Hey,
Wow, I reached out to everyone regarding the EPA and over-reach regulations killing our industry. This week someone I didn’t expect stepped up, the AMA. They are working with SEMA to pass a pro-race law against the EPA. We are now forced to pass laws to prevent regulations. It’s nuts, but this is very good news.
I wish we could take this another step and make street performance part of the picture. Hell, I wish we could take this yet another step and make Freedom a respected portion of the picture. Let’s hit the news.
THE VOICE OF MOTHERWELL– Thanks for the article. Very nicely written and very informative. Please keep us posted on how the rack is working out and any feedback, good or bad, would be greatly appreciated.
Any information on products that are not available that we could produce would be also greatly appreciated. We are building a rack to fit on the Chieftain, Roadmaster, and Springfield models with the larger spools. We are also working on a backrest for these models.
–Kelly
MOTHERWELL
7074 Portal Way #140
Ferndale WA 98248
Ph: 360-366-2600
Fax: 360-543-9096
BIKERNET HEADQUARTERS MURAL PROJECT TO SUPPORT WILMINGTON WATERFRONT– it’s Shucks the Artist that came by with Evan to talk about the Mural. I was out of town and a good friend passed away recently, so I was a lil’ occupied. I apologize for not getting back to you right away. –Carlos
We don’t need another project right now, but when opportunity strikes, ya gotta move. Carlos is a helluva artist, and he gets it. We want to create an amazing Wilmington mural on the side of the building to support our Waterfront effort. Ya never know.–Bandit
UNCLE MONKEY RESEARCHES THE DREADED WORDS– “Oh I’m liking this one.” Dreaded words spoken into your ear as you roll down the road. Maybe it is your hated road, maybe it is a loaner bike that’s the wrong color, wrong style, wrong everything.
We all have our own style, our own preference. Maybe it is the straight road stretching off to the horizon, maybe its twists and turns that is flinging you from one apex to the next with no straight in the middle.
Some riders dream of the slow somber pace of weaving through the Needles and the Pig Tales or the Rockies on one side, deep chasms on the other. Yet other riders love to wide open Great Prairies with swaying grasses and crops. And maybe you are tearing up the concrete jungle from one dive bar to the next or just simply holding down the asphalt at the donut shop.
For some their favorite ride is a long stretched out chopped hearkening back to Peter Fonda and the search for America. You want to stand out in a crowd or you want to blend into the background. Maybe you want all the creature comforts or maybe just some saddle bags and yet others it is a bedroll across the bars (Bandit).
Hardtail, Softail, bagger, crotch rocket, dual sport, show bike, rat bike we all know what we like. But here you are and your old lady is purring in your ear that she has found what you like, even though it goes against you, yourself image, your mojo. You want to make her happy, want to keep your wheels rolling.
Maybe it isn’t so bad, maybe she should get her own bike if this is what she likes. The blocks blend to miles, roads to interstates and you forget what you are on, focus on the road ahead, what waits for you when the kickstand finally touches down a million miles from anywhere. Your soul is still stirred, still intact. Your body thanks you or curses you but everything is alright. Another road, another bike awaits you.
–bad Uncle Monkey
ROT BIKER RALLY NEWS– The Cult Slated To Kick Off The 2016 ROT Rally
Main Stage Headliner: Thursday, June 9, 2016
The 2016 ROT Rally is pleased to announce that The Cult will be kicking off our Music lineup Thursday night at The Main Stage Amphitheater.
When The Cult were preparing to hit the stage at Coachella in 2014, few were expecting the fury that the band delivered. As the festival goers milled about, packing in the field in front of the stage, Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy were building up to a crescendo, of which, when the smoke cleared, Rolling Stone would hail as “the Messianic moment of Coachella”.
Critics have hailed the band as incendiary, ground-breaking, and transcendent, but the band themselves choose to look forward… and in a lot of ways, prefer to be seen as survivors… marginalized and vulgarized, much in the same way their song subjects have been.
And it was on the ride home from this performance in the desert that the roots of their tenth album Hidden City began to take root. And it was then that the Astbury realized he was ready to begin putting together the final chapter of a trilogy – one that hadn’t been not, until then, fully realized… one that, with the release of Hidden City in early 2016 would complete a circle that had been forming a long time before… one that, when complete, would encompass their acknowledgement of the global community within a metaphor for our spiritual lives, our intimate interior lives… one that spoke for those with voices who are not heard… those who live in outside of the public eye, within the “Hidden City.”
See The Cult Live At ROT 2016
NMA NEWS: The Consequences of Intolerance–
Ecosystem: A system, or a group of interconnected elements, formed by the
interaction of a community of organisms with their environment.
What is our transportation network of streets and highways if not an ecosystem? Every day it is teeming with a multitude of users—that sounds a little better than “organisms”—who serve communities in a host of ways.
When one class of user in a balanced ecosystem wants to reshape the rules to suit its needs, giving little regard to the others who share the same environment, the equilibrium is upset.
Such are those who want to convert roads or lanes to create more rights-of-way for pedestrians, bicycles and mass transit systems at the expense of car and truck drivers. Think about the adverse effect to the safe and efficient movement of other road users, of goods and services, when avenues are pinched down along crucial transportation routes. That is exactly what happened in Long Beach, California when “Smart Growth” was given priority over the greater good.
Highways have to accommodate nearly 70 types of overlapping uses—everything from the movement of passenger vehicles, RVs, commercial goods, and even large agricultural implements to the critical passage of emergency responders—and do so with maximum efficiency.
A tractor-trailer in intercity service requires truck stops and overnight parking and affects the speed of the right-hand freeway lane. An identical truck in retail-delivery service requires wide-radius intersections, and may absorb all the capacity of an intersection during a traffic signal cycle.
Transportation planners must carefully manage this complex system to meet the needs of dozens of different users and accommodate many uses. Unfortunately, the singular focus of Vision Zero proponents to skew the balance gives little regard to the impact on the whole of the transportation ecosystem.
–National Motorist Association
The same has happened in Wilmington, our little ghetto on the Port of Los Angeles. They gave one lane on the main downtown street to bicycles. Now, you must wait for the green light to turn yellow to make a left. Sometimes three or four blocks are backed up because there’s only one lane remaining. Look at the bicycle lane. Not one bicycle. Incredible. –Bandit
SALT TORPEDO ON THE ROAD TO LOS ANGELES–
The belly tank (3pc) and 4 sticks of 1 5/8-inch DOM mechanical tubing are loaded loose, the rest is saran-wrapped to a pallet (two big boxes, one with the engine, the other with the tranny and misc smaller parts, the frame, three wheels with tires mounted ( not balanced), the frame, seat and misc stuff.
Without a forklift it can be stripped down on the back of the truck and loaded directly in the Van, If your lucky enough to have a forklift you can still break it down it will just be a little quicker for the driver…
–Kent Weeks
Lucky Devil Metal Works
Houston
The FreightQuote.com folks estimate delivery on Wednesday the 16th, my 68th birthday. I’m working with Steve at Pauchco and Rick, from U.S. Choppers on the run north to Carson City, Nevada.
QUICK, OPEN THE BIKERNET BAD JOKE LIBRARY– “Good friends are like stars…You don’t always see them, but you know they are always there.”
I am a Seenager. (Senior teenager) I have everything that I wanted as a teenager, only 50 years later.
I don’t have to go to school or work. I get an allowance every month. I have my own pad. I don’t have a curfew. I have a driver’s license and my own car. I have ID that gets me into bars and the liquor store. The people I hang around with are not afraid of getting pregnant. And I don’t have acne. Life is great.
The frequency of sexual activity of senior males depends on where they were born. Statistics just released from Statistics Canada and The United Nations B.O.H. Team, reveal that: North American men between 60 and 80 years of age, will on average, have sex one to two times per week, (and a small number a lot more), whereas Japanese men, in exactly the same age group, will have sex only once or twice per year if they are lucky. This has come as very upsetting news to both me and most of my buddies, as none of us had any idea we were Japanese.
–from Jerry and Rogue
LIFESTYLE DEALS OF THE WEEK, THE BIG BLUE BIKE BLOWOUT BONANZA— Very cool.
WE HAVE A SHOT– Urge Congress to protect motorcycle racing. Defend your right to race!
Take Action
Members of both chambers of Congress have introduced versions of a bill that would prevent the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from regulating the conversion of street motorcycles and other motor vehicles into competition-only racers. The EPA failed to provide proper notice of this regulation, including it in an unrelated heavy-duty-truck regulation. The proposed rule would hurt thousands of amateur and professional motorcycle racing enthusiasts and the millions of fans who enjoy motorcycle competition.
The bi-partisan Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2016 (H.R. 4715 and S. 2659, RPM Act) would ensure that converting motor vehicles into competition-only vehicles remains legal. Street motorcycles are considered motor vehicles under the Clean Air Act.
The RPM Act was introduced in the House by U.S. Reps. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), Bill Posey (R-Fla.) and Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.).
The Senate version was introduced by U.S. Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Dean Heller (R-N.C.).
The act states that it was the clear intent of Congress when passing and amending the Clean Air Act that motor vehicles, including motorcycles, used solely for competition would be exempt from the Clean Air Act’s prohibitions against modifying emission control devices.
The American Motorcyclist Association supports the bills and their protections for amateur and professional racing enthusiasts.
Tell your senators and representatives that you support S. 2659 and H.R. 4715. Send a prewritten email by using the easy-to-use AMA Action Center.
The AMA is coordinating efforts with the Specialty Equipment Market Association and other racing sanctioning bodies in support of the RPM Act. SEMA represents vehicle aftermarket manufacturers, marketers and distributers.
Now more than ever, it is crucial that you and your riding friends become members of the AMA to help protect our riding freedoms. More members mean more clout against the opponents of motorcycling. That support will help fight for your rights – on the road, trail and racetrack and in the halls of government.
–AMA
NEWS FROM THE BASE OF THE CHOPPER MOUNTAIN– We’re always on the lookout for new movies to bring you and we have a cool one this week! (Please let us know if you have any ideas for new films you heard about and we’ll try our best to get them.) – This week we got the underground urban insanity of L.A. Lifestyle for your viewing pleasure as the download special for just $5. Featuring Trevelen and Super Co., DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill, and Mr. Cartoon just to name a few. We promise this film is different than any other.
Biker Movie Sunday Download Special
L.A. Lifestyle
Come on a trip to the land of choppers, babes, hip-hop, muscle cars, tattoos, street art and skating, and experience the “L.A. Lifestyle”
~Boris Castro, director
TIP: Don’t forget our “Build Your Own Bundle” plan so you can save every time you order. Choose ANY three DVDs or downloads (even discounted ones and bundles!) and you save 10%, any four save 15%, and any five take 20% off.
Have a great weekend and stay independent.
–Zack and Scott
BIKERNET INTERNATIONAL AGENT AND EDITOR LOST IN ASIA– Trip coming to an end soon. So far all has went well.
All, except my papers. I can’t get out of the country without them. Hope I can get them all back.
Further amazement at my act
The old and new in Saigon
Two panoramic views of Chon Buri beach from atop hirise condo.
Men’s bathroom on a bar
Returning Thursday mar 17 at about 7 pm.
–Art Hall
Supreme and Superior Bikernet International Editor and Chieftain
RECORD NEWS, Man Breaks Solo Cannonball Motorcycle Record from LA to NYC in 38 hours, 49 minutes ON BMW MOTORCYCLE– Planned documentary to showcase trip footage and highlight the history of U.S. transcontinental records.
Carl Reese of Santa Clarita, California broke the solo cannonball motorcycle record from Los Angeles to New York City in 38 hours, 49 minutes. Reese completed the 2,829-mile feat on a 2015 BMW K 1600 GT six-cylinder motorcycle, breaking George Egloff’s previous record of 42 hours set in 1983.
No one in history, with the exception of Erwin “Cannonball” Baker himself, has set as many cross- country records in such a short period than Reese and his team. Reese set six records in under seven months from April through October 2015, including the official Guinness World Record for the shortest charging time from Los Angeles to New York City in an electric vehicle.
In October 2015, Reese and two other drivers set the first semi-autonomous driving record from Los Angeles to New York City in 57 hours, 48 minutes in a Tesla Model S P85D.
“There is a reason this record has gone unchallenged for over 30 years. Unless you have completed Army boot camp, it is difficult to relate the mental and physical exhaustion,” said Reese. To prepare his body, he gave up all stimulants before the run, including coffee, tea and sugar. “The immense level of fatigue driving a motorcycle solo for 38 hours is like finishing a UFC fight, then getting hit by a freight train. This was far more difficult than any other transcontinental record I’ve set to date.”
Reese is now working with Hollywood-based filmmakers to produce a documentary highlighting the history of transcontinental driving records. The production team is seeking funds to complete the documentary. The documentary trailer can be viewed on YouTube and donations made on Indiegogo. Transcontinental driving records date back more than 100 years, when “Cannonball” Baker drove an Indian motorcycle from Los Angeles to New York City in 11 days. Historians attribute interest around such trips to advancements in transportation and manufacturing in the U.S.
The BMW K 1600 GT used was acquired from West Valley Cycle Sales in Winnetka, California—the oldest BMW Motorrad dealer in the U.S. West Valley provided additional support and technical assistance throughout the trip. Leading technology provider of GPS tracking software for businesses with vehicles and other mobile assets, GPS Insight provided telemetry equipment.
Notaries and film crews were present at the start and finish locations, along with 13 witnesses, including transcontinental record holders and members of the TransContinental Drivers Association, Ed Bolian, Dave Black, Deena Mastracci, Alex Roy and Vic Manuel.
As in his previous record runs, Reese carried an American flag for good luck. It was gifted to him by veteran and friend, retired Sgt. 1st class Rod Hawk. The flag originally flew in Iraq and was presented to Hawk for his accomplishments during the war. Reese, whom also served in the Army, said “I carry that flag to remind me of the men and women who have put themselves in harm’s way to protect our freedom.”
Trip photos and video footage from the record-breaking trip in August 2015 are available to members of the media upon request. Please direct all media inquiries to Josie Hankey at 410-420-2001 or by email at josie.hankey@fallstongroup.com. For more information about this record-breaking trip and future expeditions, follow Reese’s Twitter account, @EVRecordAttempt.
For more information or membership, visit www.transcondrivers.org or www.facebook.com/transcondrivers/.
CHARLIE DANIELS ROCKS DAYTONA– Superstar Charlie Daniels performed this Saturday night at the 75th Anniversary of Bikeweek in Daytona Beach, Florida. Before he took the stage he tried out the Les Paul 100th Anniversary Commemorative Chopper Motorcycle, a one-of-a-kind motorcycle built for the Les Paul Foundation by Danny Koker of Count’s Kustoms and star of the hit TV show “Counting Cars” on The History Channel.
Daniels appeared at the event and helped celebrate 100 years of Les Paul. The motorcycle appeared at Daytona Bikeweek all week long where guests had the opportunity to pose for pictures with it, sign up to support a campaign for a U.S. Postal Stamp of Les Paul and enjoy the music at Jesters Live at Destination Daytona.
For more information on Les Paul go to www.lespaulfoundation.org Hi res images available by request.
–photo by Tom Galloway
[page break]
MEMO FROM THE BIKERNET MEDICAL CENTER– Medicare Part G
Say you are an older senior citizen and can no longer take care of yourself
and need Long-Term Care, but the government says there is no Nursing
Home care available for you. So, what do you do? You opt for Medicare
Part G.
The plan gives anyone 75 or older a gun (Part G) and one bullet. You are
allowed to shoot one worthless politician. This means you will be sent to prison for the rest of your life where you will receive three meals a day, a roof over your head, central heating and air conditioning, cable
TV, a library, and all the health care you need. Need new teeth? No problem.
Need glasses? That’s great. Need a hearing aid, new hip, knees, kidney,
lungs, sex change, or heart? They are all covered!
As an added bonus, your kids can come and visit you at least as often as they do now! And, who will be paying for all of this? The same government that just told you they can’t afford for you to go into a nursing home. And you will get rid of a useless politician while you are at it.
And now, because you are a prisoner, you don’t have to pay any more income taxes!
Is this a great country or what? Now that you have solved your senior Long-Term Care problem, enjoy the rest of your week!
–from El Waggs
GUN NUT MEMO, California: Assembly Public Safety Committee Hearing on March 15–
On Tuesday, March 15, at 9:30 am, the Assembly Committee on Public Safety is scheduled to hear Assembly Bill 1673, Assembly Bill 1695, and Assembly Bill 1869. Please call AND email the members of the Public Safety committee and urge them to OPPOSE AB 1673 and AB 1695 and SUPPORT AB 1869.
OPPOSE:
AB 1673 would expand the definition of “firearm” to include an unfinished frame or receiver that can be “readily converted to the functional condition of a finished frame or receiver.” These are sometimes referred to as 80% receivers.
This bill raises serious concerns under the due process clauses of both the California and United States Constitutions. The term “readily converted” as used in the proposed text of AB 1673 is inherently vague and ambiguous. The Courts have made clear that laws purporting to regulate fundamental rights, including those enshrined in the Second Amendment, must provide greater levels of clarity than laws, which do not infringe upon constitutional liberties.
AB 1695 would make it a misdemeanor to report to a local law enforcement agency that a firearm has been lost or stolen, knowing that report to be false and create a 10-year firearm prohibition for someone convicted of this offense. This bill would also require the Attorney General to send a letter notice to each individual who has applied to purchase a firearm informing him or her of laws relating to firearms, gun trafficking, and safe storage and would allow the Department of Justice to use funds in the Firearms Safety and Enforcement Special Fund.
The NRA does not oppose making it a misdemeanor to knowingly file a false lost or stolen report to law enforcement. Our reason for opposition of AB 1695 is related to the restriction of a constitutional right for the conviction of a misdemeanor offense and requiring the Attorney General to send a pamphlet detailing CA’s gun laws and penalties to every person who applies to buy a firearm.
Constitutional rights are generally restricted only upon conviction of a felony. The reasons for this are two-fold. It limits restrictions on constitutional rights to only the most serious offenses, and, perhaps more importantly, felony convictions provide greater procedural protections to the accused, which results in more reliable convictions. The right to keep and bear arms should not be treated as a second-class right and should be restricted only upon conviction of a felony like the right to vote, to serve on a jury, and to hold public office.
And requiring the Attorney General to send gun law pamphlets to law-abiding gun owners will do nothing to stop the criminal misuse of firearms, because the individuals who are committing firearm-related crimes are not the ones receiving the gun law pamphlets.
SUPPORT:
AB 1869 would make the theft of a firearm grand theft in all cases and punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for 16 months, or 2 or 3 years. The enhanced penalty provisions would help deter the theft and the black market sale of firearms.
Don’t forget to forward this alert to your family, friends, and fellow gun owners and sportsmen urging them to call the members of the Assembly Committee on Public Safety to OPPOSE AB 1673 and AB 1695 and SUPPORT AB 1869.
Members of the Assembly Committee on Public Safety:
Assembly Member Bill Quirk, Chair (D-20)
(916) 319-2020
assemblymember.quirk@assembly.ca.gov
I have this system on my 2-cam, valve on bottle broke “very fragile” never used it . Why is it no longer available from Zippers ? problems?
Love to talk with someone with experience with this ‘05 2-cam 95-incher, 11.5 comp .690 Woods cams H-beam rods balanced and welded crank .135 hp at 6500 rpm . just so you have an idea on the application.
— Jon Garwood
69scag@gmail.com
FROM THE MOUNTAIN, A MOTTO OF RESPECT AND FORBEARANCE— Do not do unto others,
What you do not wish to be done unto you.
Abide by this principle,
Always giving others warmth like the spring.
In private terms, bring harmony to the family,
And in public, achieve peace for the country.
Whether trivial or important matters,
There is no need for resentment or grief.
The merit of benevolence, thus reaches its peak.
Be it respect or forbearance, never give up or be weary.
–Miao Guang
NEW VA SCANDAL EXPOSED— A new report from the Veteran’s administration has revealed roughly 800,000 veterans have had their applications for VA care delayed, some for 26 years or more, and the system was further damned when it was discovered that of those, as many as 307,000 have died while waiting for their applications to be processed.
The inspector General found that employees of the agency had improperly deleted over 10,000 applications over the last five years. Due to overwork, it was found that employees were concealing applications in their desks just so they didn’t have to process them.
AND NOW FOR A SPIRITUAL MOMENT— Birth Control
Mrs. Donovan was walking down Street in Dublin when she met up with Father Flaherty.
The Father said, ‘Top o’ the mornin’
To ye! Aren’t ye Mrs. Donovan
And didn’t I marry ye and yer Hoosband
two years ago?’
She replied, ‘Aye, that ye did, Father.’
The Father asked, ‘And be there
Any wee little ones yet?’
She replied, ‘No, not yet, Father.’
The Father said, ‘Well now, I’m going to Rome next week And I’ll light a fertility candle for ye and yer hoosband.’
She replied, ‘Oh, thank ye, Father…’
They then parted ways..
Some years later they met again.
The Father asked, ‘Well now,
Mrs. Donovan, how are ye these days?’
She replied, ‘Oh, very well, Father!’
The Father asked, ‘And tell me ,
Have ye any wee ones yet?’
She replied, ‘Oh yes, Father!
Two sets of twins and six singles,
Ten in all!’
The Father said, ‘That’s wonderful!
And how is yer loving hoosband doing?’
She replied, ‘E’s gone to Rome to
To blow out yer fookin’ candle.’
–from Father Waggs
THE EXCLUSIVE UGLY REPORT COMING TO BIKERNET– Shots from Arizona to Key West, I got more, and a story…let me know.
–Micah McCloskey
We look forward to the complete report.—Bandit
verb
1. Slang. to caress, fondle, or pet amorously.
Quotes
You two want to be left together. You want to canoodle. Do it while you can!
— H. G. Wells, Mr. Britling Sees It Through, 1916
Origin
Canoodle is of uncertain origin, but etymologists have suggested it may be a portmanteau of caress and noodle. It entered English in the mid-1800s.
WEEKEND GUN NUT REPORT– Flawed Study from the Prestigious Lancet Exposes Broader Problems in Anti-gun Research.
The anti-gun press couldn’t contain their excitement. A new study published in the UK’s prestigious The Lancet medical journal purported to show that certain gun control measures could lead to incredible reductions in the firearm mortality rate. CNN blared, “Study: 3 federal laws could reduce gun deaths by more than 90%,” the L.A. Times touted, “Aiming to drive down gun deaths?
Put these three laws on the books, researchers say,” and the Christian Science Monitor proclaimed, “Federal gun control laws could reduce deaths up to 90 percent, study says.” What these outlets weren’t anticipating is that the study has proven so flawed that the most influential members of the anti-gun research community have been forced to denounce it; lest the public realize the larger problems attendant to the entire field of study.
The controversial study is titled, “Firearm legislation and firearm mortality in the USA: a cross-sectional, state-level study,” and was authored by a team led by epidemiologist Bindu Kalesan of Boston University’s Department of Medicine and School of Public Health.
The researchers attempted to determine the effects that more than two dozen different types of gun control measures – ranging from fingerprinting requirements to child access laws – had on homicide mortality, suicide mortality, and overall firearm mortality rates. As has been the focus of the laudatory news items, the researchers concluded that implementation of a federal “universal” background check law, in concert with federal ammunition background checks and “firearm identification requirements,” could reduce overall firearm mortality by more than 90 percent.
Unsurprisingly, most media outlets have given less attention to the research team’s findings pertaining to a host of other gun controls. The team found many gun control measures have little, no, or even a detrimental effect on firearm mortality rates.
According to the study, gun dealer licensing, dealer state record reporting requirements, dealer police inspections, gun owner fingerprinting, closing of the “gun show loophole,” ammunition purchaser recordkeeping, child handgun restrictions, child access laws, juvenile handgun purchases, magazine bans, and may-issue carry permits, have little to no effect on firearm-related deaths. Further, their results show, semi-auto bans, firearms locks, “bulk purchase limitations,” and mandatory theft reporting, increase firearm-related deaths.
Likely fearing the flawed study will result in a massive backlash that could further expose the shortcomings of their own work, the anti-gun research community has turned on Kalesan, her team, and The Lancet.
Daniel Webster, director of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for Gun Policy and Research, told the Washington Post, “Briefly, this is not a credible study and no cause and effect inferences should be made from it.” Webster is later quoted, stating, “What I find both puzzling and troubling is this very flawed piece of research is published in one of the most prestigious scientific journals around… Something went awry here, and it harms public trust.”
David Hemenway, director of the Harvard Injury Control Research Center, said of the findings, “That’s too big — I don’t believe that.” Pouring cold water on the schemes of politicians peddling gun controls as societal cure-alls, Hemenway went on to tell the Post, “These laws are not that strong. I would just be flabbergasted; I’d bet the house if you did [implement] these laws, if you had these three laws and enforced them really well and reduced gun deaths by 10 percent, you’d be ecstatic.” Offering a glimpse into the broader deficiencies of the field, Hemenway told U.S. News & World Report, “I could find serious problems with virtually any U.S. study about gun laws.”
This bout of public infighting and candid admissions as to the credibility of the entire field of gun violence research should give the public and policymakers pause when presented with studies supporting further gun restrictions. As Webster so eloquently alluded to, the peer-review process and stature of a journal offer little indication of the veracity of its contents when it comes to the politically-charged topic of gun control.
Further, this episode provides important evidence as to why NRA works with federal lawmakers to ensure that this type of shoddy and politically motivated research is not federally funded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is bad enough that such defective anti-gun research finds its way into distinguished publications, without forcing the taxpayer to foot the bill.
Again, Freedom and education would help turn this from a negative effort to a positive one.
Hillary has made it clear she will use the Supreme Court to go after the 2nd Amendment. She has literally said that the Supreme Court was wrong in its Heller decision stating that the Court should overturn and remove the individual right to keep and bear arms. Period.
It’s all nuts.–Bandit
BIKERS INSIDE THE BELTWAY– Nice! We have to keep in mind that this is a “Marketing” function.
How do we want our group to be perceived by the Motorcyclists and the General Public?
I typically do training sessions for the people I work with, whether for the MRO’s or other groups I’m involved with. No eating at the table. No sitting. No smoking. No debates, or engaging with argumentative people. No offensive attire. Basically, we’re representing a group and its mission!
The embedded graphic is one where the MRF and ABATE is being discussed with the PA Senate Majority Leader. Note the Bikers inside The Beltway flier on the table. The binder contains favorable bills and reports, along with MRO event pictures.
The year this picture was taken, I had a couple friends bring in CanAms for display. It was a community event. Talk of the town! Even the school bus drivers heard about our presence at the event.
As I understand, the manufacturers of these side-by-side three-wheelers DO NOT want them classified as “motorcycle”, and want them in a separate class.
NJ has one of the most strict car seat laws, covering kids up to 8 years old or 57 inches. I guess the Slingshot would be exempt, and follow the rules for motorcycle?
I’d be curious to hear the driving force behind this bill.
–Steve Zurl
MRF Reps, Pennyslvania
AUTOCYCLES IN THE GARDEN STATE–
I received a call from my State Senator’s office a couple of hours ago to inform me that a bill to “Regulate Autocycles as Motorcycles” in New Jersey is up for a vote in the Senate. The Senate bill is S1155 and it has already been voted out of committee and will go for a vote in the full senate next Tuesday (3/14). The Assembly version (A2696) is still in the Assembly Transportation Committee waiting for a hearing.
This bill will register autocycles as motorcycles. Seat belts are required by the driver and passenger, but helmets are not if it is “completely enclosed”. And only a basic drivers license is required to drive one, not a motorcycle license or endorsement.
We got blindsided by this one. When a bill happens this quickly, it either has someone very powerful behind it or a lot of money and sometimes that’s the same thing.
Jim Parker
Legislative Director, ABATE of the Garden State
MRF Assistant State Representative
Look Twice, Save A Life! Motorcycles Are Everywhere!
I was there when Squire got his colors and name. He was the best, and I often think about him riding on some faraway rode. He was always making fun of my RA M/C tattoo (the first one) ‘cause in wasn’t exactly like our colors. Always wondered if he got one himself.
Great article. Luv ya Squire, ride on
–Terry Daley
Big Daddy RA M/C 1966 original member
m-daley@sbcglobal.net
Tamarac, FL
LET’S PEEL— It’s time for a ride. Kyle is attempting to replace my front brake pads on the Bikernet Van. Unfortunately, the Bonneville Salt Flats have got the best of the components holding my brakes in place. They’re rusted tight.
I just spoke to a major ad firm creative director who was fired for not being politically correct. He used the word Ghetto in a memo to his staff. I better watch it…
I’ve got to get the hell out of here. As Uncle Monkey started to explain, ah the open road thoughts as we slither through city traffic and out onto the open highway. My thoughts are of Redheads and whiskey. What the fuck else is there?
–Bandit
