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It’s Not All Bad Hey, Check this from Ray in Australia. “Difficult times in life are like washing machines; they twist us, spin us and knock us around, but in the end, we come out cleaner, brighter, and better than before.” –Ray Russell At Black Hills it snows for a couple of days, then bada-bing the sun breaks and it blows my mind every time. I believe I’ve made some serious progress, while stumbling from time to time. I should have a report completed next week. Hit the gun show in Deadwood. Packed with vendors, it was a kick looking for a hunting rifle. A big 45 flathead fan asked about the Bonne Bell and I found the feature from Cycle Source. I’m waiting for a report on the new engine from Departure Bike Works Okay, so let’s relax and watch carefully as the world changes. Fight for freedom and join your local or national motorcycle rights group. –Bandit

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eFTR Hooligan 1.2 priced at $3,999 is an electric bicycle by Indian Motorcycle and SUPER73®. They have partnered to bring adventurers, fun-seekers and motorcyclists together with the eFTR Hooligan 1.2 electric bike.

The eFTR Hooligan 1.2 combines a trusted electric powertrain from SUPER73® with moto-inspired styling from Indian Motorcycle. It’s designed for recreational sport use or urban transportation.

Best thing is like all bicycles, no motorcycle license is required from its riders.

The eFTR Hooligan 1.2 touts several premium features, including a durable aluminum chassis, 20 in. wheels, disc brakes, and an inverted front fork.

In addition, Off-Road Mode delivers up to 2000 watts of power and throttle speeds above 28 mph. Riders can select from several ride modes via the SUPER73® mobile app.

Specifications are:
•One eFTR Hooligan 1.2 electric bike with battery and charger (North America 120-volt compatible)
•ECO pedal assist mode offers 75 miles of range*
•Throttle-only operation offers 40 miles of range*
•Off-Road Mode delivers throttle speeds above 28 mph
•A custom seat, mid moto-style bars, a gold chain, and a relocated battery that features Indian Motorcycle branding
•Aggressive tire tread pattern, inverted front forks, and an FTR-inspired LED headlight and wind deflector
•Product Weight: 73 lbs. (33 kg.)
•Total Length: 68.3 in. (1735 mm.)
•Seat Height: 31.0 in. (787 mm.)
•Front Tire: GRZLY 20 in. x 4.5 in.
•Rear Tire: GRZLY 20 in. x 5 in.

eFTR Jr is the bestselling electric two-wheeler from Indian Motorcycle electric lineup. Priced at $849, it is something you can actually plan to gift to a child for Christmas or special celebrations.

Its aesthetics makes it desirable to kids.

Young riders can enjoy the exciting Flat Track racing experience on this eFTR Jr that features an electric motor, rechargeable battery, and authentic FTR750 Flat Track race bike styling.

This bike has a rugged steel frame, folding metal footpegs, chain drive, an adjustable riser-style handlebar, twist throttle, and hand-operated dual-disc brake. It also has FTR graphics for an authentic look.

Specifications are:
•One eFTR Jr electric bike for youth
•Youngsters can share the exciting Flat Track racing experience on this eFTR Jr that features authentic Indian Motorcycle Racing FTR750 Flat Track race bike styling
•Electric motor delivers top speed of 15 mph (24 km/h) in high speed mode
•Rechargeable battery provides power for up to 140 minutes of continuous use in low speed mode (up to 12 hours to full recharge)
•Intended for use by riders 8 years and up and up to 175 pounds (79 kg)
•Rugged steel frame, folding metal footpegs, and adjustable riser-style handlebar
•Twist throttle, chain drive, and hand-operated dual-disc brake
•Product Weight: 110 Ibs
•Length: 51″, Seat Height: 23.2″, Wheelbase: 36.3″
•Weight Capacity 175 pounds (79 kg)

eFTR Mini is the third electric variant bearing Indian name, livery and badge. Priced at $529 it’s the smallest and suitable to the toddler who has mastered the pedal-power and can balance themself on motorized version of the bicycle.

Sorry if it offends you, but telling your daughter she is weak and tiny is just stupid.

Other than that, this eFTR Mini is the ideal way to introduce youngsters to the joy of motorsports while supervising adults enjoy the peace of mind of managing the bike’s maximum power.

This electric mini bike features colors and styling of the title-winning flat track race bikes – including a champion’s No. 1 plate.

This bike is for riders age 8 and up, and maximum rider weight for this bike is 140 lb.

Specifications are:
•The ideal electric mini bike to introduce youngsters to motorsports
•Has colors and styling of full-sized championship flat track race bikes
•Speed switch lets supervising adult set top speed at 14 mph (high) or 10 mph (low)
•Twist grip throttle and durable steel tube frame
•Rear brakes offer confidence-inspiring control
•Long-range rechargeable battery
•Rated for riders age 8 and up; maximum rider weight is 140 lbs
•43.8″ L x 18.4″ H, and 30.9″ Wheelbase
•Weight: 48 lbs

So get out and get going or get ‘electrified’ if it makes you feel more in ‘control’ of your vehicle / child / yourself.

Reference and images:

Wishing Keith ‘Bandit’ Ball a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous Birthday from the Bikernet Crew.

The Grand Supreme Editor of vast Bikernet Empire comprising News, Features, Tech, Freedom & Rights Legislation, Novels, Reviews, Event Coverage, Women on Two-Wheels, Biker Artwork, Leathers, Handbanged Choppers, Bonneville Racing, Charity, Veterans’ Support, et al takes another turn around the Sun today.

At 75 years young, Bandit is just getting fired up and ready to find new adventures.

Hold on tight, the Thursday Weekly News is in the shop today.

Competitive in features, pricing and target audience

eFTR Hooligan 1.2 priced at $3,999 is an electric bicycle by Indian Motorcycle and SUPER73®. They have partnered to bring adventurers, fun-seekers and motorcyclists together with the eFTR Hooligan 1.2 electric bike.

While lot has been published and reported on Harley-Davidson’s electric adventures including Serial 1 electric bicycles and of course LiveWire becoming a separate company, few have awareness of the electric offerings from Indian Motorcycle within Polaris Industries.

Plus the eFTR Jr and eFTR Mini are targeted at kids with very lucrative prices.

Read this overview of electric offerings from Indian Motorcycle Company by clicking here

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by Rogue – Misled – Christy

Sons of Speed 2023 has started Bike Week Off With Record Attendance

Sons of Speed has always been an enjoyable event for me to attend and cover. I really like that people have taken the time to keep these classic motorcycles running and even more to the point, actually racing them. This event is exploding.

I am not the only one who feels that way, the event was packed. Attendance was up and so were the new classes and number of riders racing.

Click here to read the wonderful photo feature report only on Bikernet.com

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The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) 2023 legislative agenda includes a diverse set of issues that strike at the core of who we are as bikers.

Historically, the MRF has fought many battles to defend individuals and the aftermarket motorcycle businesses’ rights to customize and repair motorcycles. Our successful defense against the EPA’s “Color and Chrome” only initiative and the regulations/enforcement related to it helped define the MRF and what we stand for to this day.

The MRF has long supported the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act (RPM Act), which would ensure that modifying motor vehicles into racing vehicles used for competition would not violate the Clean Air Act. We anticipate an updated version of the RPM Act will be introduced this Spring. The MRF and our partners will work diligently for passage of this commonsense piece of legislation. Importantly, some of these parts and technology we are looking to protect are used in the EPA allowances for one-per-lifetime custom bikes and Tier 1 eligible motorcycles we fought for two decades ago.

The MRF agenda also strongly supports the desire to protect a consumer’s right to repair, and ownership of data related to their vehicles. A recently introduced bill, H.R. 906 The Repair Act, helps protect consumers’ ability to utilize independent repair shops and aftermarket parts to work on vehicles, including motorcycles.

These issues are becoming increasingly important and drawing the attention of the aftermarket industry and bike customizers. The EPA has restarted a campaign of increased enforcement and it is threatening shops and individuals with legal action.

MRF President Kirk “Hardtail” Willard recently appeared on Cycle Source Magazines “Shop Talk” radio show to discuss these issues and this week traveled to Daytona Bike Week to join independent motorcycle shop owners and others in the aftermarket industry to discuss the many issues facing this industry. The meeting was hosted by Chris Callen of Cycle Source Magazine and moderated by industry icon Bob Kay. Hardtail had this to say about the meeting, “It was encouraging to see both the level of concern and willingness in this group to engage in our efforts and educate other players in the aftermarket industry.”

The MRF won’t tackle these challenges alone, we are aggressively looking to put back together our coalition that was so effective in past battles. In the past the coalition included, the aftermarket industry, media and print publications, other custom vehicle organizations, and other motorcyclists’ rights groups. Lastly, our Master Mechanic and technical expert Dave “Dad” Dwyer is looking to schedule a meeting with the EPA in Detroit to discuss our growing concerns.

These are challenging issues, but with your continued support and the help of other like-minded advocates we will fight to defend the rights and freedoms we cherish.

Dawn Riba
Motorcycle Riders Foundation Communications Director

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INDIAN MOTORCYCLE RACING LEADS MISSION® SUPER HOOLIGAN® NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FOLLOWING SEASON OPENER AT DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

 2022 Super Hooligan® Champion Tyler O’Hara Takes Early Points Lead Following Back-to-Back Wins At Daytona Doubleheader

 Indian Motorcycle Racing Comes Away with Podium Finish in Mission® King of the Baggers,

O’Hara Ranks Fifth In Season Standings with 21 Points, McWilliams Eighth with 19

 MINNEAPOLIS (MARCH 14, 2023) – Following an offseason that expanded the competitive landscape with new manufacturers lining up for the MotoAmerica® Mission® Super Hooligan® National Championship (SHNC), it was Indian Motorcycle Racing and its factory team claiming the top two spots on the leaderboard, following the season-opening doubleheader at Daytona International Speedway. Piloting a pair of S&S®-built Progressive® Mission® Foods Indian FTRs, reigning SHNC champion Tyler O’Hara and teammate Jeremy McWilliams each left Daytona with a pair of podiums, including back-to-back victories for O’Hara and third and second-place finishes for McWilliams.

On Friday, March 10, O’Hara strategically tailed RSD Indian FTR privateer Bobby Fong for nearly the entire six-lap race. Waiting for the final lap to strike, O’Hara was able to carry more speed through the chicane and go up and around the outside of Fong to capture the season’s first win by .0064 seconds. McWilliams rounded out the podium to complete the Indian FTR podium sweep.

“Bobby was running fast all weekend and gapped me for a period until I was able to make up some ground. The lapper through the chicane definitely played a big role as I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to draft pass him on the finish,” said O’Hara. “But what  a fun race, and for Indian Motorcycle to sweep the podium just shows how impressive this Indian FTR really is.”

Race 2 on Saturday, March 11, was filled with plenty of action. After an early crash caused a red-flag restart, it was a five-rider group at the front of the pack. Pushing hard in the group, KTM rider Andy DeBrino lost his front end and laid his bike down, while Fong encountered a technical issue – making it a three-rider run for first between Harley-Davidson rider Corey West, O’Hara and McWilliams. While West ultimately crossed the finish line first, a post-race bike inspection found an illegal air intake that resulted in a disqualification – awarding O’Hara his second win of the weekend and earning McWilliams a second-place finish.

In the MotoAmerica® Mission® King of the Baggers (KOTB) class, O’Hara reached the podium with a third-place finish in Race 1. While the Indian Challenger had been running fast all weekend, even clocking the weekend’s fastest speed on a bagger at 182 mph, both O’Hara and McWilliams suffered technical issues in Race 2. Indian Motorcycle Racing concluded the opening rounds at Daytona with O’Hara in fifth (21 points) and McWilliams in eighth (19 points) on the season’s leaderboard.

“Our issues this weekend were specifically with our tires, MotoAmerica is a spec tire series, we are only given one choice for tires for Daytona and they failed with our higher speeds after four laps, but our new bikes are performing incredibly well, with a significantly higher level of both handling and power, as evidenced by both our riders registering speeds of more than 180 mph throughout the weekend,” said Gary Gray, Vice President – Racing, Technology and Service for Indian Motorcycle. “At the end of the day, the performance of our Indian Challengers, coupled with our success in the Super Hooligan class has us feeling extremely optimistic and incredibly motivated heading into the second round in Atlanta.”

The 2023 KOTB and SHNC seasons continue with Road Atlanta April 21-23. For more information visit MotoAmerica.com.

Indian Motorcycle Racing is presented by Progressive Insurance®, Mission® Foods and Medallia®, with additional support from Indian Motorcycle Motor Oil, S&S®, Parts Unlimited, Drag Specialties®, Performance Finance, and J&P Cycles®.

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

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Sons of Speed has always been an enjoyable event for me to attend and cover. I really like that people have taken the time to keep these classic motorcycles running and even more to the point, actually racing them. This event is exploding

  I am not the only one who feels that way, the event was packed. Attendance was up and so were the new classes and number of riders racing.

Races have several different classes for types of engines.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfNG48LwU6o

 

I ended up in Shelly Rossmeyer’s Pit watching Berry Wardlaw, Chuck Kennedy and Rebel Glover keep her bike running in top condition. Prior to the race Shelly’s bike went to Berry’s shop Accurate Engineering in Dothan, Alabama for tuning and runs on the new racing dyno he recently installed. They found some problems, when running on the dyno, fixed them and the end result is her bike ran the best it has ever performed.

While the races are the big thing, it was also a time to see friends and get to spend some time with them and catch up

Chris Callen, the emperor of Cycle Source was in the pits next to us. He’s gone from helping with the races to working the pits and this year entered a bike. He ran 28 second laps and won a couple of heats and made the main event. He’ll be back. 

In the final race of the day Moonshiner Josh Owens crashed coming out of turn 3 and received serious injuries and was taken to the hospital in an ambulance.

At the time of this writing he is recovering. Friend and brother racer Freddie Bollwage reported on his condition.

Josh has two broken legs, both kneecaps, ankle, broken neck and lower back injury. He had surgery and is alert and doing well considering the extent of his injuries. There was no head trauma or internal bleeding.

Freddie thanked everyone for their prayers. Please keep them coming.

There will be a Go Fund Me set up in the near future to help with the hospital expenses and recovery. We will keep you informed as we get more information,

https://www.facebook.com/thesonsofspeed/

I’ll be back next year, can’t miss it!

 

Despite rising inflation in 2023, there are still cool new motorcycles under $5,000

• 2023 Honda Monkey: $4,249

• 2023 Honda Rebel 300: $4,749

• 2023 Kawasaki KLX230: $4,999

• 2023 Royal Enfield Classic 350: $4,799

• 2023 Yamaha MT-03: $4,999

by K. Randall “Bandit” Ball

The city from Laguna to Irvine and El Toro closed in on Trabuco Canyon like a concrete plaque. But Cook’s still resided in the last remaining unencumbered scrub hills. Bruno tied off his helmet to his TT bars and kicked up dust in the ground-shale parking lot to the door. It was wide, thick planks and swung open with a rusting creak. Dark inside the Four Tops played Only the Lonely from the neon jute box.

But something foreboding filled the air. Straight ahead was the bar and a number of club members scrambling around something or someone on the floor.

Click here to read the latest biker fiction from the master of the genre only at Bikernet.com

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