You Gentlemen

–Greg Wellman
Mount Pleasant, NC

TV MENTION OF THE WEEK—

Check out Episode 4 of Season 2 of Amazon Prime’s JACK REACHER — based on the novels by Lee Child.

In episode 4, Reacher and his 3 former-comrades take down a biker gang who corner them in a parking lot.

Do you really imagine that’s how a Motorcycle Club would approach a target already described as dangerous and needing more manpower than a handful? Also, I would reckon, at least some of the guys in each biker club would have done military service at some point or other.

Scene grab at https://youtu.be/hXqiKONFRL8?si=iXDbDReVMEfYa9UL

–A Media Reviewer

–Bandit

ENTER THE BIKERNET BEER GARDENS–Could Loosen Up Lager and be the perfect garage beer?

Deep in the rustbelt, there exists a place with so much iron oxide that fighting it has become as regular an occurrence as oil changes or tire rotation. This battle has become so routine that the products and creations made to combat the flecks of red and brown began to be exported. PB Blaster is headquartered northwest of the birthplace of American steel in Cleveland and has been helping the everyman wage war on rusty hardware for years. Now one brewery is helping us celebrate victory against rust, or at least have a cold consolation prize as we put our tools away.

Collision Bend Brewing Company might sound like they are more likely to create a “paint-match pilsner” or “insurance estimate ale,” but instead it was head brewer Ben Northeim who created the Loosen Up Lager, which is now all we want in our garage fridge. “B’laster actually reached out to us back in the summer and wanted to make a beer,” said Northiem via email. “How could we say no to doing a collaboration with another Cleveland company?”

If there are characteristics of a garage beer, Loosen up Lager seems to have all of them: Easy drinking, available in a can, and reasonable alcohol by volume (5.2%). Northiem let us know that drinkers can expect tasting notes of toasted bread, caramel, toffee, and a very slight nuttiness. We can now all rejoice that the decision to make it taste like the real PB B’laster was immediately nixed. Of course, PB Blaster is not fit for human consumption, but ask anyone who has been rolling around under a car trying to get exhaust hardware off and they will tell you that they unintentionally discovered exactly what B’laster tastes like.

So, we can say with confidence what this doesn’t taste like, but if you want to taste it for yourself, you better act fast. This first batch of Loosen Up Lager is only available for a limited time—very limited according to Northeim. Use Collision Bend Brewery’s website to find your six pack. If you miss out like we likely will, just know that Northiem tipped us off that another round is on the way, but the exact release is under wraps a bit longer.

–Kyle Smith
Hagerty

What worked for these bicyclists should work for you and me and other ageing motorcyclists too.

What do you think— a bit lengthy but nice glimpse into effects of strength training and how it can be applied for two-wheeled travelers.

—-Wayfarer

My 60-year-old dad and I both added one 30-minute strength workout a week on top of our usual bicycle riding, here’s the difference it made.

Few of us want to forgo bike time for picking up and putting down heavy objects. But what if it’s worth the sacrifice? Alex Ballinger tests the benefit of six weeks’ strength work – and ropes in his dad for good measure.

Article at
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/fitness/my-60-year-old-dad-and-i-both-added-one-30-minute-strength-workout-a-week-on-top-of-our-usual-riding-heres-the-difference-it-made

[page break]

Together these facts show that the world needs more, not less, fossil fuels for as many people as possible to be productive, prosperous, and safe from climate—a job that cannot be done by unreliable solar and wind.

The 25 Power Facts are organized into 4 categories (“we cut it down. Alex gets sorta long-winded”—Bandit):

Here’s one: Annual deaths from climate-related causes (extreme temperature, drought, flood, storms, wildfires) have declined 98% over the last 100 years, even as CO2 levels have risen.¹

Global fossil fuel use is increasing, and the energy-poor world needs even more to power life-saving machines. (5 facts)

Here’s are three:

Fossil fuel use is 80% of the world’s energy and still growing despite 100+ years of aggressive competition and 20+ years of political hostility and massive solar and wind favoritism.5

There is a desperate need for far more of the global-scale cost-effective energy that only fossil fuels can provide near-term: ? of the world uses wood and animal dung for heating and cooking, and 3 billion use less electricity than a typical American refrigerator.6

Since 1980, India’s fossil fuel use has increased by 700 percent and China’s by 600 percent. In the same time frame, India’s life expectancy increased by 17 years and China’s by 14. 7

The “green” movement catastrophizes the future climate side-effects of fossil fuels, which are completely masterable. (8 facts)

Here are two:
The US Annual Heat Wave Index from the EPA has said, “Longer-term records show that heat waves in the 1930s remain the most severe in recorded U.S. history.” (Today’s “reporting” would give you no indication that this is the case.)¹6

Mainstream science is unanimous that the warming impact of CO2 diminishes (“logarithmically”) as it increases in concentration. Every new molecule of CO2 we add to the atmosphere has less of a warming effect than the previous one.¹7

Unreliable solar and wind are not anywhere near able to replace fossil fuels. (8 facts)

Here are two:
Battery backup for solar and wind is so expensive that just 3 days of global backup using Elon Musk’s Megapacks would cost $570 trillion, about 6X global GDP.¹8

Solar and wind never provide the exact amount of electricity that is needed. Electricity requires exactly matching supply and demand, and solar and wind on their own exactly match supply with demand 0% of the time.¹?

QUOTATION FROM CHARLIE CHAN—It takes a very rainy day to drown a duck.

–Charlie Chan

ROLL THE DICE MAGAZINE–20% off pretty much everything in the DicE Store now.

WORLDS FASTEST OF THE WEEK–World’s Fastest Vintage Land Speed Record Motorcycles & Engines Alp Racing and Design.

Handcrafted Racing Machines. Design/Building LSRs & Racing Engines in Southern California

–Sam Burns
Vintage Curator
Bikernet.com™

NEWEST MEME FROM BIKERS FOR TRUTH— We are looking for an illustrator who gets it and can help us create the art we need.

Bikers for Truth are dedicated to scientific and political truth. We are dedicated to the custom motorcycle industry and the freedom to ride and build any motorcycle you choose. We hope to further the truth and freedom through reporting, humor, billboards and t-shirts.

–Bandit

501C3 in process

LIFESTYLE CYLES DEAL OF THE WEEK–2022 Harley Davidson XL883N Sportster Iron

URL: https://www.lifestylecycles.com/default.asp?page=xPreOwnedInventoryDetail&id=13421557

STOCK # 13750

ONLY 783 MILES!!!!!!!

Looking for a great deal on a LOW mileage lane splitter? This nearly new Sportster Iron is like new with only 783 miles!!!

* 883cc Motor with a 5 Speed trans
* Staggered shorty exhaust
* Solo seat
* Mag wheels
* Adjustable rear shocks
* Fork shock boots
* Mid controls
* Only 783 miles!

This bike is only $10,995

Plus license, $85.00 documentation fee, and local sales tax. NO HIDDEN FEES like some dealers. And we have no reconditioning or prep fees. This bike has passed Lifestyle Cycles rigorous 92-point safety/mechanical/structural inspection. This motorcycle has not been refurbished and does not come with any warranty expressed or implied!

EXTENDED WARRANTIES are available!

Fill out an online application today. We have EZ FINANCING

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

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

We are California’s pre-owned Harley Mega-Store with over 200 Pre-Owned Harley-Davidsons in stock! To view our current inventory,

Please visit www.LifestyleCycles.com or www.facebook.com/LifestyleCyclesUsedHarleys/
—
Please contact me at
buffie@lifestylecycles.com

QUICK New Bikernet Reader Comment!–

CHRISTMAS MAGIC BIKERNET WEEKLY NEWS for December 21, 2023 —click here to read.

Merry Christmas, beautiful motorcycles with beautiful inspiration right next to them, and the artwork. American craftmanship.

Merry Christmas to our patriots in service and veterans! I look forward to this material every week.

–Steve
Anniston, AL

“Thanks Brother. Make it a Happy New Year!” –Bandit

THE WIND FLOP FILES–Federal Judge Sides with Osage Nation, Orders Removal Of 84 Wind Turbines.

The Osage Nation won a massive ruling in Tulsa federal court on Wednesday that requires Enel to dismantle a 150-megawatt wind project it built in Osage County despite the tribe’s repeated objections. The tribe’s fight against Rome-based Enel began in 2011 and is the longest-running legal battle over wind energy in American history.

As reported by Curtis Killman in the Tulsa World on Thursday, the ruling grants the United States, the Osage Nation, and Osage Minerals Council permanent injunctive relief via “ejectment of the wind turbine farm for continuing trespass.”

The decision by U.S. Court of International Trade Judge Jennifer Choe-Graves is the culmination of 12 years of litigation that pitted the tribe and federal authorities against Enel. During the construction of the project, the company illegally mined rock owned by the tribe, and it continued to do so even after being ordered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to stop. Instead of halting work, the company sped up construction. Enel must now remove the 84 turbines that it built on 8,400 acres of the Tallgrass Prairie located between Pawhuska and Fairfax. Removing the turbines will cost Enel some $300 million.

–Robert Bryce
Read the whole story on his substack

ONE OF THE BIKERNET NEW YEAR QUOTES—

“America is the only country in history to offer asylum to people actual asylum seekers would flee.”
— J.J. Solari

TECH ARTICLE COMING TO BIKERNET—

I’m rebuilding a 4-speed transmission for John 1960 Panhead project. The trans case in not 1960, but maybe 1967. The mainshaft is pre-electric start.

I watched Frank Kaisler’s R.I.P. rebuild video on the lowbrow Youtube file. I watched another one. I read the manual. I spoke to builders like Lee Clemens.

So, when it’s all said and done. I’ll write a report including my notes and suggestions from contributors far and wide.

Believe me, there’s a lot to learn.

–Bandit

MANDATORY INDOCTRINATION— UC San Diego’s Climate Change Education Requirement

Continuing the transformation of universities from education to indoctrination centers, the University of California, San Diego, has announced the Jane Teranes Climate Change Education Requirement (JTCCER) for incoming first-year students, starting fall 2024. This requirement, approved by the Academic Senate, is a clear example of the university’s shift from fostering critical thinking to promoting a singular ideological agenda.

The Facade of Empowerment

The JTCCER is presented under the doublespeak guise of “empowering students with knowledge and skills”, however, by mandating a specific viewpoint on a complex and multifaceted issue, UC San Diego is effectively narrowing the intellectual horizons of its students, guiding them towards a predetermined conclusion rather than encouraging open inquiry.

The Illusion of Choice

While the list of courses satisfying the JTCCER will be made publicly available, the real choice is illusory. The courses, undoubtedly, will be designed to align with the prevailing climate change orthodoxy, offering a one-sided view of a highly debatable field. This approach stifles academic freedom and critical thinking, turning education into a tool for ideological conformity.
Honoring Ideology over Inquiry

The Future of Academic Freedom

Conclusion: A Step Towards Ideological Uniformity

UC San Diego’s JTCCER is another in a long line of troubling steps towards ideological uniformity and intellectual conformity. The ongoing shift from education to indoctrination, where students are molded into ideologically aligned activists rather than being equipped with the critical thinking skills necessary to navigate complex issues, has become of hallmark of universities nationwide.

–Charles Rotter
WUWT

Riding west on 44 out of Rapid, I pulled to the shoulder, parked the Harley to talk to a little girl. She was alone, maybe three years old.

She wasn’t dressed for walking the highway in December weather. She said her name was Abby as I picked her up, opened my jacket and held her close to my body.

I dialed 911. An officer was there in three minutes. A woman in a red Lexus was there in five.

She yelled, “Get your hands off her!”

“Ma’am, have you been drinking?” the officer asked.

I did too.

–Jeffrey
JJ Spain
www.mikesalasnovels.com

Climate Depot executive editor Marc Morano blasted President Joe Biden for bypassing American voters to enact his environmental agenda.

The Biden administration signed on to a pledge to start “transitioning away from fossil fuels” at the United Nations COP28 climate summit Dec. 13. “Do we need to abolish the gas-powered car? We’ve never voted on it in the United States,” Morano told former Rep. Sean Duffy of Wisconsin and “The Bottom Line” guest host Kelly O’Grady.

“We never had a vote. It’s all been decided with executive orders, mid-level bureaucrats, corporate-government collusion, executive agencies,” Morano continued. “Do we need to start limiting meat eating? That’s the other question. The answer’s no to both, but even if you believed it, you’re absolutely right, you would have democracy involved, people voting, you would have timetables. I’m not arguing we should do that, I’m arguing we need to challenge this entire premise.”

Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, which spends $370 billion to combat climate change and is loaded with green energy provisions, including a $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicles, into law in August 2022. Electric vehicle sales have faltered, despite the tax credit and other subsidies provided by the Biden administration.

Only 10% of Americans who responded to an October BlueAnalytics poll said they would purchase an electric vehicle, while 40% of respondents said they knew “nothing at all” about the tax credit.

Biden also cancelled oil leases in Alaska granted late in the Trump administration in September, according to CBS, while proposing new regulations to limit energy production from fossil fuels. Economic and energy experts have criticized Biden’s hostility to domestic fossil fuel production, which some say has caused higher energy prices.

Morano also noted the track record of “green” policies in Sri Lanka and the Netherlands.

“It’s climate policy, not climate change, that is going to drive migration, and the same was true with COVID, by the way,” Morano said. “People in droves leaving California and other states. What we’re finding is people in Sri Lanka followed climate policy to the collapse of their government, their presidential palace was overrun. The farmers in the Netherlands were subjected to climate policy, and they almost crushed all the small family-run farms.”

Morano also hit at former Vice President Al Gore for his rhetoric.

“They are using climate fear to literally restrict and collapse energy, agriculture, transportation, go right after our freedom of movement,” Morano said.

–HAROLD HUTCHISON
REPORTER

GREASE AND GEARS TV COMES TO BIKERNET—Hang on for a brand new TV Network devoted entirely to the Motorcycle, Chopper and Biker industry. It’s coming to your TV right now, or your computer, or cell phone.

You’ll get it all 24/7

CHRISTMAS MAGIC BIKERNET WEEKLY NEWS for December 21, 2023—click here to read.

Bandit here’ for a Merry Christmas for you and yours. If anything needs phasing out it’s the UN and the so called leaders of our country.

Think I will take the Pan out today. Merry Christmas and a very happy new year.

— A.J.
Deland, FL

GLOCK DEVELOPER DIED YESTERDAY–The Austrian developer of handguns, Gaston Glock died Wednesday. He was 94.

The GLOCK Story
Make it simple, make it perfect.

Following this guiding principle, the founder, Gaston Glock, who started the company in 1963 in Deutsch-Wagram, near Vienna, not only revolutionized the world of small arms in the 1980s, but also succeeded in establishing the GLOCK brand as the global leader in the handgun industry. His internationally renowned GLOCK Perfection stands for uncompromising quality and maximum customer satisfaction.

Gaston Glock charted the strategic direction of the GLOCK Group throughout his life and prepared it for the future. His life’s work will continue in his spirit.

HOT AND NEW PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS FROM S&S–Complete 124″ and 128″ Big Bore and Cam Chest Kits!

The S&S Power Package is the ideal combination of performance and savings, designed to transform your M8 without breaking the bank.

For the latest generation H-D’s, S&S is packaging their brand new 124 & 128-INCH bolt in big bore kits with a 550 cam, cam plate and high flow oil pump as well as valve springs, lifters and pushrods.

All kits are available with gear or chain drive cams and are designed to make big, reliable power with equally big savings.

We are used to seeing protagonists riding motorcycles— well how about an alien symbiont being riding a motorcycle?

Marvel Studio’s “Venom” and “Venom 2” have the nemesis of Spiderman riding a Ducati which belongs to its human host. The alien basically needs the human body to survive and thrive just as any parasitic virus.With the rider having alien superpowers, the maneuvering of the motorcycle is so much better. LOL.

Venom’s host is played by Tom Hardy who is popular among youth motorcyclists and will also be in the cast of much anticipated movie “The Bikeriders” based on a 1967 book of the same name.

That’s what’s missing– simply call them all “bikeriders” instead of inventing adverbs and purple prose and attempting creativity. It’s literally all there is to it for most people–ride the bike.

For those still lost as to who is Tom Hardy– he is the man who broke Batman’s back in The Dark Knight Rises in the role of rival “Bane” and was also in movies such as Mad Max Fury Road and Inception.

–Wayfarer
Movie Review Specialists

[page break]

I want to be 14 again & ruin my life differently. I have new ideas.

Apparently RSVP’ing to a wedding invitation with “Maybe next time” isn’t the correct response.

A guy walks into a lumberyard & asks for some 2x4s. The clerk asks, “How long do you need them?” The guy answers, “A long time. We’re gonna build a house.”

–EL WAGGS
Certified Librarian
Bandit’s Cantina

Nash Motorcycle teamed up with John to produce this one of a kind hammer for DBC. Made in stainless steel or bronze and measuring in at 14 inches long, 6-inch long by 1.5-inch tall hammer head donning the DBC “dirty bird”, and weighting in at 2lbs. 100% Made In The USA!

Pair with one of the Dirty Bird Concept hammer hangers in brown or black leather, with nickel or brass hardware.

This one of a kind hammer is sure to draw attention and awww!!

40 percent off until the 1st. Use code end40

Ed. Note: A classic Candid Camera episode is where a car without a motor makes a downhill stop at a service station for a checkup. The attendants are stunned to find the car is engineless. Fiction and funnies turned into fact with Trevor Milton, whose hydrogen/fuel cell/electric truck company, Nikola Corp., pulled this stunt with a rolling truck in a promotional video. Kenneth Maize has the story in “Trevor Milton, E-truck Nikola Corp. Founder, Headed to Prison?“

“It was mostly smoke and mirrors. The company had acquired “gliders,” truck platforms without engines. In one notorious case highlighted by Hindenburg, Nikola in 2018 posted a YouTube video of a battery-powered Nikola cab and trailer … moving rapidly along a desert highway. Hindenburg said the truck wasn’t moving under its own power. Nikola had towed the engineless truck to the top of a hill, and it was rolling because of gravity.”

U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos in Manhattan Monday (Dec. 18) sentenced Trevor Milton, founder and former CEO of e-truck company Nikola Corp. (NKLA:NASDAQ) to four years in prison for defrauding investors. Prosecutors had sought a sentence of 11-years in the slammer. He will be out on bail pending an appeal.

Ramos also ordered Milton to pay a $1 million fine and forfeit a Utah property. Nikola is currently based in Phoenix, Ariz.

A federal jury in October 2022 found Milton guilty of one count of securities fraud and three counts of wire fraud…

Several analysts have suggested that the company is headed toward bankruptcy, possibly liquidation. The Motley Fool stock analysis web site commented, “There’s little sign that Nikola’s business will succeed over the long term, and those who buy the stock could still wind up suffering big losses even though it has already fallen so dramatically.”

During the trial, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said, “Trevor Milton lied to Nikola’s investors—over and over and over again. That’s fraud, plain and simple, and this office has no patience for it.” The Wall Street Journal reported, “Witnesses testified that he lied to ordinary investors about nearly every aspect of Nikola.”

–By Kennedy Maize
From MasterResource

Someone believes there is more to it than, well, boiling the egg.

Your Ultimate Guide For Boiled Eggs With The Yolk Texture You Want

Read More: https://www.tastingtable.com/1474249/guide-boiled-eggs-yolk-texture/

–Wayfarer
Cuisine Journalist
Bikernet.com™

INDUSTRY VETERAN BOB KAY— to Lead Independent Motorcycle Aftermarket Council (IMA)

The Motorcycle Riders Foundation in the United States (MRF) has formed a council to review the challenges that independent motorcycle dealers and custom bike builders face – providing a channel for their interests as motorcycle industry stakeholders to be addressed by MRF lobbyists in Washington, DC.

“We are pleased to have Bob Kay leading the Independent Motorcycle Aftermarket Council,” stated Kirk ‘Hardtail’ Willard, “Bob’s firsthand experience over five decades in the motorcycle industry will be invaluable in helping to direct the efforts of our lobbyists.”

The MRF went on to say that “the recent focus on the future of internal combustion engines is threatening the future of independent motorcycle dealers and custom bike builders to provide alternative service centers, as well as servicing older bikes and customization projects.”

Bob Kay said, “I am extremely pleased with the team we have been able to put together. The mission is to focus lobbyists on our right to repair and modify. The Independent Motorcycle Aftermarket Network will be a forum through which the efforts to campaign for those rights can be protected and developed.”

Chaired by Bob Kay, initial IMA Council membership includes Keith Ball from Bikernet, Chris Callen from Cyclesource Magazine, Scott Hakins from S&S, Steve Broyles from Stevenson Cycles, John Jessup from Dream Rides, Jason Hallman from Cycle Stop USA and John O’Brien of Hardcore cycles.

Independent motorcycle dealers and custom bike builders wishing to join the Independent Motorcycle Aftermarket Network can contact Bob Kay at IMA19032023@gmail.com or visit the website at www.mrf.org.

www.mrf.org/join/join-mrf-imac

NEWS FROM THE SCOTT JACOBS GALLERY—

Happy almost New Year!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday with loved ones.

Check it out.

–Olivia Jacobs

SIGN-UP, SUIT-UP AND JOIN IN—

I’m embroiled in an effort to deliver the Easyriders streamliner to the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum from its current, dusty resting place in New Mexico and recognize the readers, Bob George the original builder and team that made the Streamliner the world’s fastest motorcycle at 322 mph for 16 years. But first, we need the owner, Joe Teresi’s permission. Hang on.

Steve Klein’s 1914 made it to the centerspread of the AMA 100 year magazine. Steve, the collector and broker of rare antique motorcycles is currently under indictment in Texas for trying to protect his home from illegals breaking into his tool shed. Wish him well.

Decided to custom louver the deck behind the shop. What do you think? Finally, we received our first serious snow from the Climate Change Gods.

Thought I had the correct carb for Micah’s latest project. Not even close.

Ride Free Forever or die trying!

–Bandit

Hey—

Party like there indeed is a tomorrow. Don’t give in to those doomsday prophecies. The planet is not cooking–it’s your media-conditioned brain that’s on gas. So, kick start your future journey instead of relenting on the kickstand.

Get up, saddle up and get noticed.

Wheels are two, but the community needs to be one. Solidarity does not mean compromise. Get involved, ask questions, gain insight, share your experiences, evolve a collective consciousness and build a knowledge base that their bots can’t censor because it is out on the streets and inside corporate boardrooms.

It is not a fight, it is an answer to those who doubt your lifestyle and culture. You don’t need to be hostile. Show them the physical, mental and even spiritual benefits of motorcycles, motorcycle communities, exploration, tourism, competition and engineering that is not limited to mega-factories but available to high-school students too.

I am sure you know better and more, so I need not attempt to list ways, means and methods to engage your neighbors, colleagues, fellow citizens and legislators. If there is one sure way to test your beliefs, it is to head out and see if anyone else is riding against the same headwinds.

—- Wayfarer
Editor Bikernet Blog

* * * * * * * *

Hey,

This will be a major year coming up. Our government, truth and democracy is at stake.

If you don’t want to take on the task to save the country, join the MRF, the IMA or your local motorcycle rights group and let them do the hard work.

I want everyone to have a terrific News Years Celebration. Then we need to hunker down and take care of business. This year will be major…

Ride Free Forever or die trying!

–Bandit

Click here to read this year’s last weekly news only on Bikernet.com

* * * * * * * *

Getcha Getcha……click to know more.

new fiction from Gearhead and Bandit

Late into the night on Christmas Eve, he cut a quick dusty trail on the old chopper to make it home before the dawn of Christmas day. He left the Gulf burning rubber under the sliver of a moonlit night. Hooking along a southern highway headed north, he figured about 80 miles an hour. He’d slice through 4 to 5 hours, with two gas stops.

About 200 miles into the trip, the Eastern seaboard faced a nasty blizzard push ashore. He pulled the Pan into a wet, wind-swept gas station to top her off. Cold and damp to the bone, he pulled the Santa suit out of his saddlebags. It’s all he had to enhance his layered protection.

Click here to read this adventure only on Bikernet.com

* * * *

Ohio Powers Up Consumer Choice in Vehicle Market as Bill Heads to Governor’s Desk

In a major victory for consumer freedom, the Ohio General Assembly passed SAN-supported legislation ensuring Ohioans, not the government, decide what vehicles best suit their needs. The bill, H.B. 201, prohibits any state or local government entity from restricting the use or sale of motor vehicles based on their power source, including internal combustion engines (ICEs).

Following its passage through the legislature, H.B. 201 now awaits the crucial decision of Governor Mike DeWine, who will either sign it into law or issue a veto. This bill represents a significant step forward for proponents of consumer choice, who believe individuals should have the right to select the vehicle that best fits their lifestyle and budget, regardless of its fuel type. Ohioans: send a letter to Governor DeWine requesting his support for the bill!

Click here to contact your officials.

* * * *

She waited for him by the blazing fireplace, half naked on the bear skin rug. Wearing only a red garter belt and matching corset, she loved their warm rustic cabin by the lake.

Her old man worked on the rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. A true blue rough-neck just like his daddy before him, Blue was a half-blood Choctaw and English. A big man about 6 foot 4 inches, he packed muscles everywhere from working rigs all his life. His first leave in months, he readied himself to ride back to see his sweet Caroline in their cozy cabin by the lake.

He faced a 300 mile trip to the Carolinas, and his candy apple red 1964 Panhead chopper rested under an oily tarp in a rig tool shed waiting for her master. Blue painted the Panhead after the color of Caroline’s ruby red lipstick to always remember why he worked hard.

Late into the night on Christmas Eve, he cut a quick dusty trail on the old chopper to make it home before the dawn of Christmas day. He left the Gulf burning rubber under the sliver of a moonlit night. Hooking along a southern highway headed north, he figured about 80 miles an hour. He’d slice through 4 to 5 hours, with two gas stops.

About 200 miles into the trip, the Eastern seaboard faced a nasty blizzard push ashore. He pulled the Pan into a wet, wind-swept gas station to top her off. Cold and damp to the bone, he pulled the Santa suit out of his saddlebags. It’s all he had to enhance his layered protection. Slipping it on under his dripping chaps and over his 5-Ball racing leather vest, he looked the part of a weathered biker Santa.

Caroline waited patiently for the half breed Indian with anticipation. She kept the fire in the stone hearth stoked, while gazing desperately out the cabin window. Snow flurries blew sideways as blizzard conditions engulfed the coast. Suddenly scared, she wondered would Blue make it home for Christmas?

She grabbed a thick furry robe and put on some soft music by Neil Diamond. Nervously listening to his greatest hits, Caroline knelt by the frosty window and waited. Suddenly, through the roar of the winter storm winds she heard the faint rumble of fishtail pipes in the distance. Thunder claps closer and closer, she strained near the fogged glass to listen for that powerful sound in the storm.

Blue squinted through his steamed wet riding glasses and hunted for the line on the asphalt highway. About to freeze his nuts off, he peered through the sideways flying sheets of snow for her road sign giggling in the wind. What is it about love and romance, about the touch of a woman that drives a man to risk life and limb to conquer the unimaginable to be by her side?

Leather gloved hands frozen to the bars, he slid up to the thick wooden door of the cabin sideways and nearly lost control of the old Pan. Still upright, he kicked the side-stand down, shook off the snow, put on his Santa hat and stomped into to the cabin.

“Have you been a good girl this year?” Cold Blue Santa said.

“Why don’t you come down here and find out,” Caroline hauntingly whispered. The song Sweet Caroline filled the room.

If this year’s holiday discussions veer toward energy and climate issues, I’ve got you covered. Here are 25 facts that will make any honest person think twice about today’s anti-fossil-fuel narrative.

As you sit down at the dinner table this holiday season, I expect many of you will find yourselves in conversations about energy and climate with friends and family who may have come to inaccurate conclusions, in part because they are missing a lot of the relevant facts.

So, I’ve compiled 25 true, succinct, powerful facts about energy and and climate. Each “Power Fact” has significant implications and should make any honest person think twice about the anti-fossil-fuel narrative.

Together these facts show that the world needs more, not less, fossil fuels for as many people as possible to be productive, prosperous, and safe from climate—a job that cannot be done by unreliable solar and wind.

The 25 Power Facts are organized into 4 categories:

· Fossil fuels make us far safer from climate. (4 facts)

· Global fossil fuel use is increasing, and the energy-poor world needs even more to power life-saving machines. (5 facts)

· The “green” movement catastrophizes the future climate side-effects of fossil fuels, which are completely masterable. (8 facts)

· Unreliable solar and wind are not anywhere near able to replace fossil fuels. (8 facts)
Fossil fuels make us far safer from climate.

1. Annual deaths from climate-related causes (extreme temperature, drought, flood, storms, wildfires) have declined 98% over the last 100 years, even as CO2 levels have risen.¹

2. Even though Earth has gotten 1°C warmer in the last century, deaths from cold outnumber deaths from heat by 5-15x. Cold is more dangerous than heat on every continent. Even in especially hot countries such as India, cold-related deaths significantly exceed heat-related deaths.²

3. Near-term global warming is expected to decrease temperature-related mortality, avoiding more cold-related deaths than it will cause heat-related deaths—as it has over the past two decades.³

4. Despite many incentives for global climate-related damages to go up—preferences for riskier areas, government bailouts—GDP-adjusted climate-related damages are flat.⁴

Global fossil fuel use is increasing, and the energy-poor world needs even more to power life-saving machines.

5. Fossil fuel use is 80% of the world’s energy and still growing despite 100+ years of aggressive competition and 20+ years of political hostility and massive solar and wind favoritism.⁵

6. There is a desperate need for far more of the global-scale cost-effective energy that only fossil fuels can provide near-term: ⅓ of the world uses wood and animal dung for heating and cooking, and 3 billion use less electricity than a typical American refrigerator.⁶

7. Since 1980, India’s fossil fuel use has increased by >700% and China’s by >600%. In the same time frame, India’s life expectancy increased by 17 years and China’s by 14. ⁷

8. China, which uses mostly coal to produce “green” tech, has over 300 planned new coal plants designed to last over 40 years.⁸

9. Even nations with little or no fossil fuel resources have used fossil fuels to develop and prosper. E.g., South Korea (83% fossil fuels), Japan (85% fossil fuels), Singapore (99% fossil fuels).⁹

The “green” movement catastrophizes the future climate side-effects of fossil fuels, which are completely masterable.

10. Climate warming is concentrated in colder areas of the world (such as the Arctic), during colder times of day, and during colder seasons. (This means that future warming will occur more in cold situations where it saves lives than in hot situations where it causes problems.)¹⁰

11. The most extreme UN sea level rise projections are just 3 feet in 100 years. (This is a completely masterable level.) There are already 100 million people on Earth living below high-tide sea level.¹¹

12. Mainstream estimates say hurricanes will be less frequent and between 1-10% more intense at 2° C warming. (This is not at all catastrophic if we continue our fossil-fueled climate mastery.)¹²

13. The latest data on global hurricane frequency and intensity (Klotzbach et al 2022) shows no significant alarming upward trend.¹³

14. It is common for leading media outlets to deliberately misrepresent the flat long-term hurricane trend. E.g., the New York Times cherry-picked a starting point—the low point of 1980—to make a flat trend seem upward.¹⁴

15. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have made the point that any increases in hurricane frequency in records are likely due to increasing reporting, not actual frequency.¹⁵

16. The US Annual Heat Wave Index from the EPA has said, “Longer-term records show that heat waves in the 1930s remain the most severe in recorded U.S. history.” (Today’s “reporting” would give you no indication that this is the case.)¹⁶

17. Mainstream science is unanimous that the warming impact of CO2 diminishes (“logarithmically”) as it increases in concentration. Every new molecule of CO2 we add to the atmosphere has less of a warming effect than the previous one.¹⁷

Unreliable solar and wind are not anywhere near able to replace fossil fuels.

18. Battery backup for solar and wind is so expensive that just 3 days of global backup using Elon Musk’s Megapacks would cost $570 trillion, about 6X global GDP.¹⁸

19. Solar and wind never provide the exact amount of electricity that is needed. Electricity requires exactly matching supply and demand, and solar and wind on their own exactly match supply with demand 0% of the time.¹⁹

20. Even mild increases in demand for critical minerals involving solar and wind have led to scaling issues and cost increases. (What will the unprecedented demand increases of “net zero” plans lead to?)²⁰

21. “Net zero” plans to scale solar and wind involve more than doubling the supply of half a dozen major mined materials per decade—even though they can’t point to any examples of any major mined mineral doubling that fast, even with pro-development governments.²¹

22. 6 days after pledging to go all-EVs, California Governor Gavin Newsom told residents there wasn’t enough power to charge their EVs.²²

23. 80% of the world’s energy is not electricity. For non-electricity energy, solar and wind either can’t do what fossil fuel can—e.g., airplanes or cargo ships—or are far more expensive.²³

24. Our dependence on China for key components of solar, wind, and batteries is far greater than our dependence on Russia for fossil fuels.²⁴

Geographical distribution of the global EV battery supply chain

25. Far from out-competing fossil fuels, solar and wind are growing fast only when given massive government preferences—mandates, subsidies, and no penalty for unreliability—along with crippling government punishments of fossil fuels.²⁵

SOURCE: https://alexepstein.substack.com/

* * * *

 

I am a chemical engineer who once did research on removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the emissions of industrial plants or directly from the atmosphere. But I now see CO2 as a critical plant food necessary for all of life on Earth. Frankly, the more the better.

In my former career, I presented my research on optimizing a CO2 capture system for a coal-fired power plant in the 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Annual Meeting. I also contributed to a project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy, which involved integrating a natural gas power plant with CO2 capture systems.

Despite my career path, I was skeptical about the popular theory of human-induced climate change. Furthermore, at the time, I had a generally positive view of fossil fuels. In fact, my Ph.D. research was funded by Chevron, a descendant of the Standard Oil Co. and among the archvillains of those predicting overheating from emissions of CO2.

Nonetheless, it was not until I read a CO2 Coalition paper titled “Challenging ‘Net Zero’ with Science” that my eyes were fully opened. The authors’ arguments were based on rigorous scientific inquiry. They concluded that CO2 and fossil fuels are beneficial, that there is no climate crisis, and that “net zero” policies seeking the elimination of CO2 emissions from coal, oil, and natural gas are detrimental – even dangerous.

I was struck most by the benefits of CO2, which was something I had not put much thought into. CO2 is essential for plant growth and food production. In fact, doubling atmospheric CO2 from today’s concentrations of approximately 400 parts per million (ppm) to 800 ppm could increase food production by 40-60%.

The CO2 Coalition paper referenced the works of Dr. Sherwood B. Idso. After digging deeper, I found out about experiments with sour orange trees performed by Drs. Idso and Bruce A. Kimball (published in 1993, 1997, and 2001). Compared to trees in ambient air, ones exposed to air enriched with CO2 concentrations of 700 ppm grew 2.75 times larger at the end of the second year, 2.0 times larger at the end of the fifth, and 1.8 times larger after nine years. Beginning in the third year, fruit production for CO2-enriched trees was 25 times greater and eventually averaged to almost twofold through the entire life cycle of the plant.

Higher concentrations of CO2 also reduce plants’ loss of water vapor through lowered transpiration rates, where transpiration refers to the exchange of oxygen for CO2 through openings in leaves known as stomata. In other words, higher concentrations of CO2 increase plants’ resistance to drought. This, in turn, means that more moisture remains in the soil and has been partially credited with a global decline in wildfire. This phenomenon was confirmed through research published in 2003, where the water-use efficiency of sour orange trees exposed to CO2 concentrations of 700 ppm increased by 80% compared to those exposed to ambient air.

As for fossil fuels, their benefits are seemingly endless. First, they are reliable and cheap sources of energy. And their combustion emits the CO2 that is salutary to plant growth.

What was new to me is the role of fossil fuels in providing fertilizers and pesticides critical to growing the food required for the world’s 8 billion people. For instance, ammonia (NH3), a crucial component of fertilizer, can be formed by reacting natural gas with atmospheric nitrogen (N2), and pesticides are produced from oil and gas. One billion pounds of pesticides are used annually in the United States, where they keep weeds and insects in check to allow modern agriculture’s extraordinary level of crop production.

In short, CO2 is absolutely necessary for life and more of it is clearly a plus. Fossil fuels improve the quality of life and make rich lives possible for many billions, whereas mere millions once struggled mightily just to survive. Removing CO2 from the atmosphere makes no sense.

Finally, CO2 capture, besides being illogical, is prohibitively expensive. Capturing CO2 from emissions and then transporting and storing it can cost trillions of dollars and decades of investment. CO2 capture systems cannot operate without ongoing government subsidies, and currently, are only removing approximately 0.1% of the 40 billion tons of CO2 emitted per year.

At this point, bottling up CO2 should be left for manufacturers of carbonated beverages and dry ice and for the purposes of other specialized industrial processes. I am very happy to have transitioned from CO2 capture to the CO2 Coalition, and I am working hard to spread the facts about the benefits of this amazing molecule.

This commentary was first published at American Thinker on November 29, 2023.

Frits Byron Soepyan is a Research and Science Associate with the CO2 Coalition, Arlington, Virginia. He has a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from The University of Tulsa and has worked as a process systems engineer and a researcher in energy-related projects.

www.CO2Coalition.org

There might be an Aprilia model to compete with Royal Enfield Classic 350 which is a top-selling model in its class since launch.

A new test mule has been spotted in Europe and it has a similar engine casing as the RS 457. It also features old-school styling and body parts that indicates that the world is finally noticing the timeless appeal (and profits) of Enfield models which have built a nice empire in mid-capacity motorcycles for over a decade now.

A new retro-styled test bike is getting testes around Europe which on close scrutiny of spied photos suggests it is an Aprilia.

Multiple aspects convince eager enthusiasts to claim it is an upcoming Aprilia motorcycle. Engine casing visible on the right hand side is similar to the RS 457’s unit. This test model’s motor appears to be larger in the images. It has a larger exhaust also. But there are many features giving it an appearance of RS 457.

However, the design is not very impressive so this would have to be a very early prototype. The aesthetics of its headlight, tank shrouds, and the tail section, seem as if they were all assembled by a local garage shop. A retrofitted model is not exactly a test mule so the mystery is intriguing indeed.

RS 457 uses a 457cc, twin-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine with 47.6bhp and 43.5Nm linked to a six-speed gearbox. It has a slipper clutch. Aprilia may carry these forward with different tuning. A slim USD front forks, dual rear shocks, and single disc at both ends are possible indications as well. Its alloy wheels and TVS tyres seem to be borrowed from the RS.

It could take any amount of time before Aprilia debuts this retro-styled motorcycle in production form. The current iteration of RS 457 has just been launched in India after months of anticipation. Royal Enfield has new competition from Honda CB350, Harley-Davidson 440X and Triumph’s partnership with Bajaj apart from the revived Jawa and Yezdi brands.

Since the response to H-D and Triumph’s small engine models were all perceived as a gamble– that paid off more than expected– it seems other brands are catching on to this retro-theme-segmentation within motorcycles which have smaller engines but larger than commuter class models.

Honda 350cc models meant for India were launched in Japan as well and the Triumph-Bajaj models may go overseas too. If Aprilia makes money with its retro-bike in India, then they may realize there is a market for them elsewhere too.

Meanwhile, news comes of a Trademark for a “Goan Classic 350” by Royal Enfield which is fast growing its range of models and brand-name list.

Will there be a 650cc version for Bullet and Classic? While Enfields are chasing and pushing for bigger engines, others want to break its global hold on 350cc engine market.

* * * *

Wondering what the future holds? Check out Science Fiction and Motorcycles in “Sam Chopper Orwell” — the future can be stranger than facts. Click here to travel….