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Political Agendas on Electrical Vehicles Charge Up Emotions

by Colby Martin from SEMA Action Network (SAN) at https://www.semasan.com GROUNDING THE “EV” BUZZ Political Agendas Surrounding Automobiles Charge Up Strong Emotions The impending arrival of electric cars and trucks has caused quite a stir. Sure, everyone shares the well-intentioned notion of a healthier environment. But constant announcements about the potential phasing out of new gas-powered vehicles have enthusiasts worried about the future of the hobby. Thanks in part to a 24-hour news-cycle, the automotive-minded are forced to ponder this great unknown with greater frequency. With the topic weighing heavier on many minds, the question arises: what’s to become of the tailpipe—and when? Clearly there are crossed wires needing to be untangled. Acronym Soup First, we must understand the common lingo used in automotive discussions. The gasoline-sipping internal combustion engine (ICE) has long been the motivator of choice. However, the low- and zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs) categories have emerged and made significant improvements in recent years. There are several different models of these cars and trucks such as electric vehicles (EVs), plug-in hybrids, and those running on hydrogen fuel-cells. With such competition, it may seem like traditional rides could have a tougher existence in a yet-uncertain future of alternative powerplants. Government Directives The latest update in the automotive world came from the nation’s top office: the Biden Administration. President Joe Biden signed the “Executive Order on Strengthening American Leadership in Clean Cars and Trucks” in August. In short, the measure calls for 50% of all sales of new cars and light trucks in the US be ZEV by the year 2030. “It is the policy of my Administration to advance these objectives in order to improve our economy and public health, boost energy security, secure consumer savings, advance environmental justice, and address the climate crisis,” said President Biden. Biden’s action was […]

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BANNED : Chainsaws, Golf Carts, Lawn Mowers & More

from https://mrf.org/ Chainsaws, Golf Carts, Lawn Mowers… What’s Next? Over the weekend, California Governor Gavin Newson signed a bill into law banning the sale of all off-road, gas-powered engines, including generators, lawn equipment, pressure washers, chainsaws, weed trimmers, and even golf carts. Under the new law, these machines must be zero-emissions, meaning they will have to be either battery-powered or plug-in. This law is particularly concerning because of the status California holds within the national economy. The population and market size that California commands often forces manufacturers to react by changing products nationwide, to conform to California standards. Additionally, states with like-minded legislatures often follow with similar laws and regulations of their own. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) is concerned that this action by California, will begin a cascading effect that will eventually result in the demise of the internal combustion engine and the fuel supply tied to it. During the legislative agenda setting meeting, held at the 2021 Meeting of the Minds, in Atlanta, Georgia this very issue was debated. Working with our state partners, the MRF is currently evaluating how best to address these concerns. The final 2022 MRF Legislative Agenda will be made public in an upcoming American Biker Journal. To read more on the bill click here. About Motorcycle Riders Foundation: The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) provides leadership at the federal level for states’ motorcyclists’ rights organizations as well as motorcycle clubs and individual riders. Visit the Website https://mrf.org/

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World’s Fastest Female Motorcycle Racer

Valerie Thompson is the World’s Fastest Female Motorcycle Racer and a 10x land speed record holder with membership in the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame as well as eight 200 MPH Clubs and one 300 MPH Club. She is consistently ranked as one of the World’s Top 10 Fastest Motorcycle Racers. “The first time I raced at Bonneville, there were only 3 other female competitors, so we really stood out. A lot of people didn’t take me seriously until I established myself as a serious competitor capable of breaking records.” – Valerie Thompson “I collected my first two records with team owner Keith Ball, who had a lot of faith in me and provided my first two record rides at Bonneville. Now I have Denis Manning, designer of the BUB 7 streamliner and AMA Hall of Fame member, as a mentor and team director.” – Valerie Thompson Racing the BUB 7 during the 2018 Dry Lake Racers Australia (DLRA) Speed Week competition at Lake Gairdner, she set a new speed record of 328.467 mph (528.616 km/h) to become Australia’s fastest female streamliner motorcycle racer. 2022 Will Be a Busy Year on the Salt for Valerie. Click Here to Read a Feature Article on Valerie on Bikernet.com Join the Cantina for more – Subscribe Today. Click To See the book on Building the Salt Shaker – a Panhead on which Valerie set her First Speed Record. “The Worlds Fastest Panhead ” by 5-Ball Racing Team.

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Vance & Hines Launches Exhaust for BMW R1250 GS Motorcycles

Vance & Hines Launches Exhaust for BMW R1250 GS Motorcycles and Announces New Proving Grounds Facility in Mojave Desert Santa Fe Springs CA – October 1, 2021 – Vance & Hines, America’s premier manufacturer of motorcycle performance equipment, today introduced its first exhaust product for BMW R 1250 GS and GS Adventure motorcycles. In addition, the company announced the opening of a new Off-Road Proving Grounds in the Mojave Desert. The exhaust for BMW adventure touring motorcycles (ADV) is the company’s second product in this category, following the recent announcement of an exhaust designed for the new Harley-Davidson Pan America. The Vance & Hines Hi-Output Adventure 500 is the largest capacity exhaust ever made by Vance & Hines, manufactured with a 5-inch diameter, high-grade, 304 stainless steel tube. The system features a brushed, works-style finish, a CNC-machined, billet aluminum endcap, black heat shield, stainless mid-pipe, spring clip assembly, and Vance & Hines new adventure badging, while having a lower weight than the stock exhaust. The stepped exhaust delivers smooth tractable torque throughout the powerband. The glass-wrapped, perforated baffle core design delivers a rich, smooth rumble while still meeting SAE J2825 sound level standards. In addition, the system is 50-state emissions compliant. The Hi-Output Adventure 500 will be shown to riders at the BMW Motorad GS Trophy Qualifier USA West this week. The challenge is one of two US qualifying events to select riders to compete in the International GS Trophy 2022, the ultimate adventure riding skills competition in Albania next year. Vance & Hines staff will help support the event which is at RawHyde Adventures in Castaic, California. “BMW riders are the core of the ADV bike world and we know they will love this new Vance & Hines exhaust,” said Mike Kennedy, president of Vance & Hines. “More performance,

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Congress passes extension of Highway Bill

Congress Kicks the Can… 30 day Highway Bill Extension Passes With the failure of Congress to pass a new highway bill, by the September 30th deadline, nearly 3,700 United States Department of Transportation staffers were furloughed on Friday. Most of these workers belong to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Without dedicated funding to operate, those agency workers were forbidden from coming into work on October 1st. Operations in these agencies, related to safety and construction projects, were halted as a result. On Friday evening, in an effort to end the closure of these agencies, Congress passed an extension of the recently expired FAST Act. The 30-day extension releases federal funds so workers at the FHWA and FTA can return to work for the month of October. An interparty fight between progressive and moderate Democrats created a stalemate on infrastructure legislation and produced the need for an extension. This is the second time the FAST Act has been extended in just over a year. The original 2015 bill, expired on September 30, 2020, but was given a full 1-year extension, creating the recently passed September 30, 2021, deadline. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) remains engaged with lawmakers on this important bill. The MRF continues to stress the need for action on the transportation policy priorities of the nearly 10 million bikers across the country. We will keep you updated as events warrant. Visit Motorcycle Riders Foundation website at http://mrf.org

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Peery Win Streak Continues at AHDRA

AHDRA motorcycle drag racing race coverage report by Tim Hailey with photos by Mike Davis. event: AHDRA Southern Nationals when: September 17-18, 2021 where: South Carolina Motorplex, Orangeburg, South Carolina, USA From the U.S. Nationals in Indy to AHDRA’s Southern Nationals in Orangeburg, Ryan Peery is enjoying a streak like few other racers ever. Heat and humidity, cool and dry, quarter mile or South Carolina Motorplex’s eighth—Peery has mastered them all in 2021 as he wins Top Fuel Harley races one after another in multiple sanctions, including AHDRA, NHRA, and just last weekend at AMRA. Peery could be headed to multiple Top Fuel Harley championships this year, including the AHDRA all-American motorcycle drag racing series. His final round win against Dr. Jimmy “Mack” McMillan at Orangeburg on September 17-18 might have sealed the deal. Qualifying number one, Peery had the bye while running consistent 4.20’s all weekend, while McMillan had to face Bad Apple Racing’s Tracy Kile—the winner of AHDRA’s Cecil County event. “Jimmy ran some personal bests and took out Tracy,” said Peery. “He and I paired up for the final, and it looked like he was lined up a little crooked and he crossed center. Jimmy is doing a great job though. He will turn into a tough competitor with a little more seat time.” Local second generation star Armon Furr won Hawaya Racing Nitro Funnybike, beating points leader Michael Balch in the final. “I appreciate everyone that came out and participated in the event,” Furr said first off. “I hope we can try it again, maybe this time earlier in the year. If we are going to have a race in South Carolina, this is the best track even though it is eighth mile. “Not really much to tell about my performance because I didn’t really do

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Stay Calm Bikernet Weekly News for September 30, 2021

Screw it, Let’s Party I finally broke the ice with my Chopper Chronicles series about stolen motorcycles. Still some work ahead, but I believe it’s coming together. Steve Klein, Sierra Madre Motorcycle Company, is working on a story about all the cross-country motorcycle rallies currently available. Hang on. We’re getting there on several fronts. In the meantime, ride fast and free to the final party in the sky, –Bandit Click Here to Read the Latest News & Views on Motorcycle Industry on Bikernet.com Join the Cantina for more – Subscribe Today. https://www.bikernet.com/pages/custom/subscription.aspx

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Harley-Davidson 9 hp Scooter up for Auction

from https://www.financialexpress.com The Harley-Davidson scooter was considered ‘highly maneuverable and well balanced’ and definitely looks nice with its identifiable aesthetic from the early 1960s. Now, more than a vehicle, it is a piece of art. Imagine you’re minding your business selling V-twin motorcycles from Milwaukee and then you see a manufacturer from Japan selling nippy compact imported bikes and little scooters in a market you’d been very popular in. What do you do? Simple, build a scooter yourself. And so Harley-Davidson did when in the late 1950s, Honda surfaced as a competitor. Harley’s answer was called the Topper. The Topper remained in production for only five years with production estimates in a four-digit figure, Jalopnik writes in a report. Barring the electric concepts Harley now has, the Topper was the only scooter the manufacturer ever built and also mass-produced. One of these has been found and is now heading for auction at Mecum’s Las Vegas Motorcycles 2022 auction. Unlike the big V-twin that power H-D motorcycles, the Harley-Davison Topper was powered by a two-stroke single-cylinder that delivered between 5 to 9 hp. It came in three models. It is not known which one of them is heading to Mecum. All that power was sent to its wheels through a continuously variable transmission. American Motorcyclist magazine from November 1959 mentions a pull start cord hidden in the chrome instrument cluster. The Topper was considered ‘highly maneuverable and well balanced’ by the same magazine and definitely looks nice with its identifiable aesthetic from the early 1960s. Now, more than a vehicle, it is a piece of art. Imagine being able to say you own a Harley-Davidson scooter today. And if you want to, you could. Mecum’s auction is set to begin on 25 January 2022 until the 29th of the month. Interested?

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Enlightenment Bikernet Weekly News for September 23, 2021

It is going to be good! NEVER GIVE UP—We won’t. We’re having too much fun, because we’re living in the best of times. Most aftermarket companies are making bank this year. Life is just so interesting. We are living in the best of times and I’ll prove it over the weeks to come. We’re bikers and the party never ends. Ride fast and free forever, –Bandit Click Here to Read the Weekly News on Bikernet.com Join the Cantina for more – Subscribe Today! https://www.bikernet.com/pages/custom/subscription.aspx

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NCOM Legislative Motorcycle News for September 2021

RPM Act re-introduced, NTSB Chief demands re-designed roads to stop speeding vehicles, Presidential Executive Order of 50% of All Vehicles Sold to be Emission-Free by 2030, NY Governor Bans Sale of Combustion Vehicles from 2035, Zero-Emissions Legislation, More than 38,000 deaths in road-accidents in 2020 is highest since 2007, Per-Mile Motorcycle Insurance in USA, FEMA Survey, Programs to Slow Speeding Vehicles, Robot-cop in Singapore. Click Here to Read the NCOM Biker Newsbytes for September 2021 on Bikernet.com Join the Cantina for more – Subscribe Today. https://www.bikernet.com/pages/custom/subscription.aspx ABOUT AIM / NCOM: 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).

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