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Laconia Motorcycle Week prepares for return of bigger crowds, vendors

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by Andy Hershberger from https://www.wmur.com LACONIA, N.H. — Laconia’s Motorcycle Week will have a very different look and feel than it did in 2020 The declining COVID-19 numbers are making a big difference this year as Laconia gets ready for the 98th annual Motorcycle Week. “It means we’re getting back on to life and back on to what we all do best in the hospitality industry, so we were grateful to have it last year, but this year is especially important,” said Cynthia Makris, Motorcycle Week president. There was a rally last year, but it was a completely different event. It was held in August instead of June, crowds were down and the normal carnival atmosphere suffered. One difference this year will be the vendor tents. Last year, just four nonprofits were allowed to set up shop in Laconia. This year, there will be more than 200 tents selling everything from T-shirts to leather goods. Officials said that alone will be a big draw for the event. “It’s huge this year, especially after all our businesses have gone through in the last 12 to 15 months,” said Scott Myers, Laconia city manager. “And this really kicks off the summer season. It gives it a jump start because schools aren’t quite out yet and it’s not really family vacation time.” Officials say safety measures will be in the form of awareness, hoping visitors are mindful of where the state and the country are at in terms of the pandemic. “We’re encouraging everyone to still remain socially distant when possible,” said Jennifer Anderson, of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association. “We’re going to have handwashing stations and sanitizer stations available.” Officials said the best way to be socially distant is for people to get on their bikes and ride.  

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Public Safety meeting discusses illegal dirt bikes and excessive noise

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by Carolyn Noel from https://www.thereminder.com CHICOPEE – A Public Safety meeting took place to discuss illegal dirt bikes, motorcycles, speeding and excessive noise in the City of Chicopee on May 19. City Councilor William Courchesne, Ward 7, has been an active participant in the fight against this issue. At the City Council meeting on May 4, Courchesne spoke on the many phone calls he has received from upset residents in his ward. He also helped with updating the Code of the City of Chicopee to strengthen and modernize many noise ordinances. During the Public Safety meeting, residents were given the chance to voice their concerns on illegal dirt bikes, motorcycles, speeding and noise. Members of the Chicopee Police Department were also in attendance to respond and answer questions. One resident spoke on the danger of dirt bikes speeding along public streets. “They’re turning our public streets into their playgrounds,” she said. Attendee Gerald Lavoie agreed on the danger of dirt bikes speeding on streets, but also proposed that the city give them a safe space to ride. “The kids need a place to ride,” he said. Lavoie suggested opening up land for people to ride their dirt bikes safely by Westover Air Reserve Base, near Szot Park or anywhere else that could be accommodated. Resident David Perault spoke on his motorcycle-related concerns at the meeting. He said that from April through November the noise is “crazy.” He even compared the area he lives in to a speed race. “My apartment unfortunately faces the Chicopee River and what I like to call the Indianapolis 500,” said Perault. “These guys are flying.” He spoke on the excessive motorcycle noise that he had to deal with during the COVID-19 lockdown when he was home. He said that a lot of the motorcycles backfire,

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‘I don’t want to die, but I don’t want to be cooped up all my life either’: South Dakota motorcycle rally draws thousands

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by Stephen Groves from https://www.adn.com STURGIS, S.D. — Thousands of bikers poured into the small South Dakota city of Sturgis on Friday as the 80th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally rumbled to life despite fears it could lead to a massive coronavirus outbreak. The rally could become one of the largest public gatherings since the pandemic began, with organizers expecting 250,000 people from all over the country to make their way through Sturgis during the 10-day event. That would be roughly half the number of previous years, but local residents — and a few bikers — worry that the crowds could create a “super-spreader” event. Many who rode their bikes into Sturgis on Friday expressed defiance at the rules and restrictions that have marked life in many locales during the pandemic. People rode from across the country to a state that offered a reprieve from coronavirus restrictions, as South Dakota has no special limits on indoor crowds, no mask mandates and a governor who is eager to welcome visitors and the money they bring. “Screw COVID,” read the design on one T-shirt being hawked. “I went to Sturgis.” Bikers rumbled past hundreds of tents filled with motorcycle gear, T-shirts and food. Harley Davidson motorcycles were everywhere but masks were almost nowhere to be seen, with an Associated Press reporter counting fewer than 10 in a crowd of thousands over a period of several hours. For Stephen Sample, who rode his Harley from Arizona, the event was a break from the routine of the last several months, when he’s been mostly homebound or wearing a mask when he went to work as a surveyor. “I don’t want to die, but I don’t want to be cooped up all my life either,” he said. Still, Sample, who is 66, feared what could happen if

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This Harley-Davidson Custom Bike Was Signed by the Pope, and Now It’s For Sale

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com If anything, the six years spent by Pope Francis at the head of the Holy See have been characterized by unorthodox approaches to very catholic problems. So when you hear the Pope signed his name on a custom motorcycle, there’s no surprise there. The bike in questions started life as a 2016 1,570cc Harley-Davidson owned by a Harley dealer in Germany. At the request of the Jesus Bikers group in Austria – yes, there is such a thing – the bike was modified with the goal of being donated to the Pontifical Mission Societies, a group that provides support for Catholic overseas missions. It was named White Unique because it is finished in pearlescent white mixed with Chicano detailing, gold-plated components, and a Dorne wreath ornament. The two cherries on the cake are the sunken cross and Pope Francis’ signature on the tank. So, how did the Pope got tied up to this? The bike was shown for the first time on June 29 in Würzburg, Germany, and then headed off to the Vatican as part of a procession of the Jesus Bikers. Once at the Vatican, on July 7, the bike was presented to the Pope in St Peter’s Square, where His Holiness blessed it and signed it, surrounded by a crowd of 17,000 people. On October 20, the bike is heading for the Bonhams Autumn Stafford Sale where the auction house by the same name hopes to sell it for anywhere in between £50,000 – £100,000 for it. All the proceeds are to be donated for charity. “We are incredibly proud to be entrusted with the sale of this unique motorcycle, set to benefit such an important cause,” said in a statement James Stensel, Head of Bonhams Collectors’ Motorcycles UK. “It’s fitting that

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Oil in the Blood – Documentary

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‘Oil in the Blood’ is a documentary feature film on the contemporary custom motorcycle culture. The film is directed by biker biker Gareth Maxwell Roberts and produced by Lucy Selwood. This is not a film about motorcycles, it’s a film about motorcycle people. The philosophy of individualism is embedded in motorcycling. The desire to be different and unique, is at the root of the motorcyclist’s imagination. Modifying, customising, and changing bikes is at the very heart of the biker. Custom motorcycle culture has experienced a renaissance in recent years, and what was once a niche subculture now bears a significant influence on the international mainstream motorcycle industry. Over the last three years, Gareth and Lucy have interviewed nearly three hundred bike builders, riders, journalists, artists and racers; the very heartbeat of this culture. They’ve communed with like-minded souls in Britain, Europe, Japan, Australia, The Far East, Africa and the US. They’ve spoken to major manufactures Harley Davidson, Yamaha, Royal Enfield, Ducati and BMW. Lucy and Gareth have filmed at the Petersen Automotive  Museum in Los Angeles, The Amercian Motorcycle Museum in Holland, The Malle Mile, Wheels & Waves in Biarritz, The Trip Out, The Brooklyn Invitational, The Distinguished Gentlemans Ride in London and New York, Throttle Roll in Sydney, Indian Larry’s Block Party, Dirt Quake, Snowquake, The Malle Mile and The Trip Out in rural England, The One Moto Show in Portland, Mama Tried in Milwaukee, Mooneyes in Tokyo,  and The Handbuilt Show in Austin. The film-makers filmed a collaboration between Harley Davidson and maverick bike builders El Solitario in the Sahara, flat track racing in dusty bowls and indoor arenas, ice racing in Wisconsin and in the Alps, and the American Wall of Death in the Texas sun. They’ve shot dozens of cool custom bikes being ridden through the

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Biltwell People’s Champ 2019

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The talent pool was deep and the competition was fierce, but alas– there can only be one Champ. This year, Nick Busby and his knockout 1962 panhead took home the trophy and the cash. The next day as an invited builder at Born Free he was given the Mooneyes award, so he’ll be on the way to Yokohma in December with the rest of the Chopperazzi. Take a peek at the event and the bike that won it on our latest WTF blog We’ve got a few new, women-specific pieces in this year’s apparel line, and they all feature buttery fabrics and soft-handed water-based inks. Check ‘em out!

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Science Is Not Objective Because It Is A Product Like Anything Else

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In my view, climate change is an issue concocted to distract from the larger issue of ecocide which is a direct result of human expansion. People recognize that science is a product like any other media. People with degrees do research, which anyone who has fudged a lab report can testify can be slanted through variations in technique, and then publish that research. They do this through grants, employment, or in anticipation of selling lots of books, magazines, movies, or other products. Academia has the same problem and this is why we are continually discovering that their theories were over-hyped, two decades later. Usually these take a detail and amplify it into a theory of everything, and then it turns out, it was just a detail that cannot tell us much of significance, but at the time it was sold, it seemed to justify and exalt the lifestyles of those who bought the product. READ the Story at Bikernet.com by Clicking here

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HIGHWAYMEN – Adventure Biker Fiction Book

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HIGHWAYMEN – Adventure Biker Fiction Book E-book FREE from 15-March to 19-March on Amazon Click: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PG5BDPD Paperback for $ 8 Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1799285219 The Highwayman’s life is such, too many people and too few relationships. These tales from distant roads describe with a pulp flavour the men on the run. They run from the law, from conformity, from daily grind, from love and from themselves. Indulge yourself in a fantastical world of adventure and possibility. The rider loves nothing but his iron horse, but he is lured into temptations on his journey; can he defeat the demons of his past chasing him. Crime is an inevitable truth of modern society. The urban cowboy rides over obstacles to justice, crushing the evil-doers while saving the damsel in distress. Mark Curer writes fascinating variables of Biker Fiction, shifting from loner to posse riders and from murder to romance. His style is unique, voice murky and words playful. His protagonists battle small goons to organised crime syndicates. The female characters are daring lady-luck and baring their heart. Change of times, change of roads, change of heart – you will go through all as you revel in the raw tales in this collection of short-stories.

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Video Podcast: Life Lessons from Racing the Dakar Rally

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TMFF Talk – Racing Dakar 55 minutes – Free to watch Lawrence Hacking has been a motorcycle racer since 1971, he has raced the 21-day long 2001 Paris Dakar Rally and was the first ever Canadian to complete the toughest off-road race on earth. Since then, Lawrence has written a book “To Dakar and Back” and manages Overland Adventure Rally held each year in Ontario, Canada. Christophe Barriere-Varju started racing motocross at the age of 14 and lifelong motocross racer, he has competed in the Dakar Rally 4 times, twice in Africa and twice in South America. His last Dakar Rally race has been captured in 10x Award Winning Film, Dream Racer — the timeless story true to all of us, one’s pursuit of lifelong dreams, whatever those dreams might be. Lawrence and Christophe were interviewed by Toronto Motorcycle Film Festival Director, Caius Tenche in a fascinating 55-min video interview. This interview is for all of you wondering what it takes, and what it feels like — to race the almighty Dakar Rally, and how this event can alter the course of one person’s life. Sit back, and enjoy great life insights and personal stories from these two racers whose lives changed course after racing the world’s toughest motorsport race, the Dakar Rally as privateers. An Interview with Lawrence Hacking, Dakar Rally Racer https://news.dreamracer.tv/motorsport/dakar-rally/an-interview-with-lawrence-hacking-dakar-rally-racer/ Interview excerpt: DR. How did it feel racing that last stage on Lac Rose and crossing the same podium as these legends? LH. That day was a highlight of my life, it was January 21, 2001, we rode from the hotel on a liaison to the beach where the special stage started. Hubert Auriol made an emotional speech, we the riders talked while we waited. That moment was what I worked an entire year for and

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