Updating the Bikernet Experience
Hey, Here’s the deal. We’ve worked and spent an entire year to move all Bikernet Free Content (16,000 articles) onto a fast-acting, mobile-friendly, google accessible, WordPress Platform. ...
Read More 75th PANHEAD ANNIVERSARY
By Bikernet Contributor Rogue |
I made plans to attend Harley Davidson’s 120th Anniversary in Wisconsin, when I got a phone call from Berry Wardlaw. He told me about the Panhead Anniversary and the event that was happening to celebrate it in the Milwaukee area.
The Event was June 22-24 and the Harley Reunion was July 13-16. That would mean two rides to Milwaukee from Florida and back. With almost a month between the events, so it was doable.
I contacted Greg Lew who promoted the event and made arrangements to attend. I even got a VIP badge, something to do with being old I was told.
Greg Lew said, “Five Years ago, we put together a party celebrating a lifestyle that we’ve enjoyed for decades. This year we are reprising the party by celebrating the 75th
anniversary of the Harley-Davidson Panhead.”
I knew Berry was planning to transport Molly’s 1939 Indian Chief in the van and also take Vivian’s Panhead. There was mention of a trailer, and I thought the Panhead was going part of the load. I figured I would just follow them on my new Ultra.
Well, I got caught in one of those rain storms that made it difficult to see the front wheel on my way from Florida to Accurate Engineering in Alabama. I ride through them on a regular basis in Florida, but it does slow me down some. The weather report announced more rain on the way to Milwaukee. We faced a run schedule, and I did not want to be the one holding us up.
It turned out Vivian’s Pan and the Indian were going in the van and my bike on the trailer. I personally do not like trailering a motorcycle, if it is rideable, but do realize that sometimes it is necessary. As it turned out putting it on the trailer this time was the thing to do.
We had a great trip to our friends Tony and Vickie’s house just outside of Milwaukee where we would be staying.
My new Ultra let me know it was not happy going on a trailer. Luckily, I caught it the first night we stopped. I fixed the issue and all it took was a short low charge of the battery in Tony’s garage to correct her attitude.
Tony has a sharp, organized shop set up in his garage, and the vintage bikes faced last-minute adjustments.
The generator was not working on Wigwam (Molly’s Indian), so it was decided to just run it off the battery and not use the headlight. A spare battery went along on the rides, just in case. These things happen and the mission was to make the ride and fix the motorcycle when parts and time were available. Mission Accomplished.
-150.jpg)
Thursday, we rode out to Party Central Station, which was located 20 minutes directly south of Milwaukee and only a few miles east of the interstate in Caledonia, Wisconsin. There were 300 people signed in from 35 different states and 5 foreign countries
On site features thanks to Tom Hinderholtz included sprawling grass areas for tents, parking with water, showers, electricity and other facilities.
There were hotels and RV parks close by as well.
There was a large circus tent (20×60) set up on site for the huge BBQ on Friday and also to provide shade and space for vendors.
On Saturday morning a reported 108 Panheads and other motorcycles met at Wetzel Brothers Lot in Cudahy for a Police Escorted Ride to the Harley Museum.
Since Berry was on an Indian, and I was riding a new Ultra we rode in the back of the group.
When arriving at the museum the Panheads were lined up handlebar to handlebar for a panoramic photo with the oldest motorcycles in the middle of the photo.
After the photo there was a bike show in front of the museum and also other motorcycles were involved in field games.
What a great, historic day.
I should note that Vivian did offer to let me ride her Panhead in the parade, but I did not feel right doing that as it was not mine. That’s a Good Sister.
I thought I would mention a lot of these older motorcycles have lights that are not that bright even when they are working (6-volt). “We need to get home before dark,” said many vintage riders.
I installed a Harley’s Day Maker Headlight recently. Yep, they liked having the youngin’ follow them home.
The Blessings of Petroleum Products
By Uncle Monkey |
This is a wild one. We have a mistaken edict or new religion in this country: Save the Planet not the People. Even the Vice President said recently, “Reduce the population.” What’s that mean? Who must go?
On the other hand, there are grubby bikers like myself, who want the truth to be told, but more than that, we want folks to have fun with their vehicles, with transportation and with love. We want kids to look forward to that camping trip in mom’s gas guzzling SUV. We want teenagers to look forward to their first flat track race or building their first bike or taking a girl on a date in dad’s old Chevy.
The alarmist see only one insane goal, but of course it doesn’t make scientific or common sense, so I thought I would work on a list of oil uses just to remind the world that oil is king and thank god for oil and CO2. Check it out.
Petroleum Products and Its Uses: A Comprehensive Study
Uses of Petroleum: Petroleum products are derived from crude oil and natural gas. Crude oil and natural gas are hydrocarbons and are made up of molecules of hydrogen and carbon. Petroleum products are used to produce heat, light, power, and transportation fuels.
Heating oil is a petroleum product used to heat homes and businesses. Heating oil is a heavy, low-viscosity oil that is used to heat buildings by burning it in a furnace.
Gasoline is a petroleum product used to power automobiles. Gasoline is a volatile, flammable liquid that is used to power automobiles by burning it in an engine.
Diesel fuel is a petroleum product used to power trucks and buses. Diesel fuel is a heavy, oil-based fuel that is used to power trucks and buses by burning it in a diesel engine.
Jet fuel is a petroleum product used to power airplanes. Jet fuel is a high-octane, flammable liquid that is used to power airplanes by burning it in an engine.
Propane is a petroleum product used to heat homes and businesses.
Propane is a liquefied petroleum gas that is used to heat buildings by burning it in a furnace or a stove.
Natural gas is a petroleum product used to generate electricity. Natural gas is a combustible, odorless gas that is used to generate electricity by burning it in a turbine.
Lubricating oils are petroleum products used to lubricate machinery.
Transportation fuels, fuel oils for heating and electricity generation, asphalt and road oil, and feedstocks for making the chemicals, plastics, and synthetic materials that are in nearly everything we use.
— Lubric
What are the petroleum products people consume most?
Gasoline is the most consumed petroleum product in the United States. In 2021, consumption of finished motor gasoline averaged about 8.8 million b/d (369 million gallons per day), which was equal to about 44% of total U.S. petroleum consumption.
Distillate fuel oil is the second most-consumed petroleum product in the United States. Distillate fuel oil includes diesel fuel and heating oil. Diesel fuel is used in the diesel engines of heavy construction equipment, trucks, buses, tractors, boats, trains, some automobiles, and electricity generators. Heating oil, also called fuel oil, is used in boilers and furnaces for heating homes and buildings, for industrial heating, and for producing electricity in power plants. Total distillate fuel oil consumption in 2021 averaged about 3.94 million b/d (669 million gallons per day), equal to 29% of total U.S. petroleum consumption.
Hydrocarbon gas liquids (HGLs), the third most-used category of petroleum in the United States, include propane, ethane, butane, and other HGLs that are produced at natural gas processing plants and oil refineries. HGLs have many uses. Total consumption of HGLs in 2021 averaged about 3.41 million b/d, accounting for about 17% of total petroleum consumption.
Jet fuel is the fourth most-used petroleum product in the United States. Jet fuel consumption averaged about 1.37 million b/d (58 million gallons per day) in 2021, accounting for about 7% of total petroleum consumption.
Here are some of the ways petroleum is used in our everyday lives. All plastic is made from petroleum and plastic is used almost everywhere: in cars, houses, toys, computers and clothing. Asphalt used in road construction is a petroleum product as is the synthetic rubber in the tires. Paraffin wax comes from petroleum, as do fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, detergents, phonograph records, photographic film, furniture, packaging materials, surfboards, paints, and artificial fibers used in clothing, upholstery, and carpet backing.
Solvents, Diesel Motor Oil, Bearing Grease, Ink, Floor Wax, Ballpoint Pens, Football Cleats, Upholstery, Sweaters, Boats Insecticides, Bicycle Tires, Sports Car Bodies, Nail Polish, Fishing lures, Dresses, Golf Bags, Perfumes, Cassettes, Dishwashers, Tool Boxes, Shoe Polish Motorcycle Helmets, Caulking, Petroleum Jelly, Transparent Tape, CD Players, Faucet Washers, Antiseptics, Clothesline, Curtains, Food Preservatives, Basketballs, Soap, Vitamin Capsules, Antihistamines, Purses, Shoes, Dashboards, Cortisone, Deodorant, Footballs, Putty, Dyes, Panty Hose, Refrigerant, Percolators, Life Jackets, Rubbing Alcohol, Linings, Skis, TV Cabinets, Shag Rugs, Electrician’s Tape, Tool Racks, Car Battery Cases, Epoxy Paint, Mops, Slacks, Insect Repellent, Oil Filters, Umbrellas, Yarn, Fertilizers, Hair Coloring, Roofing, Toilet Seats, Fishing Rods, Denture Adhesive, Linoleum, Ice Cube Trays, Synthetic Rubber, Speakers, Plastic Wood, Electric Blankets Glycerin Tennis Rackets Rubber Cement Fishing Boots Dice Nylon Rope Candles Trash Bags House Paint Water Pipes Hand Lotion Roller Skates Surf Boards Shampoo Wheels Paint Rollers Shower Curtains Guitar Strings Luggage Aspirin Safety Glasses Antifreeze Football Helmets Awnings Eyeglasses Clothes Toothbrushes Ice Chests Footballs Combs CD’s Paint Brushes Detergents Vaporizers Balloons Sun Glasses Tents Heart Valves Crayons Parachutes Telephones Enamel Pillows Dishes Cameras Anesthetics Artificial Turf Artificial limbs Bandages Dentures Model Cars Folding Doors Hair Curlers Cold cream Movie film Soft Contact lenses Drinking Cups Fan Belts Car Enamel Shaving Cream Ammonia Refrigerators Golf Balls Toothpaste Gasoline Ink Dishwashing liquids Paint brushes Telephones Toys Unbreakable dishes Insecticides Antiseptics Dolls Car sound insulation Fishing lures Deodorant Tires Motorcycle helmets Linoleum Sweaters Tents Refrigerator linings Paint rollers Floor wax Shoes Electrician’s tape Plastic wood Model cars Glue Roller-skate wheels Trash bags Soap dishes Skis Permanent press clothes Hand lotion Clothesline Dyes Soft contact lenses Shampoo Panty hose Cameras Food preservatives Fishing rods Oil filters Combs Transparent tape Anesthetics Upholstery Dice Disposable diapers TV cabinets Cassettes Mops Sports car bodies Salad bowls House paint Purses Electric blankets Awnings Ammonia Dresses Car battery cases Safety glass Hair curlers Pajamas Synthetic rubber VCR tapes Eyeglasses Pillows Vitamin capsules Movie film Ice chests Candles Rubbing alcohol Loudspeakers Ice buckets Boats Ice cube trays Credit cards Fertilizers Crayons Insect repellent Water pipes Toilet seats Caulking Roofing shingles Fishing boots Life jackets Balloons Shower curtains Garden hose Golf balls Curtains Plywood adhesive Umbrellas Detergents Milk jugs Beach umbrellas Rubber cement Sun glasses Putty Faucet washers Cold cream Bandages Tool racks Antihistamines Hair coloring Nail polish Slacks Drinking cups Guitar strings False teeth Yarn Petroleum jelly Toothpaste Golf bags Roofing Tennis rackets Toothbrushes Perfume Luggage Wire insulation Folding doors Shoe polish Fan belts Ballpoint pens Shower doors Cortisone Carpeting Artificial turf Heart valves LP records Lipstick Artificial limbs Hearing aids Vaporizers Aspirin Shaving cream Wading pools Parachutes Americans consume petroleum products at a rate of three-and-a-half gallons of oil and more than 250 cubic feet of natural gas per day each!
As shown here petroleum is not just used for fuel.
–Steve Pryor
Comment:
Hey,
Steve repeated many products above.
Most important is Ammonium Nitrate from natural gas. This fertilizes our crops, producing food. Food is the most important product!
–Don Berry
Here’s the medical side:
Petrochemicals cumene, phenol, benzene, and other aromatics are used to make not only aspirin, but also penicillin and cancer-fighting drugs. Ultimately, most drugs are organic molecules made using petrochemical polymer. Those not using polymer are often purified using petrochemical resins.
Advanced Plastics in Modern Medicine:
Only Possible with Hydraulic Fracturing Improving Lives, Saving Lives.
But keep in mind, Alarmist don’t want to save lives. They want to eliminate them.
Americans often take for granted the thousands of products made from oil and natural gas that they use every day, from lightweight automobile parts and paint to food packaging and performance clothing.
These important consumer items can only be made by processing crude oil and natural gas, using chemical treatments and technologies to make each product. The same goes for the hundreds of petroleum-derived items used by health care providers, from simple items such as band-aids and latex gloves, to complex heart valves and artificial joints. More than 90 items made possible through the processing of oil and natural gas into advanced plastics and synthetic rubber are shown in this photo of a typical emergency room.
Items in a typical emergency room
Blood pressure cuff
Blood pressure cuff tubing
Chair
Code cart/wheels
EKG Leads
EKG wire covers
End-Tidal carbon dioxide cable
Fluorescent light covers
Infectious waste container
IV Pole wheels and hook
IV pump
IV pump power cord
Laminated charts
Monitor/cables
Nasal canula
Ophthalmoscope
Otoscope
Ottoscope covers
Overhead lamp/bulbs
Oxygen saturation finger probe
Oxygen wall to tubing adapter
Patient education packets
Plastic patient belonging bag
Plastic slip cover for mattress
Plastic-lined pillows
Stethoscope label
Stethoscope tubing
Suction canister
Suction tubing
Thermometer
Thermometer probe covers
Trash bag
Trash can
Wall oxygen dial
Wall suction dial
Yankauer suction
Items found in an ER code cart
AED
Alcohol swab packaging
Ambu bag
Atomizer
Code cart lock tab
CPR back board
Endotracheal tubes
Exam gloves
Intubation blade
IV catheters
IV fluid bags
IV tubing
Lubrication
Medication ampules
Medication bottles
Nasopharyngeal airways
Needle caps
Non-rebreather mask
Oral airways
Oxygen tank dial
Pacer pads
Plastic cart housing
Plastic cover over tip of scissors
Plastic syringes
Plastic tape
Portable suction pump
Saline flushes
Sharps container
Syringe caps
Tourniquets
Venti-mask
Other medical devices used on a daily basis
Adhesive foam
Bedpan
Bleach wipe containers
Crutch pads/grips
Date stickers
Hemovac drain
IV caps
Jackson Pratt drain
Medical glue
Nasogastric tubes
Ostomy bags and appliance
Patient call bell
Patient room phone
Patient socks/grip bottoms
Peripheral venous catheter
Plastic boxes of gauze
Plastic medicine cups
Plastic packaging on
medications
Pyxis machine
Skin barrier packaging
Sterile gowns
Sterile packaging
Sutures
Three-way stopcocks
Urinary catheters
Walkers/canes
Okay,
What about the dread CO2?
Here’s a recent report from WUWT
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Carbon Dioxide
by Ron Barmby
Political tunnel vision on global warming has resulted in declaring increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide an existential threat. But the United Nations’ resolve to reduce carbon dioxide levels runs counter to its goals to end world hunger, promote world peace and protect global ecosystems. It fails to address the key question relating to those three goals: Which pathway creates the greatest good to the greatest multitude—reducing or increasing CO2?
The numbers since the year 2000 provide convincing evidence that increasing carbon dioxide has positive impacts and reducing carbon emissions entails dire consequences.
World Hunger
The pre-industrial (circa 1850) atmospheric CO2 concentration of 280 ppm (parts per million) compares to today’s 420 ppm, a 50% increase. Meanwhile, the global population has risen 560%, from 1.2 billion to 8 billion.
Those extra 6.8 billion people are mostly being fed, and it’s not all because of human agricultural productivity, pest control and plant genetics.
Observations of Earth’s vegetative cover since the year 2000 by NASA’s Terra satellite show a 10% increase in vegetation in the first 20 years of the century. Clearly, something other than agriculture is helping to improve overall plant growth.
In a recent study supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Dr. Charles Taylor and Dr. Wolfram Schlenker quantified how much of that extra greening resulted in food for human consumption since 2000. Using satellite imagery of U.S. cropland, they estimated that a 1 ppm increase in CO2 led to an increase of 0.4%, 0.6% and 1% in yield for corn, soybeans and wheat, respectively. They also extrapolated back to 1940 and suggested that the 500% increased yield of corn and 200% increased yield of soybeans and winter wheat are largely attributable to the 100 ppm increase in CO2 since then.
CO2 fertilization is not only greening the Earth, it’s feeding the very fertile human race.
World Peace
Though adding CO2 to the atmosphere does not promote world peace, attempts to stop CO2 emissions in the western democracies have increased the CO2 emissions, wealth and influence of totalitarian Russia and China.
Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union (EU), reports that the EU’s reliance on imported natural gas increased from 15.5% of its energy needs in 2000 to 22.5% by 2020. Russia was the main supplier of Europe’s natural gas. Holding Europe’s energy security in its pipelines not only helped finance Russia’s 2021 invasion of Ukraine, but it also limited the economic sanctions Europe could impose in retaliation.
According to the scientific online publication Our World in Data, between 2000 and 2020 the G7 nations lost 13.8% of the world share of GDP and China picked up 12%.
The West (the EU plus the UK, U.S., Canada and Japan) transferred GDP growth to China and energy security to Russia and was able to reduce CO2 emissions from 45% of the global total in 2000 to 25% in 2020. In the same period China’s CO2 emissions grew from 14% of the total to 31%, leading to an increase of 39% in total CO2 global emissions.
The unintended consequence of the West’s attempts to reduce CO2 emissions has been to shore up Chinese and Russian dictatorships—and in Russia’s case, to partly fund the invasion of a sovereign and democratic neighbor, Ukraine.
World Ecology
Much of the human footprint on Earth is where the products we consume originate: We either grow them on the planet’s surface or extract them from within its crust.
In testimony to the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce in 2021, Mark Mills, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, estimated that replacing each unit of hydrocarbon energy by “clean tech” energy would on average result in the extraction of five to 10 times more materials from the Earth than does hydrocarbon production.
Mills also pointed out that Chinese firms dominate the production and processing of many critical rare earth elements and that nearly all the growth in mining is expected to be abroad, increasingly in fragile, biodiverse wilderness areas.
Decarbonization will impose the heavy environmental cost of an unprecedented increase in mining.
One Last Number
Since El Nino induced a modern peak global average temperature in 1998, global warming has been essentially zero.
The numbers don’t lie. Allowing more CO2 emissions is better for ending world hunger, promoting world peace, and protecting global ecosystems.
This commentary was first published at Real Clear Energy, July 6, 2023.
–Ron Barmby, a Professional Engineer with a master’s degree in geosciences, had a 40-year career in the energy industry that covered 40 countries and five continents. He is author of “Sunlight on Climate Change: A Heretic’s Guide to Global Climate Hysteria” and is a proud member of the CO2 Coalition, Arlington, Virginia.
How about computers:
It takes 500 pounds of fossil fuel, 50 pounds of chemicals, and 1.5 tons of water to manufacture one computer and monitor, according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Just in case I missed something. This just in from the Energy Department:
Products Made from Oil and Natural Gas
Adhesive
Air mattresses
Ammonia
Antifreeze
Antihistamines
Antiseptics
Artificial limbs
Artificial turf
Asphalt
Aspirin
Awnings
Backpacks
Balloons
Ballpoint pens
Bandages
Beach umbrellas
Boats
Cameras
Candies and gum
Candles
Car battery cases
Car enamel
Cassettes
Caulking
CDs/computer disks
Cell phones
Clothes
Clothesline
Clothing
Coffee makers
Cold cream
Combs
Computer keyboards
Computer monitors
Cortisone
Crayons
Credit cards
Curtains
Dashboards
Denture adhesives
Dentures
Deodorant
Detergent
Dice
Dishwashing liquid
Dog collars
Drinking cups
Dyes
Electric blankets
Electrical tape
Enamel
Epoxy paint
Eyeglasses
Fan belts
Faucet washers
Fertilizers
Fishing boots
Fishing lures
Floor wax
Food preservatives
Footballs
Fuel tanks
Glue
Glycerin
Golf bags
Golf balls
Guitar strings
Hair coloring
Hair curlers
Hand lotion
Hearing aids
Heart valves
House paint
Hula hoops
Ice buckets
Ice chests
Ice cube trays
Ink
Insect repellent
Insecticides
Insulation
iPad/iPhone
Kayaks
Laptops
Life jackets
Light-weight aircraft
Lipstick
Loudspeakers
Lubricants
Luggage
Model cars
Mops
Motorcycle helmets
Movie film
Nail polish
Noise insulation
Nylon rope
Oil filters
Packaging
Paint brushes
Paint roller
Pajamas
Panty hose
Parachutes
Perfumes
Permanent press
Petroleum jelly
Pharmaceuticals
Pillow filling
Plastic toys
Plastics
Plywood adhesive
Propane
Purses
Putty
Refrigerants
Refrigerator linings
Roller skate wheels
Roofing
Rubber cement
Rubbing alcohol
Safety glasses
Shampoo
Shaving cream
Shoe polish
Shoes/sandals
Shower curtains
Skateboards
Skis
Soap dishes
Soft contact lenses
Solar panels
Solvents
Spacesuits
Sports car bodies
Sunglasses
Surf boards
Swimming pools
Synthetic rubber
Telephones
Tennis rackets
Tents
Tires
Tool boxes
Tool racks
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Transparent tape
Trash bags
Truck and automobile parts
Tubing
TV cabinets
Umbrellas
Unbreakable dishes
Upholstery
Vaporizers
Vinyl flooring
Vitamin capsules
Water pipes
Wind turbine blades
Yarn
Here’s a good one, but I couldn’t find anything on it. How many fossil fuel products in an Electric car. All the plastic products and lubricants, wire insulation and fabrics, except leather. How about threads for upholstery. I’m sure the list is immense.
Bottom line, we need the truth and fun once more.
–Bandit
VL,XA,FL KNUCKLEHEAD BUILD, PART 5
By Bandit |
Holy shit, the rally is already all over us. Brothers and sisters are riding into the Black Hills by the droves. It’s going to be an interesting event, with the H-D Anniversary hitting Milwaukee in July and the rally just a couple of weeks after thunder rocks the asphalt all over Wisconsin.
I’ve been waiting on my chain primary drive from Tech Cycle and Paul Cox, it’s cool albeit terrifying, but what the fuck. We only go around once. It arrived the other day and we started the alignment procedure, which didn’t fair worth a fuck. Answers and solutions are coming.
Then we looked into how the drive chain would align with the sprocket on the transmission and wheel. Fortunately, I had three different offsets. None of them came close. I was going to need to move the wheel, but everything was tight.
Irish Rich suggested flipping an offset sprocket over. Crazy, I started to machine the lip of the PBI sprocket. Then it became apparent that the sprocket still had to come in contact with the seal spacer. The difference was just a few thousandths of an inch.
I found some galvanized rings used for plumbing or home projects, but they contained the correct inside diameter, 1.750. Each one was about .035 thick. Together they did the trick. I may need one to create a sprocket locking washer as you will see, unfortunately, it won’t work. I need something with a 1.5 inch inside diameter and wide outside diameter so I can drill a hole in it and bolt it to the sprocket.
McMaster Carr has stainless shims. I believe they will do the trick.
Since I flipped the PBI sprocket over, standard locking devices won’t work.
Okay, so I had trans plate issues, I had clutch sprocket to engine sprocket issues, and I had trans sprocket to wheel sportor sprocket problems.
The mounting studs screwed into the bottom of the S&S Transmission case weren’t long enough because Rich made the VL 3-speed frame into a 4-speed trans excepting frame by adding and welding the 4-speed tranny plate into place. I ordered and searched for longer studs. I found some at ACE hardware, too short. McMaster Carr did the trick, but they are coarse threads at both ends.
All this alignment stuff has prevented all sorts of projects from being completed. Even the rear fender could not be final mounted.
I did make a coil mount with a Paughco chromed, Knucklehead top motor-mount. I’m working with three fastening methods. Some things will be brazed, some silicon bronze TIG welded and some mild-steel TIG welded. My Miller MIG welder always backs me up.
I brazed the coil bracket and put it in place without bolting it to the engine. Engine needs to be aligned and bolted to the motor-mounts first.
I also had to search for a taillight lens. John gave me this taillight early on, but with the wrong lens. It’s interesting trying to find the correct lens and the license plate window. Shit, it’s impossible to find. I even found a company focused solely on old glass lenses. I wrote and called; they’re gone. Let me know if you have a connection.
Charlie Rust said he had a box of old glass lenses in his shop, well sorta. I took a half-dozen home to try out. The only one that came close was a clear Lucas lens, and I started grinding the edge. The key to grinding glass is heat. If it gets hot, it will crack. And it’s best to have a very fine grinding wheel, I do now.
Meanwhile back at the 5-inna-4-speed case transmission. We put it together several times with various shafts and gears. Our assortment of gears and shafts messed with us big time.
We even had a variety of trap doors which we fumbled with until we had a complete transmission, but not a tapered shaft, so the Evil belt system was set aside. That’s when I was introduced to Tech Cycle.
Charlie gave me a cool, old, Shorty muffler with a pipe stuck inside. That bastard would not budge. We heated it, beat on it, twisted it but nada. We finally cut it off and welded it directly to the 2-into- 1 pipe system. It came with a goofy tip and I was determined to use it. I also TIG and MIG welded some connections and then brazed one. I thought I fucked up, but when the system was completed, I tried silicon bronze TIG welding each joint completely. I messed with the heat some, and it worked to unify each weld.
I TIG welded my seat pan, drilled and shipped it to Howard Knight for leather work, along with the straps. The oil tank is tested and ready. So much to do and so little time.
Check it out. I ground the Lucas glass lens until it fit in the light socket, then the retaining ring wouldn’t fit. I made a ring from a chunk of exhaust pipe and then tried to figure out how to fasten it down. It works, albeit strange.
Hang on, the 120th anniversary was last weekend, two weeks until the rally, six weeks until Bonneville. This week I will endeavor to line up the rear wheel with trans sprocket and finish mounting the fender.
Ride on and Ride Forever!
–Bandit
SOURCES:
Atomic Dice
Clauser’s Machine Shop
Spearfish, SD
Dakota V-Twin
Spearfish, SD
www.dakotavtwin.com
JIMS Machine
McMaster Carr
www.dakotavtwin.com
Paughco
Shamrocks Customs
Sturgis, SD
S&S
TechCycle
www.techcycle.com
Terry Components
Check on J&P Cycles
Nash Motorcycles
Colony
www.colonymachine.com
Black Bike Wheels
www.blackbikewheels.com
Custom Chrome
www.customchrome.com
Barnett’s clutch and cable
Dennis Kirk
Anniversary Celebrations in Milwaukee
By Wayfarer |
“Heard from staff that there are 30,000 motorcycles parked just in the parking lot! Record breaking crowds enjoying Harley Davidson’s 120th Anniversary in Milwaukee. Seeing so many friends is so special. Meeting so many people too!”
— Lori Struck DeSilva
Stay tuned for more reports on this epic mega-event.
Magnificent Bikernet.com 100-Word Fiction Contest
By Wayfarer |
We decided to get our readers engaged in fiction focused on motorcycling lifestyle. The contest is completely free for anyone to participate. All you have to do is subscribe to Bikernet weekly newsletter and email us your fiction. Can you weave a tale in 100 words or less?
The May 2023 winner was announced on June 22, weekly Thursday News — click & read it here.
We are glad to announce the winner for the month of June 2023 is Chris Dutcher for his 100 words adventure “A Hundred”. As Bikernet Metaverse Editorial Emperor Bandit himself stated “Great story, no wasted words, emotion and action strong. Well done.”
You can read all the multiple fiction entries for this contest at Bikernet.com by Clicking Here.
Chris is not new to fiction writing. He has published two novels in his “Storm Rider” series. You can read a review of those books on Bikernet.com itself.
- Storm Rider – Book One — click for review
- Storm Rider – Book Two — click for review
Chris Dutcher wins a fantastic goodie bag, full of Bikernet gifts, signed Bandit books and swag. Don’t miss your chance. The July winner will be announced next month.
Don’t ever stop riding or writing…
–Wayfarer
* * * * * * * *
Read Free Short Fiction and Facts on Bikernet.com by clicking here.
Read entire Novels on Bikernet.com in Bandit’s Cantina, click to view.
Countdown to Bonneville: 5-Ball Racing
By Wayfarer |
5-Ball Bonneville Racing : Salt Torpedo
We have about six weeks before we roll into the Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials in Utah. We will haul our hand-built Salt Torpedo one of the first streamlined trikes powdered by a 135-inch JIMS Twin Cam.
I’m going to try to deliver a brief report every couple of days. Let me know if you have any questions. And of course we’re looking for sponsors to support this effort.
Just recently, Terry components helped with one of the items on our list, battery shut-off cables and jumper cables. I’m working on the trailer today.
–Bandit
* * * *
https://5-ballgarage.com/
OLD YELLER: Still A Viable Street Machine
By Wayfarer |
by Buck Lovell with photos from Buck Lovell
This little Yellow Bobber sold for above $15,000 dollars at a recent Mecums auction
Most motorcycles in America in the early 1950s were no nonsense, kick-start only iron with few if any frills or comfort features as we have today. America’s modern super-speed interstate highway system wasn’t even a twinkle in President Eisenhower’s eye, and gasoline was less than 15 cents per gallon almost everywhere across the Unites States. Two wheeled motorcycles were economic, fair-weather transportation for those men and women who loved the sun on their face and the wind in their hair!
Click here to read this photo feature by master photographer Buck Lovell on Bikernet.com
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Music Album Covers with Motorcycles
By Wayfarer |
Digital Discovery gathers some tunes and fumes
Music is creativity and creativity is exploration. No wonder there are so many popular musicians fascinated by two-wheels and the motorcycling lifestyle.
Have a look at these music album covers that prominently feature a motorcycle.
EXCLUSIVE in Bandit’s Cantina. Click here to read. Join Cantina today with the best online membership benefits.
* * * * * * * *
HOMECOMING BIKERNET WEEKLY NEWS for July 13th, 2023
By Bandit |
Hey,
Today suddenly turned significant. The Prism gang reminded me that today marks the first day of the Harley 120th Homecoming.
Then I heard that we might have a meeting with Senator Mike Rounds regarding our resolution with the Motorcycle Riders Foundation regarding Scientific Transparency.
Let’s see how the day rolls out. 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.
NEWS FROM THE PRISM GANG—
Our latest My Garage episode brings us to the Sunshine State where we visit Jim Root. Jim needs no introduction as a guitarist. With a legendary career with Slipknot and a best-selling signature guitar bearing his name, he’s solidified his place in music history.
Off Stage, he’s developed an affinity for high-horsepower vehicles. Alongside racks and racks of guitars, his garage is adorned with period-correct Mopars and a different Harley-Davidson for nearly every occasion.
Like his eclectic motorcycle collection, Jim’s guitars are set up in a way that suits his style and upsets purists. But, with a Grammy and multiple Platinum records on his shelf, it’s clear that Jim doesn’t need to follow convention.
Watch for the Prism Gang at the Homecoming this weekend.
BIKERNET RESEARCH TEAM FINDS ALBUM COVERS CONTAINING MOTORCYCLES
Brigitte Bardot
Janis Joplin
More to come:
John Fogerty
Meatloaf
SailCat
Grateful Dead
Diana Ross
James Brown
Judas Priest
Canned Heat
Bad Company
John Hammond
We will bring you the whole story in the very near future.
–Wayfarer
Editor, Bikernet Blog
HEARTLAND FREEDOM DINNER–Don’t Delay! Early Bird Discount
ENDS August 1, 2023
America needs John Stossel’s tireless voice for liberty now more than ever. The government has assumed vast new powers, spending is out of control, and individual liberty is in retreat.
John Stossel has exposed these excesses for decades on his way to winning 19 Emmy awards, five awards from the National Press Club, and a Peabody award.
You won’t want to miss John Stossel’s latest analysis and inside stories about the mainstream media at Heartland’s Benefit Dinner.
To purchase tickets, reserve tables, or learn more, go to Heartland’s benefit dinner webpage, call (312) 377-4000, or email think@heartland.org.
Show your support for Heartland and liberty by reserving your seat today.
“Sure, this isn’t motorcycle, but if you’re in the neighborhood, it could be very interesting. Heartland supports freedom, the truth, liberty and scientific transparency.” –Bandit
LEGENDS SUSPENSION IS READY–Hometown Rally 120th Anniversary
We are excited to see you, talk suspension, and have a good time! We will be located at House of Harley-Davidson during the Hometown Rally 120th Anniversary.
July 12th – 16th
For more information and location details please visit:
https://www.legendsuspensions.com/events/
OR
https://houseofharleydavidson.com/event/19817/harley-davidson-homecoming-rally
KNUCKLEHEAD OF THE WEEK—1942 FL
–Sam Burns
Feature Bike Editor
Bikernet.com™
CALIFA GUN NUT REPORT—
Before the Legislature recesses on July 14th, policy committees in the Senate will hold more hearings on anti-gun bills, including Assembly Bill 28 for a gun tax and Assembly Bill 1587 for credit card companies to surveil gun owners.
Please go to the NRA website to read more about these anti-gun bills and to ask the committee members to OPPOSE them.
Take Action!
Yours in Freedom,
Ken Lan
Communications Coordinator
NRA-ILA
ANOTHER CALIFORNIA UPDATE–U.S. Senate Companion Bill Introduced to Stop California’s Car Ban
Encourage support from lawmakers on these proposals:
U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) introduced a SAN-supported bill, the “Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act” (S. 2090), to protect Americans’ right to choose the technology that powers their motor vehicles. S. 2090 includes the same text as the House bill (H.R. 1435) that U.S. Rep. John Joyce (R-PA) introduced in March. H.R. 1435 and S. 2090 respond to California’s plans to ban the sale of new gas- and diesel-powered cars and trucks in 2035 unless certain conditions are met. If passed into law, the legislation would prevent the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from allowing California’s Zero Emissions Vehicle regulations that would ban the sale or use of new motor vehicles with internal combustion engines from taking effect.
Lawmakers Must Hear from You Right Away!
Use the following website link for an overview and lawmaker contact.
NEWS FROM COMPETITION DISTRIBUTING—Historic Fuel Tanks Now In Stock!
Fuel Tank J & JD Harley Davidson 1918-1924
Harley Davidson Fuel Tanks 1918-1924 J & JD model Fuel Tanks
Fuel Tank J & JD Harley Davidson 1925-1929
Harley Davidson Fuel Tanks 1925-1929 J & JD model Fuel Tanks
Fuel Tank Peashooter Harley Davidson 1927-1930
Harley Davidson Fuel Tanks 1927-1930 Peashooter Fuel Tanks
–Competition Distributing
HEADING TO BONNEVILLE– Denis Manning and the Number 7 Streamliner are headed back to Bonneville in August. He called today to announce that Chris Rivas will be the pilot. Chris built the world’s fastest Dyna, 244 mph. Denis is damn happy to have him on board.
As you can imagine, the effort to hit 400 mph with a motorcycle Streamliner and take the record back takes a mountain of passion and funds. Denis is more than happy to consider sponsors for this effort in late August at the Bonneville Salt Flats. If anyone is interested give him a call at 530-362-6880.
–Bandit
DIRECT FROM THE CLIMATE DEPOT—
“First, they came for your energy, then your meat, gas cars, dishwashers, gas stoves and furnaces, flights, pizzas & now…YOUR ICE CUBES!
Stop the climate madness. Stop Net Zero goals. Stop food, ice, and meat restrictions. Stop gas-powered car bans. Stop pizza oven restrictions. The climate change agenda targets every aspect of your life and will take no prisoners in a relentless effort to Sovietize every aspect of American life.
The USA was an aberration in human history when it came to individual rights and economic freedom. But the climate agenda is set to revert the USA back to the norms of history — submission to our overlords.
–Climate Depot’s Marc Morano
See Economist Milton Friedman in 1999: “Free societies of the kind we’ve been lucky enough to experience for the last 100, 150 years — are a very rare exception in human history. Most people, most of history…have lived in tyranny and misery.”
I watched a documentary series about life on earth 10-15 thousand years ago, when man first started building pyramids on Malta and South America. The narrator focused on how old and how well-built they were. He’s trying to rewrite history, but he missed one item.
Pyramids weren’t built by union workers. They were built by slaves.
–Bandit
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY–
“The best way to keep a prisoner from escaping is to make sure he never knows he’s in prison.” ~ Fyodor Dostoevsky
— Wayfarer
New NASH Product– The “Straight Up” Handlebars
The Straight Up bars designed with a similar feel and look to the Smart Gimps but with one slight but important tweak, no inward curve towards the bottom of the bar. From the bottom bend the Straight Ups, do just that, go straight up, all the way to the top grip bends.
Grab a pair in Chrome, Copper or Powder Black!
GRAB A PAIR TODAY
NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM HISTORY LESSON—1951 SUN BEAM S7.
During its development the Sunbeam S7 was plagued with vibration and misguided engineering approaches. Yet today the Sunbeam S7 seems a handsome heavyweight machine distinguished by shaft drive, an overhead camshaft engine, “balloon tires,” rounded fenders and its Mist Green, silver or black paint.
In the course of being a manufacturer of high quality bicycles, Sunbeam’s founder, John Marston was also a Japanner, one skilled at applying black lacquer to bicycle or motorcycle parts, baking them for a hard and shiny finish such as was used on Henry Ford’s Model T. At the age of 76 he branched out into motorcycle manufacture. Most of his early Sunbeams used engines sourced from MAG or J.A.P. and some big-bore Sunbeams were prime for sidecar use. With the Sunbeam name being sold to BSA in 1943, the end of the original Marston/Sunbeam line came about.
The S7 design was the work of independent designer Erling Poppe who based it around the BMW R75 since BMW manufacturing rights were given to BSA as part of the War Reparations. The double-cradle frame with plunger rear suspension and a telescopic fork resemble the BMW, but the engine unit was completely new. At 487cc, the engine was a parallel twin turned around so that the crankshaft ran in line with the frame.
The first S7’s were produced just after World War II, 1949 and incorporated some 30 patented design features. But the worm gear final drive was fragile, and the fix was to lessen stress by decreasing engine output! The in-line twin vibrated calling for rubber engine mounting, which called for a flexible exhaust pipe connection. Shifts in focus of the mother company, BSA, sidelined the Sunbeam brand for good in 1956. In concept the S7 and the later S8 were good designs you could see working today. But they needed further engineering work. When you visit the National Motorcycle Museum before it closes September 4, you can study the Sunbeam, and also several BMWs for comparison.
This fine Sunbeam will be among hundreds of motorcycles and thousands of pieces of memorabilia offered in the John Parham Estate Collection Mecum Auction at the National Motorcycle Museum, Anamosa, Iowa, September 6 – 9, 2023. Watch for information on the Mecum Auctions website, Mecum.com For schedule information or to register as a bidder for this and all Mecum events, visit Mecum.com, or call (262) 275-5050 for more information.
US Utilities Lobby Congress to Keep Gas Stoves Legal—
American gas utilities are lobbying support for bills to keep gas stoves operational, as the Biden administration recommends their elimination for climate change purposes.
Natural gas companies are gathering their political allies in Congress to ward off any attempts that gas stove use be curtailed, according to federal records.
Gas utility companies fear that gas stove bans are the start of a broader phaseout of natural gas, as climate change activists aim to electrify more of the energy system.
Leftist climate change activists are now going after natural gas consumption after destroying the U.S. coal industry under the Biden administration.
Biden Admin Ponders Ban On Gas Stoves
About 69 percent of Americans said they are against a government ban on gas stoves, according to a June poll conducted by the Harvard Center for American Political Studies and Harris.
The controversy exploded in January after the White House said it was mulling a nationwide ban on gas stoves, citing a report linking its use to asthma and other health risks.
A top official at the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) suggested that a national ban on gas stoves could curb air pollution, but that statement was denied by the agency’s head.
It was also later revealed that the agency had been considering a ban on gas stoves for months.
The backlash grew even further after the Department of Energy introduced new regulations in February that would impose harsher energy efficiency standards on new gas stove models by 2027.
However, the Energy Department insisted that it had no plans to ban gas stoves, calling the accusations “absurd.”
Gas stoves account for less than 1 percent of natural gas consumption in the United States, and more than 47 million, or 38 percent of households, cook with gas, according to the Energy Information Administration.
–Brian Jung
Epoch Times
TRIKES OF THE WEEK—From Kotaka Kiyotaka
–Sam Burns
Feature Bike Editor
Bikernet.com™
LIFESTYLE CYCLES DEAL OF THE WEEK–2017 Harley-Davidson FLSTC – Heritage Softail Classic
Comfort as modern as this morning’s news and the power from our High Output Twin Cam 103B™ engine, but the look still blazes straight from this machine’s authentic dresser past.
This is too good to consign to history.
The Heritage Softail® Classic is rich with the nostalgia of days gone by, but the hidden suspension gives you the authentic look of a hardtail without the bone-shaking ride. You get the comfort of standard cruise control and a low center of gravity, plus standard ABS, and a High Output Twin Cam 103B™ engine. We maintained the classic look and re-invented the ride.
Location: Anaheim, California
Condition: Pre-Owned
Stock Number: 13892
Year: 2017
Make: Harley-Davidson®
Model: FLSTC – Heritage Softail® Classic
Family: Softail®
VIN: 1HD1BWV18HB022927
Color: RED
Engine: Air-cooled, High Output Twin Cam 103B™
Mileage:19,172
[page break]
EDITORIAL OF THE WEEK–
Over the past half decade, there has been a growing trend signaling a shift in the perceived and accepted role of science. It is not uncommon to see slogans and mottos such as “the science is settled” and “believe in science.”
Statements like this present two major problems: first, science is determined to be final and indisputable; second, it is accompanied by a value or moral judgment. For example, scientific studies indicate that wearing a helmet can reduce head injury by 48%, serious head injury by 60%, traumatic brain injury by 53%, [and] face injury by 23%.”
While it takes little effort to align with science on such a matter, I intend to demonstrate that an application of the first behavior is contradictory to the foundation of science and the second lies entirely outside its purview.
To establish common ground, we begin by reviewing the merits and fundamentals of the scientific method. First, an observation is made, followed by a question regarding the observation. A hypothesis is then formed that could potentially answer the question. A prediction about future results based on the hypothesis is then tested via experiments.
Analysis of the results of the experiments are utilized to confirm or reject the hypothesis. If the results seem to demonstrate that the hypothesis is correct, then confidence begins to build in the predictive power of the hypothesis and its ability to describe the real world.
If the results seem to demonstrate that the hypothesis is incorrect, then the scientific method loops back on itself and the hypothesis is challenged, refined, modified, or discarded. The process is rigorous, thorough, and exacting. It is also deeply empirical, meaning it relies on information from the real world; it can only extract data from things that have already happened. In its most basic form, this process is what constitutes “science” as commonly referred to in media and conversation.
With common ground established, the first major problem can be addressed. It is, ironically, anti-science to ever declare that science is settled. There are a few characteristics of the scientific method that substantiate this claim. Since the scientific method is based on empirical data in relation to a hypothesis, it is reliant on the senses and perceived experiences. This means it is wholly dependent on the past. Science cannot properly predict the future; it can only model what has happened and make a reasonable projection about what could happen. Scientific law hangs on statistical probability.
In addition, since man is not omniscient, the future will forever remain unknown. As man continues to explore the physical world, there always exists the possibility that enough data will accumulate to falsify, or at least cast into doubt, a well-established scientific conclusion.
Because of these conditions, statements declaring the science to be settled are altogether unscientific: they reject the core principles and practices of the scientific method and the nature of human experience.
Such conditions expose the ridiculousness of any insinuation that science is settled. Strictly speaking, science is unable to ever be settled. Imagine the carnage if scientists around the world had retired their lab coats and accepted the alleged “clinical proof” that certain cigarettes were not actually harmful or medically superior to other brands. Fortunately, continued use of the scientific method has built a compelling counterargument that cigarettes are in fact very detrimental to the body.
The second major problem may have more perilous implications when thoroughly examined. In the preceding discussion, it is clearly shown that science is only able to approach statistical truth based on empirical evidence. Science is, however, utterly unable to tell us what is right or wrong.
There is nothing naturally occurring within the scientific method that empowers it to make value judgments or moral decisions. It cannot tell us what is good, bad, better, or worse. In essence, science is never able to say “should” or “must.”
To return to our previous example, science may conclude that wearing a helmet prevents head injuries in motorbike accidents, but it is powerless to dictate that motorists should wear helmets. To do so is to make a value judgment that can only be made by individuals.
Wearing a helmet is only prescriptive if the individual motorist values the possibility of preventing a cracked skull more than riding freely in the wind. Knowing the risks and being informed by science, most motorists would likely choose to wear a helmet, but science is unable to tell them that is the choice of highest value, since individuals have different, and differing, value systems. In regards to science, what is right is dependent on the precise ends desired by individual actors and their values.
As Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises stated, “There is no use in arguing about the adequacy of ethical precepts…. Ultimate ends are chosen by the individual’s judgments of value. They cannot be determined by scientific inquiry and logical reasoning.”
Allowing science to make universal value judgments also enables it to define morality. An example of this can be found in the debates surrounding abortion law. Science can tell us when a heartbeat begins, how developed a baby is in the first, second, and third trimester, and even the sex of the baby. But again, it is absolutely powerless to tell us whether it is or is not moral to abort the baby. Such an evaluation would rest on the value judgments and moral code of the individual.
The issue, then, with slogans like “believe in science” is the tendency to conflate science with morality and value. When science is wielded to make laws, it is most often done with a moral code attached. It has been shown that science is not able to do this, so the only way science can be used to make law is for someone, some real person or persons somewhere, to draw a moral conclusion based on the science. This personal, individual moral conclusion is then applied wholesale upon all that the law will reach. It is for this reason that science should never be used as a justification in any government action to enforce moral systems.
Doing so results in the morals and values of the few being imposed upon the many. But it is only individuals who can make decisions about what they will do in regard to any scientific consensus. F.A. Hayek put this neatly when he said that “individuals should be allowed … to follow their own values and preferences rather than somebody else’s.”
The results of any scientific study require interpretation, and any interpretation is necessarily subjective. The interpretation of results may go on to inform value judgments and moral codes. But if science moves into a space where its conclusions can never be challenged and it also determines morality, then it suddenly ceases to exhibit characteristics of science and has assumed characteristics of religion.
When conveniently married to power, an exaltation of science to this status can have disastrous effects, as evidenced by the acts committed by the Third Reich and other totalitarian regimes.
“Science cannot lie, for it’s always striving, according to the momentary state of knowledge, to deduce what is true,” Hitler famously asserted.
The further scientists drift from the scientific method to tell people what they should do, the more they undermine science and increase the potential to restrict choice, destroy human liberty, and harm real people.
It should always be remembered that while science can tell us that a phone will carry our voices through the air, it will never be able to tell us what should be said.
–Mike Roberts
Mike Roberts is a process engineer at Intel with a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering and a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering. He is also a life-long advocate of free markets and free ideas.
CHOPPER OF THE WEEK FOR SALE–
I spoke with Carlton (Marina owner). He said the seller spent about $80,000 assembling this bike. He said the tires and wheels alone were $10,000 apiece. This is more or less a collector’s piece or eye candy as you have suggested.
$29,000 OBO
CALL: 703-494-6611 LOCATED at Prince William Marina 12849 Gordon Blvd, Woodbridge, VA. This is a SPECIALTY ASSEMBLED CHOPPER that has been award winning in bike shows. It has a Softail frame with Dakota Digital gauges. The shocks are located underneath the bike. It has a S&S show polished diamond cut 124 cu. in. motor. It has a 6-speed Baker transmission. Priced to sell!
Teresa Allen
Prince William Marine Sales, Inc.
12849 Gordon Blvd.
Woodbridge, VA 22192
703-494-6611
www.pwmarina.com
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover — H. Jackson Brown Jr
STURGIS BUFFALO CHIP— Evo Entanglement Bike Show Sponsored by Bikernet.com
Three years in a row of the best prize package at the Rally!
Long known as Harley-Davidson’s most reliable and approachable power plant, many moto-historians also say the Evo engine saved the MoCo. Its 16-year+ run followed the company’s buy-out by the “gang of 14” and it ushered in stability in those post-AMF days.
The years of the Evo engine dovetailed with massive production numbers, too, so there are plenty of Evo powerplants still around. When the industry boomed in the late ‘90s and early 2000’s, Evo-style engines ran thousands more “American other” machines made by companies such as S&S Cycle to power Big Dogs, American Iron Horses, and many more.
So where are all the Evos now? That’s what we want to know! Bring yours – factory or aftermarket – to enter the 3rd Annual Evo Entanglement Show, presented by S&S Cycle, at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip on Wednesday, August 9th. Besides an opportunity for awesome profiling, you could win an S&S V-111 engine, Paughco frame, tank & front end, and $1000 Baker certificate. And that’s just one of the prizes!
Want to meet Sons of Anarchy actor Rusty Coones? Enter the show FREE (online in advance or day of show) to be eligible for the first-ever Rusty Coones Illusion Cycles Award, selected and presented by Rusty himself. The award includes a custom-made, one-off trophy crafted by Paul Wideman at Bare Knuckle Performance PLUS a super slick Whiteknuckler knife compliments of Lowbrow Customs
Also meet Show Hero Paul Wideman of Bare Knuckle Performance and Artist Darren McKeag as they arrive on their Bare Knuckle Evo Custom Chops – the bikes they rode in from Missouri, bugs and all.
Not enough? How about this:
The first 100 people to register for the show – and it’s free to register – get a FREE, Limited Edition Mint Speed Shop Flannel! Mark your size in your registration and pick it up at the show when you register at the QR code or https://www.buffalochip.com/bike_shows/evo-entanglement-bike-show-presented-by-ss-cycle/
This show gets a ton of support from major aftermarket companies. Prizes like $500 gift certificates are provided by: Drag Specialties, Saddlemen, Performance Machine, Burly Brand, Progressive Suspension, GMA, BDL, Fat Baggers, Avon Grips, Klotz, Cometic, Paul Yaffe’s Bagger Nation, NAMZ, Twin Power, Nelson Rigg, Memphis Shades, Chop Docs, Lowbrow, Biltwell, Blackout Industries, Twisted Tea and more. If it’s still more glory you seek, the Best in Show winner moves on to compete for top honors on the Buffalo Chip’s main stage Friday night in the Custom Series King (or Queen!) finals.
Classes include: Best in Show, Best Paint, Inaugural Rusty Coones Illusion Cycles Award, Chopper, Dyna/FXR, Custom Cruiser, Bagger, Survivor, Sportster. See you there.
VINTAGE INDIANS OF THE WEEK—
–Sam Burns
Feature Bike Editor
Bikernet.com™
NEWS FROM HEMMINGS AUCTION–2008 Blendzilla #2 With Electric Start
Looking to rev up your next party to nearly 10,000 rpm? The seller is offering—at no reserve—the perfect “vehicle” for the job, a little screaming machine known as Blendzilla #2. (Blendzilla #4 recently sold on this platform.) The seller bought this unique party machine from its builder, Howard Laramy of Natchitoches, Louisiana.
Apparently, Howard has been building these fun magnets for a few decades, modifying a blender to work with a two-stroke engine normally found powering a pocket bike. The seller then modified it to use electric start with a 12v battery.
The metal container holds 64 ounces of your favorite concoction. Mounted on an aluminum table that measures 13 inches square, this mega funster stands just 13.75-in. tall, or 20.75-in with the legs extended.
The seller refers to the hyper drink maker as “the Formula One of all party blenders.” (The Schumacher SC1343 battery tender for the electric starter has no connection to seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher, but it’s a fun and functional touch.) Perhaps he meant Grand Prix motorcycle racing since, to operate the machine, you grab a motorcycle handlebar and twist Blendzilla’s throttle as you would open up a bike.
“It starts easily, runs well, and is easy to maintain,” the seller states. He includes a video showing operation. As he does not use the hyper-blender anymore, it’s ready for its next party animal.
POWERTRAIN
The 49-cc engine was made in China and uses a 25:1 fuel-oil mix that’s no longer allowed for emissions reasons. “Since the majority of available fuel mixes are 50:1, I always add a bit of castor oil to the fuel I purchase from a retailer,” the seller explains. “It’s better for the engine, and the castor oil smoke smells absolutely delicious!” He reports recent work including new fuel lines, the new battery tender, and a general clean-up.
Starting requires pushing a small primer bubble, sliding a choke lever, and pushing the starter button. “Twist the right handlebar to throttle it up and it will start promptly,” the seller says. “Let it warm up before cranking it up. It idles at about 2,500-3,000 rpm.” The seller affirms there are no leaks or weeps, just the sighs of disappointed party guests if you run out of fuel.
The centrifugal clutch engages the blender drive. The seller strongly suggests holding the blender lid down. “Otherwise at high rpm, it will fly off and spray everyone with what’s inside. It’s funny when it does that, but only for about a second.”
He also suggests draining residual fuel when finished then throttling it up to let it run dry. “The carburetor does better when you let the engine run dry before putting it away.”
EXTERIOR
The seller reports storing the Blendzilla indoors when not in use. He reports some wear on the metal surfaces, some scratches on the tabletop, and minor rust on the legs. Should car show judges get nitpicky, try bribing them with a drink.
https://www.hemmings.com/auction/2008-other-other-fl-682070
RETURN FROM ALASKA—
All ya’ll – the attached pic is from Glacier National Park on Going to the Sun road. If you’ve never done that ride, it is highly recommended! This was my second time, and I already want to go back.
My wife, Sherry, my buddy Mike and I are in Buffalo, Wyoming tonight. Tomorrow evening we’ll be home. It has been an AWESOME trip riding to Alaska and back. One for the books!
8000 miles, unbelievable scenery, challenging riding… and great memories. I LOVE RIDING MOTORCYCLES!!!
–Mark Buckner
MRF
KIPLING QUOTES–
“Beware of overconcern for money, or position, or glory. Someday you will meet a man who cares for none of these things. Then you will know how poor you are.” ~ Rudyard Kipling
“I keep six honest serving men (they taught me all i knew); Theirs names are What and Why and When And How And Where and Who.” ~ Rudyard Kipling
“A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition” ~ Rudyard Kipling
“There is no sin so great as ignorance. Remember this.” ~ Rudyard Kipling
“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.” ~ Rudyard Kipling
“He who faces no calamity gains no courage.” ~ Rudyard Kipling
“If you want something and don’t get it, there are only two reasons. You either really didn’t want it, or you tried to bargain over the price.” ~ Rudyard Kipling
“Believe the best of everybody.” ~ Rudyard Kipling
OKAY—So, life is nuts. Just ran into a new book ‘The Grip of Culture’, subtitled ‘The social psychology of climate change catastrophism’, is now published by Andy West. The topic seems to be heating up, but I fail to see any action or leadership supporting the truth. Don’t ever give in, I can’t.
In the meantime, I’m trying to get us registered for the BMST. I spoke to Drew Gatewood and then Delvene Manning. All is going to be sorted out.
I’ve made more progress on the trike with additional toe-in recommended by Dennis Manning and bolted down the seat. The trailer is labeled and our logos changed to South Dakota. Just two more items on the list plus the registration.
My VL, XA, FL Knucklehead project isn’t going to make it for the rally. The primary drive I choose from Cycle Tech has issues. Nothing seems to line up. I think it’s the transmission configuration and Billy from Cycle Tech or Tech Cycle has been most helpful.
Irish Rich and I worked on rear chain alignment. I had three PBI sprockets with varying offsets. We ended up reversing the deep sprocket and I was forced to machine it, exciting shit.
I also ordered shims and longer mounting studs for the bottom of the trans from McMaster Carr. They should be here today.
Since luscious fruit is available, here’s my breakfast. I can make it quick and return to work with a cup of coffee.
Catherine Palmer reminded me of our 5-Ball trophies and shot glasses, which were hand blown in San Pedro.
That’s Gearhead, the famous Bikernet fiction writer in the Chowderbarge in Wilmington having some delicious Chowder, natch.
Paul Davis sent me this shot of Joe Giovanni who was a leader in the women’s motorcycle movement and unfortunately passed too early. Great shot.
Don’t forget to join your local motorcycle rights group and continue to Ride Free Forever!
–Bandit
Homecoming Bikernet Weekly News for July 13th, 2023
By Wayfarer |
Hey,
Today suddenly turned significant. The Prism gang reminded me that today marks the first day of the Harley 120th Homecoming.
In the meantime, I’m trying to get us registered for the BMST. I spoke to Drew Gatewood and then Delvene Manning. All is going to be sorted out. My VL, XA, FL Knucklehead project isn’t going to make it for the rally.
Catherine Palmer reminded me of our 5-Ball trophies and shot glasses, which were hand blown in San Pedro.
Don’t forget to join your local motorcycle rights group and continue to Ride Free Forever!
–Bandit
Click Here to read this week’s News only on Bikernet.com
* * * *
