Hey,

In today’s harried world, of projects and priorities, requirements and finances, most of us can only focus on this week’s list of to-dos and obligations. But there are brothers all over the world who are raising families, building bikes, making runs and supporting our freedoms to ride. I know a few.

But we can never stop trying to stay focused and alert. So, what happened today? I’ve sent my dream resolution far and wide, and today Mike Rounds the Senator from South Dakota responded. See below. Keep your fingers crossed.



Bandit,

I wanted to let you know that your message regarding a proposed resolution from the Motorcycle Riders Foundation has been received and reviewed. Senator Rounds appreciates your concerns and values your input.

You raise important points, and I would like the opportunity to discuss your concerns in more depth if you are interested. Please feel free to call me at our Washington, D.C. office. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,
Lucas
Office of Senator Mike Rounds



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.







BUFFALO CHIP EVO ENTANGLEMENT SHOW SPONSORED BY BIKERNET.COM— Raised the Stakes:

• Best-of-Show won over $15,000.00 in prizes
• Presented by S&S Cycle with Show Hero Bill Dodge of Bling’s Cycles

As custom bike owners know, a few minutes of glory and bragging rights can be very gratifying. But what’s even better than that? Hardware, that’s what!

This show offers major hardware – in the form of an S&S complete engine, Paughco frame and Baker transmission – that Ryan Gore of Paper Street Customs took home as best-of-show winner at the 2nd annual Buffalo Chip Evo Entanglement Show, presented by S&S Cycle on Wednesday, August 10th. $15,000 worth of hardware.

That record-setting prize package included a complete S&S Cycle V-111 engine, a Paughco frame with tank and triple trees, and a Baker Drivetrain OD6 transmission. As if that’s not enough, a complete Cometic Gasket V-Twin kit and a Klotz Synthetic oil change were included.

“Prize packages of this magnitude are not common,” said Buffalo Chip owner Rod “Woody” Woodruff. “These are the major components for a builder’s next custom motorcycle!”

Sure, there’s only one best-of-show, but other classes and places weren’t left out of the bounty at the Evo Entanglement. All the big names of the V-Twin aftermarket opted in with high-value gift certificates and swag for the judges to award, including Saddlemen, Performance Machine, Progressive Suspension, Burly Brand, Wedge Fairing, GMA, BDL, NAMZ, Chop Docs, Drag Specialties and so many more.

Such as? Lowbrow Customs, Biltwell, Twin Power, Fat Baggers, Avon Grips and Avon Tyre – totaling almost $34,000.00 in prizes!

Name another bike show that can say that!

To manage the bounty, renowned builder Bill Dodge of Bling’s Cycles, with reps from S&S Cycle and Baker Drivetrain, assembled a panel of judges who know the ropes.

Winners were determined on merit and awarded their share appropriately.

The Evo Entanglement isn’t a typical bike show. As proof, new at the show in ’22 was an invitational showcase, the Evo Pro Show, comprised of bikes on display from legacy builders including Paul Yaffe, Bill Dodge, Taber Nash and S&S Marketing maven Jon Montgomery.

“For decades, these builders have appreciated the versatility, reliability and affordability of the Evo engine,” said show manager Marilyn Stemp. “The variety of builds provided inspiration and showed the possibilities of the Evo platform as a foundation for distinctive customs that are also reliable riders.

All this happened at the 2nd Annual Evo Entanglement Show at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip free access CrossRoads. It was free to enter the show and free to spectate.



Still need convincing to be there in 2023?

The first 100 to pre-register in 2022 received a FREE limited edition Mint Speed Shop flannel – a classy buffalo check yellow and black shirt with pearl snaps and distinctive logos. If you missed it this year, don’t let that happen next year.







GAS STOVE WARS–House passes bill to protect gas stoves

After months-long controversy sparked by the Biden administration’s proposed option to ban it, House Republicans passed a bill Tuesday to protect gas-powered stoves.

The Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act, introduced in March by North Dakota Congressman Kelly Armstrong, “prohibit[s] the use of Federal funds to ban gas stoves.” It passed the House early Tuesday evening by a 248-180 vote.

Now, it goes to the Senate. Good luck with that. Why doesn’t anyone have the balls to go after the core issue—Climate doom.

–Bandit





BILLY LANE SCORES A 1912 TWIN—

“Check out this 1929 JD with 1938 Crocker heads,” Billy said. “Stuart is building me a 2-cam bottom end for the Crocker top, then I plan to put my Rudge 8-valve top end on this ’29 bottom.”





SPEAKING OF ANTIQUE BIKES—

Mike Kane or the Fucking Asshole from Arizona and Sturgis, SD just bought this handmade 6-cylinder Excelsior-Henderson. It was for sale at the Dixon, CA swap meet.

–Charlie Rust





QUICK SEMA ALERT–Send a Letter to EPA Opposing Multipollutant Standards

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued proposed federal emissions standards for new motor vehicles model-years ’27 to ’32, which are intended to dramatically increase sales of electric vehicles (EVs).

The EPA estimates that 67% of new passenger vehicles sold in the U.S. would be EVs by 2032 under its proposed standards. SEMA has serious concerns with this proposal, which aggressively seeks to lower carbon emissions under timelines that effectively make electric vehicles the only option for automakers to meet its requirements. It ignores all of the other low and zero-emissions technologies under development and creates a damaging impact to small businesses.

We need your help! Please sign a letter opposing the EPA’s proposal. Feel free to personalize the letter and explain how the agency’s push to an all-electric future will impact your business.



This is what I wrote:

I write in opposition to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed multipollutant standards for light-and medium-duty vehicles (Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2022–0829). I have serious concerns with all three of the options included in the draft rulemaking, as the EPA seeks to lower carbon emissions under strict timelines. I’m sorry, but CO2 is not a pollutant. There is no climate emergency, and so the premise for all your rule-making is unjustified.

–Bandit







DIRECT FROM THE BIKERNET INTERNATIONAL NEWS BUREAU—

This is so f**up . The BEST is the popular public transport for the city of Mumbai second only to the local trains. Now this.

I am thinking of buying a petrol car before they start getting heavily taxed so as to promote e-cars
* * * 

Electric bus of BEST catches fire in depot; working to identify cause, says Tata Motors

An electric air-conditioned bus of the civic-run Brihan Mumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) caught fire while parked in a depot in suburban Mumbai at Malvani on Friday afternoon, an official said. Nobody was injured in the incident.

The bus, hired from a private contractor, had completed a 53 km run since Friday morning on route no 359 and arrived at the depot around 1 pm, the spokesperson said. ” Officials are investigating the cause of the fire,” he added. A civic official said the fire started in the AC unit installed on the roof of the bus around 2.55 pm.

Read full story at:
https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/electric-bus-of-best-catches-fire-in-depot-working-to-identify-cause-says-tata-motors/101057622

–International Correspondent
Bikernet.com™





SONNY HISTORY FOR SALE–

Way back in 1992 as the Editor of Hot Bike Magazine (Socal) I sent various magazine titles to Sonny when he was in prison (Arizona). Eventually the prison restricted certain titles such as Survival Guide and others because of their content.

Sonny wrote to me twice thanking me for the magazine he was able to receive. I have these letters in pristine condition from 1992.

I’m working on framing them with Sonny’s image and selling them.

Please feel free to google the name Buck Lovell….. my motorcycle photography is known worldwide for the last 45 years!!

–Buck Lovell
Former Editor of Hot Bike Magazine (early 1990s)

Lovell Photography & Design
B.L.A.B.B. (Buck Lovell’s American Biker Blog)
bucklovell@gmail.com / bucklovellsblog@gmail.com
(605) 490 2991





TEXAS WEATHER REPORT–

Saw the 4-Generations post on IG pretty cool!



Back in it again, this time fix the engine seal leak which I thought was going to be in backwards not telling the lower-end checker of the belt drive I didn’t think? I believe that is correct, so it just leaks.

I saw Irish Rich took a jockey set up off a customer or friends Shovelhead with electric. Was a Fab Kevin unit modified I’d guess? As I believe his site stated for rigid frame only? I did try to reach FK pre-covid but never heard back, as I don’t think he had any for the cow pie at the time.



I remember when this bike came out a buddy at Fort Hood had one, the black pull back risers was all I could afford! They are/were on the ‘76 Shovelhead rigid.



Ingenuity, when your impact still had power but needs the trigger rebuilt, and my Dayroll needs its 100,000 mile oil change & detailing. It’s melted on the other side from the Little Red Rigid headlight

–RFR

“Hot headlight?” –Bandit







TRIKE OF THE WEEK—1980 Stallion Custom Trikes











–Sam Burns
Trike Editor
Bikernet.com™







BORN-FREE SHOW THIS WEEKEND–

BAKER Drivetrain is a proud sponsor of the Born-Free Motorcycle Show. This year’s event will take place June 24-25 in Silverado, California.

Born-Free Motorcycle Show is the largest motorcycle event on the west coast. This two-day event welcomes anyone and everyone with a love for all motorcycles but focuses on vintage builds and custom performance bikes.

This show also raffles off two customized bikes every year. This year, the event will give away a fully customized 1991 FXR built by San Diego Customs on Saturday and a custom 1957 Panhead on Sunday. Don’t miss out on your chance to win one of these two bikes!







PAINTER OF THE WEEK—Len Scarola





–Sam Burns
Art Curator
Bikernet.com ™







MONTANA BANS CLIMATE IMPACT ASSESSMENTS– for Major Projects

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a new law barring state agencies from considering climate impacts in their analyses of large infrastructure projects and industrial developments such as mines, oil and gas leases, and power plants, when undertaking environmental impact analysis and permitting decisions.

The law, which originated as House Bill 971, “bars state regulators like the Montana Department of Environmental Quality from including analyses of greenhouse gas emissions and climate impacts, both within and outside Montana’s borders, when conducting comprehensive reviews of large projects,” the Montana Free Press reports.

Rep. Josh Kassmier (R-Fort Benton), who sponsored the legislation, said it is intended to rein in the judiciary, which had recently revoked a permit granted by the state to the NorthWestern Energy gas plant because of its alleged effect on climate change. Kassmier said the law reinforces the fact that it is the legislature, not the judiciary, that is authorized to make laws and set policies in the state.

Gianforte spokesperson Kaitlin Price issued a statement to the Montana Free Press explaining the governor’s support for the bill:

“House Bill 971 re-established the longstanding, bipartisan policy that analysis conducted pursuant to the Montana Environmental Policy Act does not include analysis of greenhouse gas emissions,” Price said. “The bill would allow evaluation of GHGs if it is required under federal law or if Congress amends the Clean Air Act to include carbon dioxide as a regulated pollutant.”

In the case of the Northwestern Energy gas power plant, the law seems to be having its intended effect. On June 8 the judge in the case reversed his order and reinstated the construction permit, citing a “changing legal landscape.”

Sources: Montana Free Press; Associated Press





CLASSIC FROM THE NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM—

John Parham’s 1955 Harley-Davidson FL Panhead

The year is 1979. At an Indiana swap meet a man and his wife find the Harley-Davidson of their dreams, a yellow 1955 FL Hydra-Glide. Putting together about all the money they had, including their IRS refund, they buy it a week later for more than they felt they bargained for. It’s restored once.

Five years later the Panhead burns in a fire at J&P Cycles. It gets restored again. In 1991 expenses at J&P Cycles get way out of control. A 1939 Harley and the yellow Pan are hocked to cover payroll and a delinquent bank loan payment.

Two years later, the Pan is bought back. This time for good, and it gets restored yet again to its original yellow. Some years back the late John Parham told the story. “The bike sort of tells the story of J&P Cycles. We started our swap meet and catalog business small, began to grow, got successful, then went out of control. The bike suffered ups and downs similar to those of our lives and our business, even kept us in business when money was tight.”



Those are the high points of John and Jill Parham’s lives with John’s favorite Harley-Davidson, and he owned many. Most know John and Jill as the founders of J&P Cycles.

Back in the 2010s, when asked how many Harleys he then owned, Parham said probably about 65, with some really great bikes including a 1908 “Strap Tank” Harley. In raw dollar value the yellow Panhead is well down the list in Parham’s collection of over 250 motorcycles, but Parham then offered, “While I have been lucky enough to gather many great, rarer and much more valuable bikes in my collection, the ’55 Pan has the greatest sentimental value to me; it ties to my life experiences with my wife Jill and also to the development of J&P Cycles.

Jill’s happy we got it restored back to its original yellow. I’m just happy to still own a bike that went through so many trials and tribulations with me, a bike that means so much to me.” The 1955 Harley-Davidson FL will remain in the family, going to John and Jill’s son Zach and then to the grandkids.

A new OHV big twin engine was first offered in 1948 in 61 and 74 cubic inch versions. Though the bottom end was little changed, for the first time in many years, the heads were cast from aluminum. In addition, the valve lifters were switched to hydraulic and lubrication as well as induction and combustion were improved. The distinctive valve covers are what led enthusiasts to refer to this engine as the “Panhead.”

The forks, headlight nacelle, dashboard, distinctive fenders, tombstone taillight and chrome speed stripes were among those components that received a re-design. In 1952, foot shifting became an option, in 1958 rear suspension became standard with the introduction of the Duo-Glide, and in 1965 electric starting came along with the Electra-Glide, the last model Panhead.

In 1966 a new OHV engine design came on line, the one we now refer to as the Shovelhead.

Though this fine yellow 55 Panhead will stay in the Parham family, hundreds of other motorcycles and thousands of pieces of memorabilia will be 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, to consign a vehicle or to register as a bidder for this and all Mecum events, visit Mecum.com, or call (262) 275-5050 for more information.







MEETING OF THE MINDS 2023–THE MRF LISTENS & MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

The Motorcycle Riders Foundation listens. Culminating 18 months of planning and fulfilment, the MRF ended Meeting of the Minds 2022 by reviewing input from over three hundred attendees.

Meeting of the Minds 2023 will reflect that the MRF listens and what we heard will make a difference in building the MRF and strong partner state motorcyclists’ rights organizations.

Bikers inside the Beltway 2023 was a total success because of the work the MRF does at the Meeting of the Minds addressing the needs of members and our partner SMROs. The feedback we received from MOTM 2022 put us on track with new workshops, more workshops, and new presenters with topical presentations.

This year, we added four workshops for a total of sixteen! Although some workshops are updates of annual presentations, we’ve added ten new presenters and a slew of new topics.

If you or your SMRO is social media challenged, meet Joy Mack. She’s a Twenty-First Century wizard who understands the challenges individuals and SMROs face when delving into social media. Her workshop — The Power of Social Media: A Catalyst for Recruitment — is tailored to putting the “social media challenged” into a comfort zone – and because we know her workshop will have high demand; we’re offering it twice!

Wondering why the MRF and our partner SMROs have such a high success rate on Capitol Hill and state legislatures? Meet Steve Panten, he and Dave Dwyer will provide attendees a few hundred ways on Building Effective Legislative Lobbying Efforts, another key to positive advocacy for motorcyclists’ rights.

Bikers inside the Beltway, Meeting of the Minds – the Motorcycle Riders Foundation –listening and making a difference.

The Meeting of the Minds – September 21-24, Red Lion Hotel, 4751 Lindie Road, Harrisburg, PA 17111. Use the QR codes below to register and make reservations or call 717-939-0720 and mention Motorcycle Riders Foundation 2023 Meeting of the Minds.

Thank you for your support of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation. We look forward to seeing you in Harrisburg at the 39th Annual Meeting of the Minds, Sept. 21-24, 2023.

Yours in Freedom,
–Fredric Harrell
MRF Director of Conferences & Events







[page break]



LEATHER WORKER OF THE WEEK— Didier Legrand of Lusanger, Pays De La Loire, France









–Sam Burns
Art Curator
Bikernet.com







LIFESTYLE CYCLES DEAL OF THE WEEK—2017 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLSTC HERITAGE SOFTAIL CRUISER 103 CI

URL; https://www.lifestylecycles.com/default.asp?page=xPreOwnedInventoryDetail&id=13923433

Stock# 13890



ONLY 4426 MILES!

Once every so often Lifestyle Cycles has a customer who will bring us something we have never seen before and this is one of those times where a FLSTC Heritage Softail blows us away on how well maintained and upgraded it has been! From the Paintjob to the Modifications this bike has it all and you best be first in line to own it today before it’s gone!



* A whopping 22-Inch Chrome Meathook Ape Hanger Handlebar setup!
* This bike is Throttle By Wire so no need for cable extensions
* Polished Steel Braided Clutch and Brake Cables
* Freedom Performance Dual Fishtail Exhaust
* Chrome ENgine Guard with Highway Pegs
* Chrome Saddlebag Guard
* 4 Point Docking Hardware
* LED Headlight and Turn Signals
* Harley Floorboards
* Dual Chrome Gear Shifters
* Immaculate Black Quartz factory Paintjob
* Harley Davidson Logo Brake Lever
* 21-Inch Chrome Spoke Front Rim and 18-Inch Chrome Spoke Rear Rim
* Harley Davidson 2 Seater with rider Backrest
* JL Audio SPeakers mounted to the Windshield
* 14.5-Inch Windshield
* Rockford Fosgate Speakers with AMP
* Absolutely clean and polished, no streaks, no scratches, just spotless!
* Avon Cobra White Wall Tires!



This bike has more than what we expected in modifications and we hope it will impress and stun you as much as it has us!

This bike is only $18,995

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.

Huge selection of Street Glides, Road Glides, Road Kings, Ultras, Sportsters, Softails, Dynas, and much more!

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/

–Richard Allstun
Marketing Director
Lifestyle Cycles
714.490.0155







NEW FROM WHEELS THROUGH TIME RESTORATION SHOP–The Time is Coming up fast!

One lucky winner will be riding home on this incredibly Historic 1937 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead Bobber. This year’s Raffle Bike is finished in H-D custom Silver, striped in Black, and edged in Gold. This 61c.i. Knucklehead powerhouse sports a 4-speed transmission, bobbed fenders, and Flanders accessory risers and bars, flaunting its authentic period-modified look and feel.

Don’t Miss your chance to own one of the best bikes to come out of the Wheels Through Time Restorations Shop!







Air-conditioned Cabins for Truck Drivers to Become Mandatory by 2025

Note: This is long overdue. Their critical role in logistics infrastructure was especially noted during the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing free distribution of rations and medical aid by the government — deliveries definitely enabled by trucks which are secondary only to the rail cargo transport.

Indian government mandates AC cabins for truck drivers from 2025, revolutionizing the industry. Improved comfort and safety for drivers on long journeys.

Truck drivers encounter many difficulties due to the long hours spent on the road, such as harsh weather conditions and a lack of appropriate rest areas. Recognizing these problems, the government has made this crucial move to give these committed workers a more comfortable workplace.

Aimed at reducing drivers’ exposure to extreme heat and cold weather conditions during their journeys it will also contribute to the drivers’ overall well-being and health. It aligns with Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ commitment to improving road safety across the country.

Read full story:
https://www.news18.com/auto/ac-cabins-for-truck-drivers-to-become-mandatory-by-2025-details-inside-8124109.html

International News Desk
Bikernet.com™





THE BIKERNET WEEKLY GUN NUT REPORT—

This week, two policy committees in the senate will hear anti-gun bills, including the gun tax bill

Please use the “Take Action” button below to contact committee members and ask them to OPPOSE these bills.

Take Action!

Senate Governance and Finance Committee on June 21st starting at 9:00AM

Assembly Bill 28 places an excise tax of 11% on the sales price of all firearms, firearm precursor parts, and ammunition.

Senate Public Safety Committee on June 20th starting at 8:30AM

Assembly Bill 725 expands California’s one-size-fits-all reporting mandate for lost or stolen firearms to also include precursor parts.

Thank you for taking action!

Yours in Freedom,

Ken Lan
Communications Coordinator
NRA-ILA
http://www.nrailafrontlines.com/







HARLEY-DAVIDSON LAUNCHES H-D MEMBERSHIP—

A NEW INDUSTRY-LEADING COMMUNITY PLATFORM AND MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM

The new program enables all motorcycle riders and moto-culture fans to connect, engage and ride with one another, while enjoying personalized benefits, rewards and experiences.

Building on the 40-year history and success of its Harley Owners Group, the largest factory-sponsored motorcycle club in the world with over 500,000 members, Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) today launched its new H-D Membership program. H-D Membership is an industry-leading community platform and membership program that will bring together riders and moto-culture fans under the United We Ride banner to connect, engage and ride with one another.

H-D Membership will allow riders and fans to enjoy a personalized experience of in-app social features, riding benefits and access to the Harley-Davidson brand like never before. H-D Membership is a new and positive hub for moto-culture – serving as inspiration to riders and non-riders alike.

H-D Membership will offer riders and non-riders new benefits to further unlock the benefits of the unique moto-culture community:

New app experience – The revamped H-D® app, now exclusive for members, has been designed to connect and engage with the wider community. Members can now explore new digital and social tools that enable sharing of experiences, and for members to learn and be inspired by each other. With the help of member profiles, member groups, ride planning and sharing and numerous other tools, members can engage both on and off the road, making these new offerings exciting additions to maximize the H-D experience.



Expanded benefits – H-D Membership provides high-value benefits both on and off the bike such as roadside assistance, motorcycle service, unique member products and more. Additionally, members gain access to exclusive benefits and special offers through collaborations with Hilton®, SiriusXM, AT&T, EagleRider Rentals, the Fuel Rewards program at Shell and Tentrr (two-wheel friendly camping).

Introduction of loyalty rewards – With the new H-D Membership program, members will earn points for purchases of H-D products at participating Harley-Davidson dealerships and online at H-D.com. Members will also earn rewards for engaging with the community by sharing great content, riding together, attending events and completing challenges. Members who also hold the Harley-Davidson® Visa® card can earn even more points and enjoy extra redemption options and benefits.

H-D Membership is free for all participants, offering multiple ways for members to tailor their experiences, engage with the H-D community and earn rewards. Members who look to further enhance their H-D experience and benefit package may elect to add the Access Pass, for riders and non-riders, with exclusive access to key brand events and content as well as benefits such as enhanced rewards and partner benefits. Another option is the Rider Pass which includes tools, content, and benefits such as roadside assistance, motorcycle service benefits and partner benefits to enhance the riding experience.

To learn more about H-D Membership, please visit h-d.com/membership.





ROAD REPORT—A brother sent me this report on his run:

Rode through Banff and Jasper yesterday. Beautiful Country but some stretches with cold rain. Left Hinton, Alberta this morning in steady rain headed for Dawson Creek, British Columbia. Got caught is a freak snowstorm, so bad we had to stop on the side of the road. Way too dangerous to ride.

Back on track in Dawson. Ben and Sheila broke off and headed back to Colorado. Mike and I steered north to Alaska along the Laird River, B.C.

“You got me, but a great shot”.–Bandit





BUFFALO CHIP ANNUAL RIDE–

Ride and rub elbows with some of the biggest names in the biz during the 16th annual Legends Ride presented by Progressive!

The Buffalo Chip’s Legends Ride is the heart of the motorcycle community in one big ride, raising charity funds for several area charities. The Ride that Rocks™ has hosted bikers from all over the world, including some of the biggest names in social media, television and streaming broadcasts, movies, music, motorcycling, and political leadership.

This 50-mile ride defines beauty as you travel alongside celebrities and builders through the scenic Black Hills from Historic Deadwood to the gates of the Sturgis Buffalo Chip. Learn more at legendsride.com!





FLYING PISTON BENEFIT BREAKFAST Sponsored by BIKERNET.COM—And Auction!

The Flying Piston breakfast was builder oriented at one time, but it’s morphed into a serious fantastic Auction Breakfast raising funds for Kids Ride Programs and Veterans through Motorcycle Missions. We will cover various builds every week and the builders who dedicated their resources and time.

Two groups of customized Strider bikes will offer up six bikes apiece. Strider supplies the bikes and six schools will put their teams and visions to work. Another six bikes are customized by leading bike builders all over the country.



Check this week’s school effort out:

We have an amazing teacher who really embraces authentic projects. Please know this build is not done. Kenny Marshall and his students have put in well over 150 hours from the design through fabrication process.



Students’ used the equipment in the Pine Bush High School Gene Haas Innovation Center which included: Haas Mills, Waterjet, 3D printers, laser cutter, wood CNC, and other tools.



The finished product is going to be even more impressive.



–Aaron Hopmayer
Pine Bush Schools







SIDECAR BIKE OF THE WEEK–







–Sam Burns
Sidecar Curator



BIKERNET READER COMMENT—SPRING HAS SPRUNG BIKERNET WEEKLY NEWS for June 15th, 2023. (click here to read it)

We received a complaint on Rogue’s Gloria Struck story from a close friend of hers and mine… “Miss gloria has never not paid her dues in 77 years. Her daughter was getting chemo and missed the deadline to sign up for their convention.”

–Anonymous Contributor





DIME BAG EMPIRE SETTING UP NEW SHOP—

Been working inside and out at the shop on Route 66 in Atlanta. Started working on front windows and getting more done.

Got my 1968 Toro aluminum cast lawnmower, the original Tecumseh motor was the first to be started in this 50s watchmakers shop. So got the tree trimmed down to take out stump and cleaned the backyard to mow. Getting a new post installed to fix the fence as well.



Started this handmade leather seat for a JD Harley custom build. Going with oil dye and Angelus paint. Got brass eyelets and more leather ordered to finish this handmade seat.

Got a ton of fresh ideas for custom leather saddles that will be available to purchase starting at $350 for all leather, and $850 for hand-tooled art and plus shipping. These fit early hardtail Harleys, aftermarket custom frames.

Call/text 309-262-9345 to order, Thanks!

–Adam Croft







THE MAGNIFICENT BIKERNET.COM 100-WORD FICTION CONTEST–

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?

We are glad to announce the winner for May 2023 is Steven Sanner for his 100 words adventure “Been There Done That.”

In 100 words, Steven shares a deja vu experience that is the stuff of urban legends among bikers who ride long distances regularly.

You can read all the entries at:
https://www.bikernet.com/pages/100_Word_Fiction_Contest.aspx

Steven wins a fantastic goodie bag full of Bikernet gifts, signed Bandit books and swag. Don’t miss your chance. The June winner will be announced in a couple of weeks.

Don’t ever stop riding or writing…

–Wayfarer
Bikernet Competition Director







CUSTOM BIKE OF THE WEEK—CB1100









–Sam Burns
Feature Biker Editor
Bikernet.com™







ATTENTION ALL GOLD RUSHERS–

Gold Rush reservations are now available to purchase for the Fowlerville, MI and Bloomville, OH Rodeos.

Get yours today!

Attention All Vendors

The 2023 Easyriders Rodeos are just around the corner, and you don’t want to miss the opportunity to showcase your products at the original Easyriders Motorcycle Rodeo! This event will attract thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts for a weekend of camping, dirt track motorcycle rodeo competition, live concerts, and more. As a part of the biker rally, we are seeking the best motorcycle-lifestyle related vendors from all over the country, and with limited vendor space, it’s important to sign up today!

If you have any used motorcycle parts lying around, you can also take advantage of our special pricing in the “Used Parts Corral” and turn those unused parts into cash instead of collecting dust in your shop.

If you have any questions shoot us an email at info@easyridersevents.com

Complete vendor and event information can be found at EasyridersEvents.com





WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA–and Patriot Guard Riders Inc. Enter Partnership

Nonprofits agree to work together to help support common missions for veterans and their families.

Today, national nonprofit Wreaths Across America (WAA) is proud to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Patriot Guard Riders (PGR) in an effort to build a stronger awareness for each group’s common missions while supporting events throughout the nation.

Founded in 2007, and headquartered in Columbia Falls, Maine, WAA is best known for its annual wreath-laying ceremonies each December. The organization’s yearlong mission is to Remember the fallen, Honor those who serve, and Teach the next generation the value of freedom. Now in nearly 4,000 communities across the country, WAA volunteers are committed to sharing the mission through education and stories of service and success.

Founded as a national nonprofit in 2005 to shield families of fallen heroes from those that would disrupt the services of their loved ones, the Patriot Guard Riders has grown to include thousands of members across all 50 states. As the organization’s membership has grown, so has the scope of its mission. PGR also honors first responders as well as military veterans.

Additionally, the organization has an active Help on The Homefront (HOTH) program, which aids our veterans and their families.

The signed MOU between the two groups focuses on engagement with PGR members and WAA volunteers to create opportunities for joint community service activities that bring awareness to both groups’ missions.

PGR will expand its participation in the WAA Group Sponsorship Program – there are already more than 120 PGR groups participating nationwide – which raises awareness and sponsorships to place wreaths and support programming while offering PGR an option for fundraising for the important work they do in their communities year-round.

“Since WAA was founded, Patriot Guard Riders have been involved in the mission and its members play an important part in ensuring respect for our veterans and their families,” said Karen Worcester, executive director of WAA. “Our combined efforts will no doubt help to shape and inform the next generation of patriots.”

National President of PGR, Bob Dorey said, “Our membership is very supportive of the families of the fallen, as is Wreaths Across America! We are looking forward to working more collaboratively as we support these families and remember and honor their loved ones.”

This year, National Wreaths Across America Day will take place on Saturday, December 16, 2023, at over 3,700 participating locations nationwide. “The experience of placing a wreath at the final resting place of one of our nation’s veterans and understanding the healing that this simple gesture has for so many families and the opportunity it provides to share the stories of these heroes, makes this an important partnership,” Bob concluded.





[page break]



STURGIS MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM CONTROVERSY–

The world’s first documented & verified million mile motorcycle, with its exhibit was put into storage during the last week in March2023 at the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame, in Sturgis South Dakota.

This was apparently done ironically, but hopefully unintended during the Vietnam Veteran Appreciation Week. This officially celebrated the 50th Anniversary, which officially ended America’s combat operations in Vietnam on March 29, 2023.

The Vietnam War was not officially ended until April 30, 1975. For many surviving Vietnam Veterans & loved ones who still survive – these next 2 years are rough times. We feel deeply for the Afghanistan, Iraq Veterans & their families.

The Veteran, patriotic & motorcycle community is well represented at this exhibit. The general public deserves to appreciate the mystique, heritage & nostalgia represented in this Million-Mile Motorcycle exhibit.

This whole situation can indeed be a blessing in disguise for us all!!

AMAZING FACTS & FEATS
Since 2009 when this exhibit was created, Sturgis Museum staff often said they were more requests to see this individual motorcycle than all the other motorcycles combined!

Apache Tear stones with personally signed business cards are offered free. Also signed bundled US flags with Hupy & Abraham. News briefs celebrating world Million Mile record event, April 4, 2009 (in saddlebags). on the 5,000 to 8,000 business cards distributed yearly, depicted in the Charitable Causes with Charisma section is Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame, also Crazy Horse stone monument.

We will cover more accolades for Dave Zien and his historic motorcycle in the near future.

The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum is located in one of the original Sturgis Post Office buildings, which is very small and forced the staff to move motorcycles around to create new exhibits. Dave’s Million-Mile Motorcycle and his accomplishments will be back, but this brings up an ongoing Museum effort, expansion.

With the needed funds, the board of directors could buy additional buildings on the block and expand the museum’s foot print and exhibits.

Please contact the museum if you can help.

–Dave Zien 715-829-9436
davezien@gmail.com
Eau Claire, Wi 54703







COMMON GOALS & MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING —

MOTORCYCLISTS’ RIGHTS ACTIVISTS MEET

Phoenix, Arizona – Eleven motorcyclists’ rights activists representing the National Coalition of Motorcyclists, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, and four motorcycle clubs took time away from the NCOM annual convention to meet in a closed-door session to discuss differences and focus on common goals.

With a joint willingness to acknowledge a tumultuous past but not allow the past to detract from the need to work toward the commonalities of mutually recognized issues effecting the future of motorcycling, the goals were quickly acknowledged and unanimously agreed upon: Profiling, Right to Repair, Renewable Fuels, Autonomous Vehicles, Emission Regulations, Definition of a Motorcycle, Crash Avoidance, support of SB 202 Internal Combustion Bill of Rights were accepted from the MRF’s 2023 top legislative goals.

The issues that have historically divided NCOM and the MRF took more time to address. Once introductions were made, meeting moderator Kansas Tim, was clear with the direction the meeting needed to take during and after it adjourned.

The pace of the closed-door, limited attendance meeting was motivated by a newly elected NCOM board of directors, plus organizational leadership’s willingness to meet. Ground rules were quickly established when the moderator outlined a list of issues that suppressed trust and even prevented working together. Overcoming distrust was reviewed and addressed with mutual assurance that both MRF and NCOM would “pick up the phone” regularly instead of relying on emails and third-party communications.



An agreement to encourage organization liaisons to attend meetings of respective leadership boards was also agreed upon. Welcome invitations to the respective board meetings would be forthcoming.

Acknowledgement and attribution for an organization’s accomplishments provoked the most heated discussions. In a spirit of fostering a positive relationship between NCOM and the MRF, acknowledgement and attribution will continue to be a high-priority item for both NCOM and the MRF.

Ending the meeting between the National Coalition of Motorcyclists and the Motorcycle Riders Foundation with a photo op and a mutual commitment to work together, words taken from the NCOM event program summed up that commitment: “forging relationships and fostering communications to present a united front against our common enemies and in support of common ground.”

–Fred Harrel
MRF







The Angry American Nation Podcast Premieres Wednesday, June 21st

Chris Weatherman, also known as ANGERY AMERICAN, is the popular author of twenty-two published works, including USA Today Best Sellers Forsaking Home and Resurrecting Home. His books include the Survivalist Series, a sensational hit that began with the first book in the series, Going Home, and has sold more than one million copies worldwide.

His latest work, Charlie’s Requiem: Contagion, co-authored with Walt Browning is the 5th installment in the “Charlie” series and launched on June 6th, 2023. Contagion is an intense, high-stakes, action-packed fiction tale that follows protagonist Charlie, as she and her confidants strive to survive in a post-apocalyptic world.



Premiering today, The Angery American Nation Podcast is hosted and led by Weatherman, aka Angery American. Some panelists include Bob “T” Toombs of Mountain Readiness, Seaux Larreau (former Green Beret), and Imri Morgenstern of Prime Combat Training.

In this weekly podcast, Weatherman and his dynamic selection of guests address the issues affecting America, with a unique blend of humor, insight, and unabashed honesty. The podcast delves into a wide range of topics including politics, social issues, current events, survival, and self-reliance.

The panelists engage in lively discussions, challenging conventional wisdom, and encouraging listeners to question the status quo. By fostering a platform for open dialogue and diverse perspectives, the Angery American Nation Podcast aims to spark critical thinking, inspire action, and contribute to a more informed and engaged citizenry.

Listeners can find the podcast on the following platforms:

Watch LIVE:

Livestreams – Wednesdays at 8 PM Eastern: youtube.com/@angery-american

Listen to the Podcast:

Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/angery-american-nation-podcast/id1692972936

Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/0z0iCh8P608cDfddXmwuls

Amazon Music/ Audible: music.amazon.com/podcasts/572b0482-803c-4a76-ac29-2810032add2c





ANOTHER FLYING PISTON AUCTION TINY BIKES REVEALED–Jessi Combs Tiny Strider Build

This is the Jessi Combs Tiny Strider Build tribute bike that is created by the Jessi Combs Foundation (JCF) team. This tribute Tiny Custom Strider build includes many distinguished “Jessi” elements.

Jessi Combs Tiny Strider Build for 2023 Flying Pistons Benefit – kicks off Sunday Aug. 6th, 8:30-11AM @ Buffalo Chip

The build incorporates her signature polka dots, the blue streak in her hair, and feathers which she often wore. They extracted the “J” of Jessi’s authentic signature to form the lower bar bends and inlaid her iconic initials as a gold seal. The overall aesthetic is a nod to the design of Jessi’s original tiny Strider built for the Flying Piston Benefit. This includes flipping the frame to laced leather accents.

We are proud of the skills the JCF scholarship women showcased and included:

• Welding
• Fabrication
• Custom paint
• Leather work

A big thank you all for the opportunity to participate in such a meaningful way, and we hope the bike will bring in high bidders to support All Kids Bike!” said Kayce Smith, Jessi Combs Foundation.



JCF Scholarship Team build participants:

@theoriginalhannah – Hannah Stout (Class of 2020)
@ladylandzoe – Zoe Carmichael (Class of 2021)
@21_bogues – Kaygen Bogle (Class of 2022)







NEW FROM THE PRISM GANG—

Winner gets 1000! Who can install every H-D Pan America part first? Watch Jake and Mitch try to read directions as they race to install a bunch of OEM H-D parts and accessories on the Pan Americas.

See who wins the install race & let us know what you think about the parts we installed!





MAYBE A JAM AND VIBE SEQUEL–

Meanwhile — read Jam and Vibe on Bikernet at:

Black Cocaine — modified drug to avoid detection

What is black cocaine and how does it evade detection?

Read it at:
https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/trends/what-is-black-cocaine-and-how-does-it-evade-detection-10839991.html

–Wayfarer


Deliveries of Keeway’s rival to Hunter 350 commences on 17 June

To create hype, the brand is executing the deliveries in an interesting format. It has announced a lucky draw for the first 500 deliveries of the motorcycle, amongst which five lucky buyers will get 100 percent cashback on the ex-showroom price!

Moreover, Keeway is also launching a new ‘My SR My Way’ online platform through which new buyers will be able to customise their motorcycles with different colours.

Refer: https://keeway-india.com/

Read more at:
https://www.msn.com/en-in/autos/news/deliveries-of-keeway-s-hunter-350-rival-to-commence-on-17-june/ar-AA1cCGkt

Wayfarer’s Note: Keeway — a formerly Hungarian motorcycle & scooter company now owned by Chinese giant Qianjiang Motors, launches competition for Royal Enfield Hunter 350. Will they survive this highly competitive market which is getting crowded and currently dominated by Enfield? BTW: Enfield was the first company in India to offer customization of motorcycle and accessories including apparel through their “Make It Yours” program.

Qianjiang of course is the company that sells the 353 cc Harley-Davidson motorcycle in China and the formerly Italian brand Benelli is also owned by this Chinese automotive major.






STURGIS MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM AND HALL OF FAME FREEDOM FIGHTER ANNOUNCEMENT–

Motorcycle Riders Foundation board member Russell Radke is set to be inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame this August.

Russell is the International Vice President of Soldiers for Jesus Motorcycle Club. He was also an active supporter of the Southern Nevada Confederation of Clubs and a committed member of the Nevada Association of Concerned Motorcyclists lobbying team and he has worked diligently with the National Council of Clubs.

Russell’s commitment to motorcyclists’ rights has not wavered, he relentlessly encourages all motorcyclists to join the endeavor to protect their rights. Russell’s commitment, plus calm, and persistent way of encouraging involvement, has a way of bringing out commitment within others.

In 2014, Russell’s dedication to motorcyclists’ rights was recognized when he was elected to the Motorcycle Riders Foundation’s board of directors as the Representative for Motorcycle Clubs (“Club Dude”). With his persistent “encouragement” he has met with members of Congress and has repeatedly encouraged them to sign onto legislation that those with less determination would have given up on. Russell is a tenacious Freedom Fighter.

Through Russell Radke’s dedication to motorcyclists’ rights, the threat against something we love is lessened. Motorcycle clubs are more united with the goals of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation and through it all, Russell remains a strong and respected member of his club and the motorcycling community. All along remaining true to his conscience and his family.

Congratulations Russell!







INDIA CITY LAW--Chandigarh city to stop registering non-EV two-wheelers from July, cars from December

As per the policy, the number of non-electric two-wheelers that can be registered in the Union Territory this fiscal year is fixed at 6,202, while the limit for non-electric four-wheelers stands at 22,626.

(Fiscal year in India is from 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024.)

Read full story at:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/auto/news/chandigarh-to-stop-registering-non-ev-two-wheelers-from-july-cars-from-december-heres-why/articleshow/100891109.cms

–International Correspondent
Bikernet.com





BAKER DRIVETRAIN—Dealer of the Week. Motorcycle Clinic – Celebrating 50 Years!

Kissimmee, Florida-based Motorcycle Clinic celebrates its 50th anniversary! As industry veterans with 50 years behind them, they have a few tips for other shops. They’ve done everything from contributing to the Fatboy manufacturing for the Terminator 2 3-D ride at Universal Studios to helping with motorcycle testing in court cases. Discover more about this accomplished shop by clicking on the link below.







INDIAN MOTORCYCLE RACING WINS BIG AT DUQUOIN MILE WITH THRILLING PERFORMANCE BY JARED MEES

Reigning SuperTwins Champion Continues Gaining Momentum as he Hunts for Ninth-Career Grand National Championship

In a thrilling Father’s Day weekend at the DuQuoin Mile in DuQuoin, Illinois, Indian Motorcycle Racing and reigning SuperTwins Champion Jared Mees secured their third-consecutive win of the 2023 American Flat Track (AFT) season. The win marks Mees’ fifth of the season and 26th-career Mile victory.

In the night’s Main event, it was Mees and rival, Dallas Daniels, along with Briar Bauman and Indian Motorcycle privateer Brandon Robinson, who gave fans a thrilling four-man showdown. While the pack endured a bar-to-bar battle throughout the race, frequently exchanging passes, it was Mees who crossed the checkered flag first, just .033 seconds ahead of Robinson.

“Jared and team have done an incredible job setting up the FTR750 for Mile races this season, as displayed through the team’s three consecutive Mile victories,” said Gary Gray, Vice President Racing, Service & Technology for Indian Motorcycle. “Now halfway through the season, just nine points back from the top of the leaderboard, Mees is primed to carry this momentum and make a strong push at securing a record-tying ninth-career championship.”

Marking his 26th-career Mile victory, the win broke a three-way tie between Mees and former racing icons Bubba Shobert and Bryan Smith, giving Mees the third most Mile wins of all time.

Now with 189 points, Mees continues to chip away and close the gap behind SuperTwins points leader Daniels, who has three wins and 198 points on the year. The 2023 American Flat Track season continues June 24 for the Lima Half-Mile at the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, OH.

For more information on Indian Motorcycle Racing, visit IndianMotorcycle.com and follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.





THIS JUST IN– FYI- Yesterday a group of Republican Senators introduced a bill that mirrors the House bill, protecting the internal combustion engine.

The Preserving Choice in Vehicles Act will limit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from issuing Clean Air Act (CAA) waivers for state policies seeking to ban or otherwise limit the sale of internal combustion engines. This legislation would preserve consumer choice and maintain competition in the automotive markets by ensuring Americans have access to reliable and affordable vehicles.

Clearly something we should reach out to Sen. Rounds on.

9 Senators on it now.
Mullin (OK)
Marshall (KS)
Ricketts (NE)
Barrasso (WY)
Cruz (TX)
Cramer (ND)
Sullivan (AK)
Wicker (MS)
Hoeven (ND)

Bill doesn’t even have a number yet, but certainty something the MRF will be pushing with Senators. After our event in May we saw a dozen House members join the House version of the bill.

–Rocky







THE AMERICAN PRIME REPORT–Inexpensive Performance!! Great Quality.

The CV (constant velocity) carburetor was standard equipment on many Harley’s from the late ‘80’s to the late ‘90’s. It was also available as a performance upgrade with a larger venturi. These CV carbs were easy to tune and also adaptable to changes in altitude.

Inexpensive Performance!!
Great Quality.



FEELING A TAD OVERWHELMED—I’m fighting a bad tooth issue and my Dentist is out of town. Still trying to fly through shit without spending too many precious greenbacks.



Remember Mike and Vickie. Mike passed with their house torn up. Vickie was left trying to hold it together. Irish Rich is putting Mike’s bike back together. I came up with the shifter. I’m working with Laban to fix the electric issues in their Sturgis home and Wolf plumbing to hook up the kitchen faucets. Vickie is installing cabinets and the kitchen counter. It’s coming…

She’s doing a helluva job!



My Salt Torpedo list is daunting. I ordered a spare front tire from Mickey Thompson Racing at $200 to take to Bonneville. I need to work on a report about the Torpedo and VL, XA, FL project build.



I’m going to see Scott Jacobs Monday to see if he wants to sell my books and maybe my new spirit bells in his gallery.



Here’s the new 5-Ball racing trailer. And of course, I had to mess with it. I coated the bare plywood with Thompson’s clear weather seal and screwed in some strap hangers.





Quick signs changed out our logos from So Cal to South Dakota. Thinking about adding some to the trailer. The trailer came with a flat plate under the jack, so I added a wheel and a made a tool for turning it. With four wheels, it doesn’t like to turn by hand.





Paul Cox reached out with a tracking number for the Knucklehead primary drive. It’s on its way. That will cement the next report.

There you have it. There’s always hope, leadership and inspiration, just gotta look for it.

Ride Fast and Free Forever!

–Bandit

Named the Official Wine of the Sturgis Buffalo Chip, this specially-labeled Cabernet Sauvignon is now available for online orders.

Temecula, Calif. – June 20, 2023 – MotoDoffo Wines, a moto-inspired division of family-owned Doffo Winery located in Temecula, California, has officially released its limited edition “Rally Red” wine ahead of this year’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. This specially-labeled Cabernet Sauvignon is now available for online orders and will be featured throughout the Sturgis Buffalo Chip’s bars during the rally.

“The first-ever MotoDoffo Rally Red is here!” shares MotoDoffo Winemaker and CEO, Damian Doffo. “With a powerhouse grape like Cabernet Sauvignon inside the bottle and a bold image of an American v-twin motorcycle on the label, we feel we’ve really captured the spirit of the Rally with this wine.”

Made 100% from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes harvested in the Fall of 2019 from Doffo Winery’s Temecula, California vineyards, the Rally Red is an approachable, easy-to-drink wine that goes well with a wide variety of dishes or can be enjoyed on its own.

The unique label artwork celebrates good times with a massive burnout at the legendary Buffalo Chip. Limited to just 1,500 bottles produced, each bottle’s back label features a serial number and a quote from Buffalo Chip founder Rod “Woody” Woodruff: “Ride free. Take risks. You deserve the best.”

The MotoDoffo Rally Red is available now at Doffo Winery in Temecula, CA and from the winery’s online shop at shop.doffowines.com. Visit www.motodoffo.com for more on MotoDoffo Wines, lifestyle apparel, motorcycle collection, and visitation information.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Tell ’em Bikernet.com Sent Ya !!

Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish

Industry & Legislative Motorcycle News from USA and the world

THIS MONTH IN THE NCOM NEWSBYTES:

• CORNHUSKERS REMOVE LID LAW
• WASHINGTON STATE TO PROTECT VULNERABLE ROAD USERS
• EUROPEAN MOTORCYCLE MARKET EXPERIENCING DOUBLE-DIGIT GROWTH
• FIRST-EVER WOMEN’S RACING CHAMPIONSHIPS COMING
• DUCATI HONORED BY ITALIAN POSTAGE STAMP
• RIDER SETS DISTANCE RECORD
• NEW RECORD SET FOR MOST COUNTRIES VISITED IN A DAY BY MOTORCYCLE
• ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE PARITY ACT
• BIPARTISAN CALL TO RE-ESTABLISH MAC (Motorcyclist Advisory Committee) AS REQUIRED BY LAW

Click Here To Read this Month’s NCOM Newsbytes on Bikernet.com

National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) News provides updates on motorcycle industry, market, legislation, rights of bikers, motorcyclists in USA, and motorcycle news from around the world.

The National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) is a nationwide motorcyclists rights organization serving over 2,000 NCOM Member Groups throughout the United States, with all services fully-funded through Aid to Injured Motorcyclist (AIM) Attorneys available in each state who donate a portion of their legal fees from motorcycle accidents back into the NCOM Network of Biker Services (www.ON-A-BIKE.com / 800-ON-A-BIKE).

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Rest assured, our coverage is comprehensive…yet revealing. Subscribe now! Click & Go!

 

 

 

Let’s fill the streets with motorcycles and scooters tomorrow, June 19th! Show the world you rode by flooding social media with your photos and videos!

Here’s a short interview about Ride to Work Day from a popular blog site:
‘5 Questions to Andy Goldfine about Ride to Work Day’ (Click Me)

We hope you’ll be able get out and ride somewhere this Monday, even if only for a short errand. Have fun.

Note about the 2024 day (and following years):
Because the recently established United States federal holiday of Juneteenth is the same day as the current RTW Day, because many business and government entities now close on this day, and because RTW Day is about riding to work (as well as for utility transportation), starting in 2024 RTW Day will annually be on the Second Tuesday in June. This day is chosen because: A) it breaks up the workweek better than a Monday day does (RTW Day is a demonstration day), and B) because a midweek day is more likely to receive media coverage than a Monday or Friday.

Ride to Work Day, a 501 c4 nonprofit organization, can be reached at:
1730 West Superior St, Duluth, Minnesota, 55806 USA
https://www.ridetowork.org
218 722 9806 / info@ridetowork.org

* * * * * * * *

Follow Bikernet Free Weekly Newsletter to get latest Motorcycling news, updates, reviews, tech, tips, & lot of fun. Click here & take a test ride.

CORNHUSKERS REMOVE LID LAW
“Nebraska becomes 33rd state to repeal mandatory helmet law!” blasts a headline across the top of the ABATE of Nebraska website (www.abatene.com), heralding the passage of Legislative Bill 91; which was amended to transportation measure LB138, overwhelmingly approved 30-5 and then signed into law by Governor Jim Pillen (R) on June 1, 2023.

“Glad to have played a role in allowing the riders of Nebraska to ride free,” Facebooked State Senator Ben Hansen (R-Blair) who carried LB 91 through the unicameral legislature, touting that people should be free to decide if they want to take the risk of riding without a helmet.

Under Sen. Hansen’s bill, any motorcyclist or passenger over age 21 who has completed a basic certification course by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation would be able to ride without a helmet, effective on January 1, 2024.

Riders from out of state could also ride without a helmet if they have taken an equivalent course and carry proof of completion. The bill would also require riders and passengers to wear protective glasses or have a windshield on their bikes.

CALIFORNIA SENATE APPROVES EXEMPTION FOR SIKH RIDERS FROM HELMET LAW
Sikhs and others whose faith requires them to wear a turban or patka could soon be allowed to ride motorcycles in California without a helmet as mandated by state law, as the State Senate voted 21-8 on June 1st to grant a religious exemption for the headwear.

“Freedom of religion is a core foundation of this country,” said State Senator Brian Dahle (R-Bieber), who sponsored Senate Bill 847. “We, as Americans, have the right to freely express our religion and I believe that right should equally extend to everyone.”

Sikh turbans and patkas are considered articles of faith for believers.

“Although other countries and our own military make accommodations for Sikhs’ deep beliefs, out of the U.S. states that require helmets, none has exemptions for Sikhs or any other group based on religious practice,” according to Sen. Dahle. SB 847 now moves to the Assembly.

WASHINGTON STATE TO PROTECT VULNERABLE ROAD USERS
House Bill 1112, signed into law on May 16, 2023 by Washington Governor Jay Inslee (D) creates a new gross misdemeanor penalty for negligent drivers who kill “vulnerable user victims,” which can include pedestrians, cyclists, and people riding tractors, horses or motorcycles on the roadway.

The traffic infraction of negligent driving in the second degree with a vulnerable user victim is renamed negligent driving with a vulnerable user victim in the second degree, and effective January 1, 2025, following a public awareness campaign, the scope of the infraction will be modified: A person commits the infraction if the person “operates a vehicle in a manner that is both negligent and endangers or is likely to endanger any person or property, and proximately causes great bodily harm or substantial bodily harm of a vulnerable user of a public way.”

Negligent driving with a vulnerable user victim is punishable by up to 365 days in jail, a $5,000 fine which may not be reduced below $1,000, or both. A person convicted of this crime will also lose their driving privileges for 90 days.

The bill was a bipartisan effort by State Rep. Paul Harris (R-Vancouver) and will allow judges, at their discretion, to hold negligent drivers to greater accountability and impose criminal penalties to protect vulnerable victims of accidents.

ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE PARITY ACT
U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Bob Casey Jr. (D-PA) announced that they would introduce the Electric Motorcycle Parity Act in the Senate which, if enacted, would expand available tax credits to riders who purchase qualifying electric motorcycles in the U.S. with the same qualifications required for four-wheeled electric vehicles that previously passed into law as part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

In the United States, electric motorcycle purchases that met certain conditions were previously eligible for tax credits before the 2022 calendar year, but unfortunately for riders those tax credits expired at the end of 2021. Although some individual states have opted to offer tax incentives for electric motorcycles purchased in 2022 and 2023, nothing has existed at the federal level for the past year and a half.

According to Sens. Casey and Baldwin, the Electric Motorcycle Parity Act of 2023 would make vehicles with fewer than four wheels (potentially two- and even three-wheeled vehicles) eligible for the clean vehicle tax credit that is part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which awards up to $7,500 to customers if both the vehicle and the taxpayer meet certain requirements.

BIPARTISAN CALL TO RE-ESTABLISH MAC AS REQUIRED BY LAW
Several members of the U.S. House of Representatives are urging Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to re-establish the Motorcyclist Advisory Committee (MAC). The MAC was supposed to be re-established within 90 days of the Motorcyclist Advisory Council Reauthorization Act of 2021 becoming law, expanding membership seats to include manufacturers, motorcyclists rights organizations and safety professionals, yet over a year has passed since its enactment with no action thus far by the DOT.

In the joint letter to the Transportation Secretary, the group of Congressmembers write in part; “Unfortunately, despite the requirement that the MAC be established within 90 days of enactment it appears no such action has been taken. While we understand the many priorities you manage at the Department of Transportation, this critical Council must be instated to ensure the safety of motorcyclists.”

“DANGEROUS” AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES
A former federal transportation safety advisor warns, “It’s very dangerous for motorcycles to be around Teslas” in a Washington Post article acknowledging the vehicle’s Autopilot driver-assistance program “has been involved in far more crashes than previously reported.”

The June 10 article notes that “The number of deaths and serious injuries associated with Autopilot also has grown significantly… The most recent data includes at least 17 fatal incidents,” with four of those involving a motorcycle.

Last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened two consecutive special investigations into fatal crashes involving Tesla vehicles and motorcyclists.

Former NHTSA senior safety adviser Missy Cummings, now a professor at George Mason University’s College of Engineering and Computing, called the surge in Tesla crashes “troubling” and said the number of fatalities compared to overall crashes was also a concern.

An uptick in crashes coincides with Tesla’s aggressive rollout of Full Self-Driving, which has expanded from around 12,000 users to nearly 400,000 in a little more than a year. In February, Tesla issued a recall of more than 360,000 vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving over concerns that the software prompted its vehicles to disobey traffic lights, stop signs and speed limits.

EUROPEAN MOTORCYCLE MARKET EXPERIENCING DOUBLE-DIGIT GROWTH
Sales figures for the first quarter of 2023 are in for the European PTW (Powered Two-Wheeler) market, and things seem to be looking up for the international motorcycle industry. In total, there was a 15.5% increase across the top five European markets as compared to the first quarter of 2022.

It goes without saying that the European motorcycle market is considerably more diverse than what we see in the U.S. With a wider selection of motorcycles due to stricter licensing parameters, manufacturers need to expand their model ranges with bikes in the 125cc, 300cc to 500cc, and 650cc+ categories. On top of that, more and more people are hitting the road on electric motorcycles.

Italy leads the pack with an impressive 31.1% growth versus the first quarter of 2022, with runner-up Germany experiencing 13.2% more moto- sales than the same period of last year. In third place, France marked a 7.1% increase over Q1 2022, while fourth and fifth places went to Spain and the U.K., respectively.

RIDER SETS DISTANCE RECORD
Spanish Enduro Champion Iván Cervantes has set a new Guinness World Record for the longest distance ridden by one person on a motorcycle, by riding 4,012km (2,493 miles) in 24 hours on April 30, 2023 aboard his Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Explorer.

The previous record, set at 3,406km (2,116 miles), was achieved by American rider Carl Reese on February 26, 2017, recording an average speed over 24 hours of 141.9kph (88.2mph). Cervantes’ record therefore extends the record by 606km (377 miles), and with an average speed of 167.8kph (104.3mph).

There was a total of 18 pitstops, around every 1.5hours, with 520-litres of fuel used.

When asked if he slept during the event, the five-time Enduro World Champion and Triumph Global Ambassador admitted: “Believe me I tried, but after 10 minutes I couldn’t sleep because of all the adrenaline inside my body.”

NEW RECORD SET FOR MOST COUNTRIES VISITED IN A DAY BY MOTORCYCLE
A prominent motorcycle journalist has broken a world record for visiting the most amount of countries while riding a motorcycle in one 24-hour period.

Moto-writer Thierry Sarasyn started his ride in southern Poland, strategically chosen because of its close proximity to a significant number of other countries before ending his trip in the Netherlands.

At the end of his record-setting journey, Thierry racked up an impressive 1,367 miles, visiting 15 countries, and completed the feat in just 22 hours, yet breaking no speed limits and no local road traffic laws. That meant he had to basically ride 1,300 miles, through different countries all with varying traffic laws, in less than 24 hours.

DUCATI HONORED BY ITALIAN POSTAGE STAMP
Does your favorite motorcycle manufacturer have an official postage stamp from its country of origin? If you’re a Ducatista it does, as the Italian national postal service, Poste Italiane, officially released its special Ducati stamp collection on June 9, 2023 crafted in honor of the 2022 Ducati MotoGP World Championship won by the Ducati team led by Factory rider Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia.

The stamp depicts a stylized drawing of the Ducati GP22 MotoGP machine, roaring around a chicane painted in the tricolor of the Italian flag, along with a laurel wreath and text that reads “2022 Campioni Del Mondo Ducati” in the upper right corner.

FIRST-EVER WOMEN’S RACING CHAMPIONSHIPS COMING
The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) has officially announced the beginning of an entirely new racing series for 2024, and this time the circuit will be all about women racers, and will be called the FIM Women’s Motorcycling World Championship.

Women from all over the world will be invited to race in this new Championship, and tentative plans for the opening season will include at least six rounds, with two races held per round, and will “primarily run alongside the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship” starting in March or April of next year.

QUOTABLE QUOTE:

“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

~ Theodore Roosevelt, “Citizen in a Republic”, April 23, 1910

 

 

by Prince Najar

Robin Performs Harikari: A Death Ducking Sportster Survives the Indy 500

At 6:00 AM on Sunday, May 28th I woke up to a crisp radiant morning in the eye of a swirling cold snap. Just 100 miles south of bustling Indianapolis, it took just a few moments to make a seismic shift to a mental, full-on party mode. Under dire deadline pressure, I prepped for the run on my Sporty, to see the Greatest spectacle in Racing, the Indy 500.

Click here to read this photo feature article only on Bikernet.com

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Visit the 5-Ball Racing Garage and get the gear for riding to your favorite events.

https://5-ballgarage.com/

Hey,

Shit’s happening everywhere. Action is happening all over the country from the Black Hills to Born Free in Califa.

Here’s my recent breakfast with fresh fruit available. It’s amazing with my second cup of coffee. Gotta wrap it up quick, shit to do.

Bros are rolling into the Black Hills like crazy, maybe they will stay or move onto Milwaukee for the anniversary. 

Hell, even Willie is planning for Biketoberfest already.

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.

MOTORCYCLE RIDERS FOUNDATION ALERT–

“It’s very dangerous for motorcycles to be around Teslas”

Over the weekend a Washington Post story on Tesla’s Autopilot system made national news. The story included this quote from former National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) senior safety adviser, Missy Cummings, “It’s very dangerous for motorcycles to be around Teslas.”

According to the Post’s research, since 2021, there have 17 fatal crashes involving Teslas operating in Autopilot mode. Motorcycles were involved in four of the 17.

You may remember that NHTSA recently opened investigations into fatal crashes involving Tesla vehicles and motorcycles. One occurred in Utah, when a motorcyclist on Interstate 15 outside Salt Lake City, was struck from behind by a Tesla in Autopilot. “The driver of the Tesla did not see the motorcyclist and collided with the back of the motorcycle, which threw the rider from the bike,” the Utah Department of Public Safety said.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in May that Autopilot is not an appropriate name “When the fine print says you need to have your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road at all times.”

The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) has been raising this issue with federal officials for years. Just last month, MRF President Kirk “Hardtail” Willard and Vice President Jay Jackson, met with safety officials at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on this very topic. The two MRF leaders stressed the concerns of bikers about the deployment of this new technology. Additionally, in the coming weeks, MRF senior officials will meet with leaders at NHTSA to seek answers on this troubling report.

These meetings with Biden Administration officials come on the heels of the MRF’s Bikers Inside the Beltway (BITB) annual event. During BITB, riders from across the country met with Members of Congress seeking action on self-driving cars as they relate to motorcyclists.

The MRF has been, and will remain, vigilant on this subject that effects ALL motorcyclists. Increased media scrutiny, along with the thousands of voices demanding action, is turning the heat up. Let’s keep the pressure up and protect bikers on our nation’s roadways.

–MRF

NEW PRODUCT RELEASE FROM KLOCKWERKS–Flare Wings

We are thrilled to announce the release of our latest innovation, the Flare Wings for Indian Challenger and Pursuit. Designed with precision and aerodynamic excellence, these wings provide improved wind deflection and a sleek, aggressive look.

Engineered to optimize your riding experience, the Flare Wings are a game-changer, combining style and functionality.

BUFFALO CHIP BIKE SHOW ACTION—

Thought I’d share this show info with you. The big deal at the Chopper Show is $2500 cash to best of show, plus $500 cash to other 1st place winners. Also, Xavier Muriel and Hot Bike.

The big deal for the Evo Show: A complete S&S engine, Paughco Frame and Baker $1000 certificate to best in show. Plus, free Mint Speed Shop flannels to the first 100 registered! Also, Paul Wideman and Rusty Coones will be on hand!

And don’t forget the Builder’s Breakfast for Charity.

–Marilyn Stemp
marilyn@buffalochip.com
828-205-8482

NAMZ New Product Drops just in time for the summer season!

So here is our follow up to our hugely successful Sharktooth headlight, we introduce our EXCLUSIVE Quad Beam LED headlight for 2015-Up Road Glide models, except 2023 CVO.

We dropped this new addition yesterday on social media and they are available on our website as a pre-sale as we plan on beginning to ship mid-July, right it time for Sturgis!

Part #: LLC-QB-FH
UPC #: 810088722868

Description: Quad-Beam Full-Halo Road Glide Headlamp complete with integrated FULL-HALO DRL/Driving Light for 2015-Up Road Glide models. A mixture of black & chrome accents, housing is built with plastic, aluminum and a poly-carbonate lens, DOT, SAE and E-Mark compliant and 100% plug-n-play.

And how can you make the Sharktooth headlight any better, simply make another one that will fit the skinny-tire Road Glide® models! That is exactly what we have done, this Sharktooth will fit 1996 through 2013 Road Glide models. We also dropped this new addition yesterday on social media and they are available on our website as a pre-sale as we plan on beginning to ship mid-July, right it time for Sturgis!

Part #: LLC-3ERA-TS
UPC #: 810088722851

Description: Sharktooth LED Road Glide Headlamp with integrated SWITCHBACKS turn signals for 1996-2013 Road Glide models. A mixture of black & chrome accents, housing is built with plastic, aluminum and a poly-carbonate lens, DOT, SAE and E-Mark compliant and 100% plug-n-play.

Could possibly be one of the coolest bikes the factory has come out with in a long time, the Sportster S. This new headlight is one of the few upgrades that can make the 2021-Up Sportster S even cooler! Features integrated DRL/driving lights and white-to-amber SWITCHBACK turn signals to take LED lighting to a whole new level. We also dropped this new addition yesterday on social media and they are available on our website as a pre-sale as we plan on beginning to ship mid-July, right it time for Sturgis!

Part #: LLC-LH-SS
UPC #: 810088722875

Description: Sportster S Black Premium LED Headlamp with integrated white driving lights (DRL) and amber turn signals, 100% Plug-n-Play. (Fits Sportster S Models 2021-2023 only)

“Where the BRIGHTEST ideas come from!”

DICE SUPPORTS BORN FREE— To celebrate the greatest show on earth, we are doing our iconic Born Free 10 books at half price.

Hardback with 270 glorious pages featuring some of the most radical motorcycles in history.

$24.95

LIMITED TIME: READ THE ALL-NEW HOT BIKE DIGITAL MAGAZINE FOR FREE TODAY!

The all-new Hot Bike: Issue 1 2023 DIGITAL EDITION is out now! For a limited time, we’re allowing you to read the all-new Hot Bike Digital Magazine for free! Same articles, same photos, same look and feel, now easy to access. This is the first issue to print since 2018 and we had to make sure it was special and worthy of your time.

We take a closer look at Team Saddlemen’s Cory West and Patricia Fernandez-West. The teammates, competitors race professionally in the Mission King of the Baggers and Mission RSD SuperHooligans series. Did we mention they’re also married? Learn more about the Wests’s wild ride in the new issue of Hot Bike

An Arch motorcycle is unique. So much so, that each is aesthetically tailored to its owners preferences. We take a detailed look into Arch Motorcycle’s 1s from the Arch owner’s perspective as we sit with co-founder Gard Hollinger and one of his customers/friends to understand the process of designing and building a truly one-of-a-kind motorcycle.

If you want a tangible magazine in your hands, you can still get a copy of the new issue or subscribe to get all four print issues for 2023 today!

BRAND New Bikernet Reader Comment!–

5-BALL ATTACK ON THE TEXAS HILLS CYCLE SHOW

https://www.bikernet.com/pages/5BALL_ATTACK_ON_THE_TEXAS_HILLS_CYCLE_SHOW.aspx

Kool wrap-up. Well written in the Bikernet family style. So, the legacy will continue as the 5-ball keeps rolling.

–El Waggs
airstreamstudio@live.com
Oceanside, CA

100-WORD FICTION CONTEST—New Florida Submission

The Bad Deal All Around

Woke up on a warm sunny day for early spring. Prepared for a shop run to check on my ‘49 Pan project: Rigid frame with performance gussets and a Coffin tank mounted high, with brown ribbons over metalflake paint. A girder front end was on order. A wild departure from my first bike, an old rat Triumph Tiger with an Indian blanket for a seat.

The phone rang, bad news. Break-in at the shop, everything down to the paint compressor taken. The builder feared for his life, fled to the west coast. I guessed it was a deal gone bad, perhaps drugs.

The comforting, warm, spring day suddenly turned cloudy and dark.

–Rhys

“We are about to pick the May Winner, hang on!” –Bandit

HISTORY LESSON FROM THE NATION MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM—

In 1938 Edward Turner unleashed his 500cc Speed Twin, followed by the higher performance T100 Tiger in 1939. Triumph’s first parallel twin was a nimble high performance machine 20 pounds, or more, lighter than typical twin and four cylinder machines made in America. This marked the beginning of a great run for Triumph; the parallel twin design served in a wide range street and competition applications.

The Speed Twin and higher performance Tiger both received telescopic forks after World War II. By comparison the stock Tiger had 34 horsepower, about seven more than the WLDR, Harley’s flat head 750cc race bike.

Up until the “oil in frame” design of 1971, the parallel twin design Edward Turner brought to Triumph was the mainstay through its entire 75+ years at Meriden and remained so in John Bloor’s resurrection of the marque in 1995. The styling and general form of the sheet metal and the engine have lived on in today’s machines. In road racing, dirt track, enduro, drag racing and land speed record, hundreds of racers rode to fame on Edward Turner’s design, and countless racing records were set on its sound engineering.

This fine Triumph 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, to consign a vehicle or to register as a bidder for this and all Mecum events, visit Mecum.com, or call (262) 275-5050 for more information.

ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE TAX CREDITS: Two Senators Try To Expand Program In US

The Electric Motorcycle Parity Act of 2023 would subject bikes to the same rules as the EV credits in the Inflation Reduction Act.

On June 1, 2023, United States senators Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania announced that they would introduce the Electric Motorcycle Parity Act in the Senate. If enacted, this legislation would expand available tax credits to riders who purchase qualifying electric motorcycles in the US, with the same qualifications required for four-wheeled electric vehicles that passed into law as part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

BIKERNET INSPIRATIONAL SEMINAR–

“Behind the light in every little bulb is a great dynamic current; beneath every little wave is the vast ocean, which has become the many waves. So, it is with human beings.”

~ Paramahansa Yogananda,
Author of Autobiography of a Yogi

[page break]

THE CLIMATE DOOM DEPARTMENT–

Clintel publication: “The Frozen Climate Views of the IPCC”

Thorough analysis by Clintel shows serious errors in latest IPCC report

Amsterdam, 9 May 2023

* IPCC hides good news about disaster losses and climate-related deaths
* IPCC wrongly claimed the estimate of climate sensitivity is above 2.5°C
* IPCC misleads policy makers by focusing on an implausible worst-case emissions scenario

The IPCC ignored crucial peer-reviewed literature showing that normalized disaster losses have decreased since 1990 and that human mortality due to extreme weather has decreased by more than 95% since 1920.

The IPCC drew the opposite conclusions, claiming increases in damage and mortality due to anthropogenic climate change. These are two important conclusions of the report The Frozen Climate Views of the IPCC, published by the Clintel Foundation.
The 180-page report is the first serious international ‘assessment’ of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report.

With the recently published Synthesis Report, the IPCC finished its sixth assessment cycle. An international team of scientists from the Clintel network has analyzed several claims from the reports.

This has now led to The Frozen Climate Views of the IPCC. This Clintel report documents biases and errors in the IPCC assessment.

For instance: given the political relevance of what is known as “Loss and Damage”, one would expect a thorough review of the relevant literature. However, Clintel shows that the IPCC has totally failed in this respect. A review article on the subject, published in 2020, showed that 52 out of 53 peer-reviewed papers dealing with “normalized disaster losses” saw no increase in harms that could be attributed to climate change.

But the IPCC only mentioned the single paper that claimed an increase in losses.

Climate-related deaths

“We are on a highway to climate hell”, said UN-boss Guterres recently. But an in-depth look at the mortality data shows that climate-related deaths are at an all-time low. Well-known economist Bjorn Lomborg published that important information in a 2020 peer-reviewed paper, but the IPCC, again, chose to ignore it. The strategy of the IPCC seems to be to hide any good news about climate change and hype anything bad.

The IPCC has also tried to rewrite climate history by erasing the existence of the Holocene Thermal Maximum, a warm period between 10,000 and 6000 years ago. It has introduced a new hockey stick graph, which is the result of cherry-picked proxies. And it has ignored temperature reconstructions that show more variability in the past, such as the well-documented Little Ice Age.

Furthermore, the IPCC claims there is an acceleration in the rate of sea-level rise in recent decades. Clintel has shown this claim is flawed, because the IPCC ignores decadal variability.

Climate sensitivity

A ’spectacular’ result of the IPCC AR6 report was the rise of the lower bound for the climate sensitivity likely range from 1.5°C to 2.5°C, therefore claiming that low values for climate sensitivity are now unlikely. But the Clintel report states that observed warming and other evidence indicate that the true figure is more likely to be below 2°C than above 2.5°C.

This also means that the best estimate for climate sensitivity, which the IPCC says is 3°C, is not justified.

On top of that, the IPCC is ‘addicted’ to its highest emissions scenario. In recent years, several papers have demonstrated that this scenario is implausible. Deep inside the IPCC report, the IPCC acknowledges that this scenario has a ‘low likelihood’ but this very important remark was not highlighted in the Summary for Policymakers, so important audiences are unaware of the issue.

Reform

We are sorry to conclude that the IPCC has done a poor job of assessing the scientific literature. In our view the IPCC should be reformed and should include a broader range of views.

Our own conclusions about climate – based on the same underlying literature – are far less bleak. Due to increasing wealth and advancing technology, humanity is largely immune to climate change.

A longer version of this press release including a link to download the report can be found here.

https://clintel.org/thorough-analysis-by-clintel-shows-serious-errors-in-latest-ipcc-report/

ABOUT CLINTEL — The Climate Intelligence foundation (Clintel) was founded in 2019 by emeritus professor of geophysics Guus Berkhout and science journalist Marcel Crok. Clintel’s main objective is to generate knowledge and understanding of the causes and effects of climate change, as well as the effects of climate policy. Clintel published the World Climate Declaration, which has now been signed by more than 1500 scientists and experts. Its central message is “there is no climate emergency”.

FORGERT EVERYTHING— You Think You Know About the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and Start from ZERO

Over the years, there’s been a lot of professing about what Sturgis is or isn’t, and who it is or isn’t for. “It’s just a bunch of big wheel baggers.” “It’s not my scene.” “There’s nothing there for me.” Insert any number of other zero fun or legit excuses.

The Sturgis Buffalo Chip asked themselves, if you’re with the largest gathering of moto enthusiasts and music festival fans in the world and you can’t make a new scene or your own scene, whose fault is that, really?

If you want to do your thing, just start by getting your friends together and doing your thing. Don’t worry about who’s soiling their pants from flexing too hard down the street. So, that’s exactly what the Chip did… they soiled their pants with dirt at Camp Zero instead.

Camp Zero is where you can find hell raisers, wiener jokes and miles and miles of smiles.

Grab your favorite Coleman minibike and your best friend because the memory making parties are happening at Camp Zero, located in the northeast part of the Sturgis Buffalo Chip property. The iconic Zero Bar, an 80-year-old barn with a bar built inside and hosts your favorite bartender slinging the coldest bevs, is the epicenter for shenanigans and zero fun.

It’s the raddest place to set up home base.

Ride in and tent camp, rent one of our no-frills tipis or tents or bring your RV.

Camp Zero was built by a group of folks who wanted to ditch the preconceived notion of what the Sturgis Rally was and party like 1980s animals who love rad bikes and wild parties.

OGs like @DaymonWoodruff the Unsung Zero, Brady McClean from @GoFastDontDie, Big Joe Mielke from @SnapFabrications, Jason Lightner from the @TheGambler500, @pgarvin from J&P Cycles, @KellyYazdi from Ride Wild, @MotoLady Alicia Elfving and others all contributed to creating a space to push back against the perception that a motorcycle rally is filled with old men and big baggers who think that there is no room for riding anything else. This truly is the launch site for raising hell and rallying like the old days.

–By Ashley Eriksen

LADY RIDER OF THE WEEK—Biker Bethany

–Sam Burns
Associate Editor
Bikernet.com™

NORTHERN TOOL+ Equipment Announces First-Of-Its-Kind Rat Rod Kart Build-off with Release of New Engine

Two Minnesota high schools will spend a year building rat rod go-karts with the new NorthStar engine under the watchful eye of celebrity mentors Richard Petty and Billy Lane

Northern Tool + Equipment will celebrate the upcoming release of its all new NorthStar line of engines by announcing an exciting build-off in front of thousands of people at the Minnesota Street Rod Association Back to the 50’s event on June 23rd. Two Minnesota high schools will spend the next year constructing rat rod go-karts using 740cc NorthStar EFI engines under the watchful eye of mentors Richard Petty, a NASCAR legend, and celebrity motorcycle builder Billy Lane. The build-off is part of Northern Tool + Equipment’s Tools for the Trades™ program.

“Tools for the Trades™ is a great program, and it’s important for kids to know they have career options. This country will always need tradespeople to make and manufacture things,” said Petty. “The team at Petty’s Garage and I are excited to meet the students and help them with this build-off.”

The schools will each receive a new, cutting-edge NorthStar EFI engine. Later this year, multiple sizes of the engine, from 180cc to 825cc, including two new engines at 300cc and 420cc, will be used in NorthStar products and available for purchase at Northern Tool. Each school’s career and technical education program will also receive a donation of professional-grade tools and equipment, including air compressors and air-powered tools donated by Ingersoll Rand.

“Ingersoll Rand is excited to support these students with the opportunity to learn valuable skills by providing access to the same quality equipment used by professionals across the skilled trades,” added Kate Hartman, marketing leader at Ingersoll Rand.

The schools selected for this build-off, Minneapolis North and Lakeville North, will be able to provide students with invaluable hands-on experience through the project. The finished carts will also be custom pinstriped by renowned pinstriper Cliff Anderson, Jr, and the eight-month process will be featured on social media with progress narration by celebrity YouTuber Dylan McCool.

Finished carts will then be unveiled at the 50th Anniversary of Back to the ‘50s in 2024 and will be raced at Lane’s Sons of Speed® classic motorcycle racing series.

“It’s a thrill and an honor to be involved in teaching students these skills,” said Lane. “There are a lot of good ways to make a living, and this effort by Northern Tool + Equipment to expose students to the trades at a young age is critical.”

BIKERNET BIKE FEATURE OF THE WEEK–Owner: Zach Boxx

Fabrication: Zach Boxx
Motor: 89 883 Sportster
Frame: Paughco 4” stretch 40 degree rake

Front End: 12” Over Narrow Glide
Gas Tank: Throttle Addiction Frisco Wassell
Oil Tank: Paughco

Fender: Throttle Addiction Wassell
Wheel set up: 16” / 21” /Avon SM Tires

Bars: Throttle Addiction Rabbits

Exhaust: Custom Built – MCM exhaust tips

Paint: Zombie Shaun – Ohio

–Sam Burns
Feature Bike Editor
Bikernet.com™

BRINGING BACK MEMORIES—

It’s been well, maybe not 16 years but pretty damn close, but I finally did get divorced and sold my house and go figure met an amazing woman and found another house in Minnesota.

I was told that the banner needed to be put up, so now it’s in my garage above my girlfriend’s bike. Hoping things are going well you!

Respectfully

–David Florence

“Your new girl definitely has class!” –Bandit

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES BILL INTRODUCED TO STOP CALIFORNIA’S CAR BAN

–DON’T DELAY! Please contact lawmakers to request their support for this proposal:

Overview: U.S. Rep. John Joyce (R-PA) introduced a SAN-supported bill (H.R. 1435) to protect Americans’ right to choose the technology that powers their motor vehicles. The “Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act” was introduced in response 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 approved, H.R 1435 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.

–SEMA

BUILDER OF THE WEEK—Jeff Cochran of Speed Kings

–Sam Burns
Builder editor
Bikernet.com

Today, the Senate Public Safety Committee will hear Assembly Bill 1483, which expands California’s one-gun-per-month rationing scheme to also include private party transfers.

Please contact committee members and ask them to OPPOSE AB 1483.

Visit website and Take Action!
Thank you for taking action!

Yours in Freedom,

–Ken Lan
Communications Coordinator
NRA-ILA

THE HORSE RETURNS–

One of my favorite covers. Jesse’s shooter sent the 4×5’s and the cover shots all had guns? I called Jesse and said hey man what’s with the guns? Walmart don’t dig guns.

He said ya schmo we are The James Gang we gotta show guns hmmm
Ahhh Ok F it.

Let’s do it.

One of our best sellers.
–Geno

LIFESTYLE CYCLES DEAL OF THE WEEK–2017 Harley-Davidson FLTRXS Road Glide

Stock# 13873

URL: https://www.lifestylecycles.com/default.asp?page=xPreOwnedInventoryDetail&id=13952647

Special Touring with only 6473 Miles!

Every day at Lifestyle Cycles we come across more and more bikes that you would never think someone would ever part with but today we have a particular bike that cannot be found anywhere else but here! the 2017 FLTRXS Road Glide Special Touring in Hard Candy Red is one of the most sought out bikes and we have one in our inventory!

* This Paintjob is a very rare find, Hard Candy Red!
* LED Front Headlight and Turn Signals
* Chrome Engine Guard
* Polished Chrome Front End
* Powdercoated Black Front and Rear Rims
* Vance and Hines Oversized Raider 450 Slip-ons
* Rider Backrest
* Luggage rack
* 8 1/2-Inch Dark Smoke Windshield
* LOw, low, low miles that you will not find on another bike!

This bike is only $21,995

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.

Huge selection of Street Glides, Road Glides, Road Kings, Ultras, Sportsters, Softails, Dynas, and much more!
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/

–Richard Allstun
Marketing Director
Lifestyle Cycles
714.490.0155

FREEDOM RINGS–Wisconsin Legislature Passes Bill Supporting Internal Combustion Engines

Wisconsin passed SAN-supported legislation (A.B. 142) which would prevent any state or local government unit from restricting the use or sale of motor vehicles based on the energy source used to power the motor vehicle, including internal combustion engines. A.B. 142 has passed both chambers and is now pending before Governor Tony Evers for final approval.

–SEMA

HERE’S A BLAST FROM THE PAST—

Buck created this magazine awhile back and he still has one. He’s still a master behind the lens in the Black Hills, shooting for Cycle Source, with a display of his works in the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum.

–Buck Lovell
Lovell Photography & Design
B.L.A.B.B. (Buck Lovell’s American Biker Blog)
bucklovell@gmail.com / bucklovellsblog@gmail.com

Is there a Strange duality of X440 Engine ?

Hero MotoCorp working on Xtreme 440R; launch next year

Hero MotoCorp is going quite aggressively with its premium bike plans. The company is working on a new 440cc motorcycle planned for a 2024 launch.

Xtreme 440R and powered by the same engine seen on the soon-to-be-launched Harley Davidson X440. This new motorcycle will help the company take on brands like KTM, Royal Enfield and Husqvarna.

Premium segment growth has been consistently increasing, and with Hero’s strong foothold in the 100cc-110cc segments, it now wants to go aggressive in 200cc plus segments.

https://www.msn.com/en-in/autos/other/exclusive-hero-working-on-xtreme-440r-launch-next-year/ar-AA1cwaZd

— Wayfarer

[page break]

THE GLORIA STRUCK CONTROVERSY–

There are some major issues going on now because Gloria Struck is not being allowed to attend this year’s Motor Maids convention.

Seems she missed the dues deadline.
·
We want to take time to recognize the importance of Gloria’s accomplishments over the years, which occurred organically because of her love for motorcycling and her love of people.

Midwest Women Riders has been honored numerous times to have Gloria and her daughter Lori (who is fighting cancer and forgot to pay the dues) as special guest at Midwest Women Riders NFP GYGO and will ALWAYS be welcomed as she is part of our MWR family.

Icon•trailblazer•author•Sturgis Hall of Fame Inductee •Sturgis Lifetime Achievement Award•member of Motor Maids•AMA Hall of Fame Inductee•Living Legend•speaker•matriarch•gal pal & friend• Gloria Tramontin Struck will be turning 98 in July••a true inspiration to all.

WeLoveGloria
–Midwest Women Riders NFP

–from Rogue
Motorcycle Hall Of Fame Member 2005
Senior Editor
Bikernet.com™

“Two Hamsters volunteered to pay her dues.” –Bandit

BIKERNET.COM REVENUE CHALLENGE—

Almost every week Bikernet.com gets hit with requests to publish articles supporting various products unrelated to motorcycling and motorcyclists. Some examples would be cannabis goods, or online gambling entities. They even offer to pay us a sum of $100 for publishing their articles on Bikernet.com and leaving it there forever with links to their businesses.

Of course, we could use additional income, but we don’t like the notion of offering up space on Bikernet.com for products or services that have nothing to do with motorcycling lifestyle. We would much rather have our industry be represented for the very same fee.

So, we want you all to know that we will be happy to make that same offer to the chopper world. We will publish your tech or new product or service related articles on Bikernet.com with your photos, links and banner for a flat fee of $100. This article will be promoted on our award-winning Blog, and our growing social-media empire, and it will be ultimately archived on Bikernet forever, always working for you.

We are online for people and businesses such as you since 1996 and we will make it worth your while. Additionally, we throw in our editorial expertise and clipart gallery for your articles for free.

There you have it. We would much rather cover your products than a suspicious gambling cartel phishing on our turf.

— Bandit & the Bikernet Crew

TATTOO OF THE WEEK—This is the latest masterpiece from my Frank Ball Jr. in Venice, California.

He is truly a master, but what do I know. I’m just his gramps

–Bandit

TEXAS WEATHER REPORT–Life in south Texas!

Do you remember these catalogs? Now I understand why no one really remembers, they ended in ‘81, but had a 10 year run. My roommate and I had 3 of the posters in our room and I have No pictures of any of them! Smoke accessories, posters, etc. Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers stuff, Zippy the Pinhead.

Two of the posters had secondary pictures painted into the main picture. I discovered what the style was called before the internet. Haven’t worded my searches right yet since, but the book I found seems the artist shared one thing, vitamin A, tripping, Are you experienced?

–RFR

RIDER SETS DISTANCE RECORD

Spanish Enduro Champion Iván Cervantes has set a new Guinness World Record for the longest distance ridden by one person on a motorcycle, by riding 4,012km (2,493 miles) in 24 hours on April 30, 2023 aboard his Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Explorer.

The previous record, set at 3,406km (2,116 miles), was achieved by American rider Carl Reese on February 26, 2017, recording an average speed over 24 hours of 141.9kph (88.2mph). Cervantes’ record therefore extends the record by 606km (377 miles), and with an average speed of 167.8kph (104.3mph).

There was a total of 18 pitstops, around every 1.5hours, with 520-litres of fuel used.

When asked if he slept during the event, the five-time Enduro World Champion and Triumph Global Ambassador admitted: “Believe me I tried, but after 10 minutes I couldn’t sleep because of all the adrenaline inside my body.”

–Bill Bish

Read Bill’s complete legislative report for June on Bikernet in the next couple of days.
–Bandit

SPORTSTER HISTORY FROM THE LOWBROW LIBRARY–66 years and counting…

Stock, race bike, custom chopper… Sportsters have a long history of helping people go fast and have a good time.

“In 1957, Elvis Presley released the hit song “All Shook Up”, the first Frisbee was produced, and the Harley-Davidson Sportster was introduced.

Known as the XL series, the Sportster is still being produced today, and it retains its status of being…”

See the whole tamale on the Lowbrow website.

DIME BAG EMPIRE EXPANDS—

I’m prepping our new shop with fresh black paint around 3/4 of the upper section of walls. We got a lot of great ideas to commemorate route 66. Spending hours restoring the original door, so much history on route 66.

Got to use the gorilla wood filler kit to give the door a fresh look. Can you believe this building was a watchmakers shop in the ‘50s? Also, I’m looking to get an old school entertainment rack system with dual cassette and records.

Also started a new handmade chopper seat for a Panhead customer. These seats are all handmade with original art. They start at $350 for all leather seat, and $850 with custom art. Plus shipping. Call/text 309-262-9345 to order. Fits most custom hardtails and vintage Harley rigid frames.

–Adam Croft
President and Founder
Dime Bag leathers

NEW FROM SUPPORT GOOD TIMES—

SGT Til I Die Tshirt by artist @rotten.donut

— available in black or white with choice of front or back print.

Available worldwide at
SUPPORTGOODTIMES.COM

SUPPORT THE DAV–

It’s the middle of June — and that means we have just 15 days left in the Member Drive to 445! Can you help us reach our goal of 445 new members this month by joining our ranks today?

As a special thank-you gift, you’ll receive a FREE Bluetooth speaker when you become one of the first 445 new members to join!

DAV is a community of veterans helping veterans, and we rely on member support to keep us strong for the veterans of today and tomorrow. This FREE gift is to show our appreciation for helping ensure we can continue to be there for all veterans. And when you join today, you’ll also unlock the many amazing benefits and perks available to all DAV members.

Become a member of DAV today to start receiving the benefits you’ve earned through your service and add your voice to a community of more than 1 million veterans.

Join Now

“If you are a veteran, you need to join the DAV and stay engaged. I can’t tell you how much the DAV has done for me. It’s beyond incredible.” –Bandit

NEW FROM ROYAL ENFIELD–

E20-compliant Royal Enfield Classic 350 starts arriving at dealerships

This motorcycle is now E20 fuel-ready, which is a blend of 20 percent ethanol. Notably, the power and torque outputs remain unchanged, and the latest iteration of the Royal Enfield Classic 350 retains the 349cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine that makes 20.2bhp at 6,100rpm and 27Nm at 4,000rpm.

Royal Enfield has revised the prices of the motorcycle, and it is now available from Rs.193,080 as against the Rs.190,092 previously.

Full story at:
https://www.msn.com/en-in/autos/news/e20-compliant-royal-enfield-classic-350-starts-arriving-at-dealerships/ar-AA1ch9PG

Harley Davidson X440 could be the most affordable HD ever, launching in July 2023

News has been trickling through around the new Harley Davidson X440 which has been developed in conjunction with Hero MotoCorp. After a slew of spy shots, the company has released these images, giving us a clear view of the new motorcycle.

The X440 will take on the retro cruiser segment dominated by the Royal Enfield Classic 350 and the Royal Enfield Meteor 350. More than the Classic, it is the Meteor that is at threat from this new Harley. The X440 features a classic Harley Roadster design.

Full story at:
https://www.msn.com/en-in/autos/news/harley-davidson-x440-could-be-the-most-affordable-hd-ever-launching-in-july-2023/ar-AA1ctOH0

Wayfarer’s Note: If you recall, Hero MotoCorp is the exclusive dealer and service provider for Harley-Davidson motorcycles in India since the American company shut offices and left India overnight in 2020 strategy change. As regards, X440, will anyone accept this “poor man’s Harley-Davidson” is anybody’s guess. Meanwhile Triumph is chasing deadlines with Bajaj India to launch a “poor man’s Triumph”.

High volume sales are mostly for commuter segment motorcycles and scooters of 100cc, 125cc and 150cc engines. Hero MotoCorp is the market leader in commuter class and hoping to capture the middleweight segment as well through Harley-Davidson partnership.

India sells more two-wheelers than China making it the number one consumer and market for motorcycles and scooters. Many car manufacturers are launching larger sedans and SUVs to profit from the robust economy of the Asian nation. Demand for Electric two-wheelers and four-wheelers has sustained despite limited infrastructure for the same. Public transport in some cities are soliciting electric bus tenders.

–Wayfarer
Editor
Bikernet Blog & Facebook Page

MRF REP HITS THE ROAD—

I’m riding to Alaska starting this Friday morning. We’ll be back in Colorado around the 12th of July. We’re looking at about an 8,000 mile ride, going up through Wyoming, Montana, and Alberta to catch the Alcan Highway (Dawson Creek, British Columbia to Fairbanks, Alaska) and coming back on the Cassiar Highway southbound through BC. Got a new set of tires and did an oil change on my Indian Challenger today. It’s gonna be one for the books!

I’ll be checking email / texts periodically. We’ll be riding across a lot of wide-open spaces in Canada and Alaska, so I might not be able to answer quickly but I will when I can.

Hope all of you have a great summer doing what we all love best.

Gas ‘em up and eat bugs!

–Mark Buckner
MRF Rep
Colorado

STRANGE DAYS—It’s sunny and almost in the 80s one day and cool and rainy the next. I asked someone recently about the season’s emotional impact. She just shook her head in terror. Even today, the mercurial madness is blossoming in the Black Hills. I’ll check my weapons and whiskey supply.

A friend passed a couple of months ago and his wife is trying to hold the fort down. Irish Rich and I are trying to get Mike’s bike back on the road, so at least Vickie can go for a ride.

It’s the last year of the Shovelhead. I fixed the clutch hub and Rich is going to switch it back from a jockey to a stock foot-shift. We hauled the Shovel over to Rich’s shop in Sturgis. I need to find some parts. I will work on that today.

I received elements for a 1913 H-D twin from Billy Lane this week. I took the shit to Lonnie Isam, who is a mover and Sturgis Shaker since the mid ‘90s. He’s also a master of early Harleys and has some of the elements I need to make the engine complete.

I built a plank from one of our moving crates. You know, when someone needs to walk the plank… It should lead to a shallow grave.

I’m tinkering with my UL, prepping it for a photo shoot for Choppers Mag. I adjusted the rear fender, shortened the drive chain and adjusted the brake. It’s just about ready.

We are working on scrutineering issues with the Salt Torpedo. I ordered a battery shut-off switch, jumper connections, etc.

Atomic Bob handled my VL, XA, FL Knuck project concept illustration. I had it framed at the Scott Jacobs Gallery. It found its place in my office. I’m getting close to final welding.

Picking up our Bonneville Torpedo trailer tomorrow, E-brakes connected. Rock and roll.

The guys at the antique bike shop faced leaking Knucklehead petcocks from Tedd’s cycle. I pointed out this solid brass one from McMasters Carr. I’m having good luck with it.

Paul Cox said my primary drive is shipping out this week. Can’t wait.

Stay in the wind and stay free!

–Bandit

Action is starting to pop

Hey,

Shit’s happening everywhere. Action is happening all over the country from the Black Hills to Born Free in Califa.

Gotta wrap it up quick, shit to do.

Bros are rolling into the Black Hills like crazy, maybe they will stay or move onto Milwaukee for the anniversary. Hell, even Willie is planning for Biketoberfest.

Stay in the wind and stay free!

–Bandit

Click Here to read this week’s news only on Bikernet.com

* * * * * * * *

We bring the motorcycling community together. Join us. Subscribe today! Click for a Test Drive.

At 6:00 AM on Sunday, May 28th I woke up to a crisp radiant morning in the eye of a swirling cold snap. Just 100 miles south of bustling Indianapolis, it took just a few moments to make a seismic shift to a mental, full-on party mode. Under dire deadline pressure, I prepped for the run on my Sporty, to see the Greatest spectacle in Racing, the Indy 500.

As I readied to swing a leg over the narrow Le Pera seat, I realized the icy brisk morning might freeze my bejeezus off. I jammed back into the disheveled pad to grab my dusty Bandit’s 5-Ball Racing Leather Bedroll. It’s saved my ass more than once.

Bandit designed it with a Western bedroll motif in mind but made it far more functional. Might be blistering in the stadium once the sun blasted it’s shimmering ways into mid-day, so I tossed in a set of sandals, light threads and chow, open-finger gloves, a first aid kit and a tool kit. It comes with an exterior tool flap and a pocket for duct tape and bailing wire.

I slipped on my merino wool hoodie, 5-Ball Racing, thick leather Flat-Out vest and deer-skin Grifter gauntlet gloves. I loaded up the Bedroll, end-pockets with a brake rotor lock, aspirin, sun screen, the best cannabis products and a AAA card in case I got stoned and lost.

I used Velcro straps to secure the Leather Bedroll to the Ape hangers, but it also works well strapped over a rear fender, like behind a saddle in the old west. I could now ride comfortably on the run home with all my warm, outer gear stuffed into the Bedroll.

I love Bandit’s Leather Bedroll because it acts as a fairing. It cuts the wind by…. 50% say, and it makes a difference at 70-80mph. Plus the 7-inch diameter roll provides plenty of space and it looks good on the sled.

The bag features include:

• Tool flap and parts pocket
• Two zippered end pockets
• Shoulder Strap
• Hand carry strap

South of the city and blasting North on Interstate 65 into Indianapolis, time ran out. The 38th Street turn-off, backed up for miles prevented my entrance. I shifted gears, peeled to the next exit and found it deserted.

I snaked through the back streets and arrived at the rendezvous point in Speedway, Indiana, just in the nick of time, maybe.

I flash of orange distracted my dark shaded eyes and a harried, confused Robin flew into my single CNC machined aluminum headlight. The nacelle, razor sharp cleaved the bird in two, like slicing a mallard for dinner. Half of the bird splintered into the forks and the other half bounced off the pillow-soft Bedroll and popped out the other side of the bike.

I skidded to an abrupt stop at the next light. Thinking to myself, if this is any inclination of race day 2023, I’d better double-up on alcoholic drinks.

At this race, you’re allowed your own adult beverages, amazing. Once inside the track, I broke out the Fireball. We yelled a few chants, perhaps at the racers or at the sweet whiskey and took another shot. We survived the ride in, the crowds and the wild life. It was time to break up and head to our respective seats.

I popped a Delta 8 gummy. They’ve replaced alcohol for me and eliminated next morning hangovers. They are more mood enhancing than party time.

Out on the track, Josef Newgarden took the historic win. The last bit was wild. The annual race interrupted by three red flags in the closing 20 laps.

I got an adrenaline kick with only 7 laps to go. Racer Pato O’Ward made a daring move right in front of my grandstands, against last year’s race winner Marcus Ericsson. O’ Ward’s number 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet lost grip in the corner because Ericsson doesn’t give any room in the turns.

With a crash and deep-in-your-chest thud, O’Ward spun out, slamming into the turn 3 wall. But it didn’t stop there. Rookie, Agustin Canapino ran into the back of O’Ward’s car, sending the No. 78 over the top of O’Ward’s left rear tire.

Everyone walked away but O’Ward was in position to take the win for McLaren. What a shame.

After the race, I packed my shit and headed to the Sporty. Somewhere in town a girl waited. Fortunately, I packed for the amorous occasion with more gummies and well-wrapped bottle of Lost Soul Cabernet Sauvignon…

Hang on!