The Dealership by Bandit, inspired by Freddie Cuba with illustration by Wayfarer
Not far from Hasting, Nebraska stood a crumbling brick Harley-Davidson dealership in a town of 18. The owner, a stub of a man, with a shiny bald head ran it without spare parts. Not a motorcyclist but a franchise collector, he scored a Saab dealership and a Fender guitar franchise. Happy to roll in the new models without spares, he made his living.
One day three riders approached, one with a broken clutch lever. “Sorry fellas, no spare parts.”
“How about the lever on that new ‘78 FL?” A tough demanded.
They surrounded him, but the .38 snub-nose behind his belt, in the small of his back made a lasting point. They headed back to the Highway…
WINNERS SO FAR:
1. for the month of May 2023: “Been There Done That” by Steven Sanner
2. for the month of June 2023: “A Hundred” by Chris Dutcher
3. for the month of July 2023: “First Time” by Rhys
4. for the month of August 2023: “Hilary” by Gearhead
5. for the month of September 2023: “Mountain” by Koz Mraz
Long Rides by Steven Sanner with illustration by Wayfarer
After over 40 years of her by my side, she is gone. You always hear how tough real bikers are. Seldom will you see them cry. That’s because the wind drys the tears while we ride to clear our heads and handle the emotions. We use the rain, and the water drops in the shower to mingle and mix with the tears that no one sees. We know that the emotions and pain prove we are still alive, and accept the strength that comes from it. I may seem like a tough old emotionless bastard, but excuse me if I have to go for a long lonely ride.
WINNERS SO FAR:
1. for the month of May 2023: “Been There Done That” by Steven Sanner
2. for the month of June 2023: “A Hundred” by Chris Dutcher
3. for the month of July 2023: “First Time” by Rhys
4. for the month of August 2023: “Hilary” by Gearhead
5. for the month of September 2023: “Mountain” by Koz Mraz
Preacher Run by J J Solari with unholy illustration by Wayfarer
Some preacher self-absorbed pile of sanctimonious piety yelled at me, “Do you know what you need to do to be saved???” ….all accusatory. I said, “Yeah: be born after 33AD, cockfuck, which I was. Is that about how you gut it figured?” Apparently it wasn’t. He proceeded to order me to Hell. I said “Will you be there?” He said not a chance. I said “I’m on my way!!” He managed to get even more infuriated. Which, based on his current level of fulminary spittle-spraying, I thought very impressive.
* * *
Yup, its a weekly contest open to all. Just sign up for the free weekly newsletter by clicking here. Then email us your 100 word limit fiction to wayfarer@bikernet.com
WINNERS SO FAR:
1. for the month of May 2023: “Been There Done That” by Steven Sanner
2. for the month of June 2023: “A Hundred” by Chris Dutcher
3. for the month of July 2023: “First Time” by Rhys
4. for the month of August 2023: “Hilary” by Gearhead
5. for the month of September 2023: “Mountain” by Koz Mraz
I walked out of the local watering hole and straddled my ol ’53 EL chop. Bare bones ride, motor, rigid frame. And gas tank.
Usually 2-3 prime kicks then ignition on and 1 or two and she fires. Went through the ritual. Nothing. Tried again….nothing. Kept kicking until dripping in sweat and onlookers chuckling.
Went back inside grabbed another cold one and stepped back outside.
What’s that wire hanging free. Damn it. A few kicks later in the wind.
Got a late start for a 2 plus hour ride to the rally. We hit it pushing the old FL and my ridding partner on a borrowed FX since his old Sportster was down. We were flying down the interstate and coming up on the off ramp. I leaned into the curve and stopped at the stop sign. Looked around no one behind. Pulled over for a few minutes before deciding to backtrack down the grade on the grass and discovered the FX on its side and several feet away my partner and his passenger brushing themselves off. Neither was hurt thanks to the grassy space between ramps but the bike was a little worse for wear. Must’ve hit the shifter thinking it was the brake, old Sporty’s on opposite side. Compression rubber made him lose it.
Since we were only an hour out I raced home and traded my FL for the El Camino and flew back to pick up the broken bike and riders.
The speed limit signboard hid behind overgrown flora on public land. The no parking signboard, worn-out junk rested in the weeds. The district magistrate crept behind schedule. My lawyer, rusty on traffic violations, ducked. Me? I was screwed…tighter than the bolts on my motorcycle, which was impounded for being on the road!?
I took the stand, hand raised, and swore; cussing instead of the solemn oath. No comic relief. The Sheriff banged on the cuffs as soon as the judge’s gavel hit. Contempt of court, wasting court’s invaluable time, while possession of ‘some balls.’
WordPress CMS turns 20 years old on May 2023. #wp20
The local WordPress community of bloggers, web-developers and hobbyists hosted a meetup at Marriott hotel, sponsored by American web-hosting company BlueHost.com
I was fortunate to attend this event on Saturday May 27, 2023. From 3 pm to 6:00 pm the WordPress enthusiasm was shared and I got to proudly represent Bikernet Blog, running on WordPress since 2012.
I showcased the fact that Bikernet’s pure vanilla blog using old school simplicity is as effective in content delivery as some of the more glamorous ones running fancy themes. This is of course because, ultimately, a website it is not solely about design and graphics, but also about the “content” it publishes.
BlueHost.com is a partner endorsed by the official founders of WordPress and their team, powering over 2 million websites. Their features such as 1-click installation and superior customer service has made them popular with the netizens.
WordPress started in 2003 when Mike Little and Matt Mullenweg created a fork of b2/cafelog. The need for an elegant, well-architected personal publishing system was clear to them even back then.
Today, WordPress is built on PHP and MySQL, and licensed under the GPLv2. It is also the platform of choice for over 43% of all sites across the web.
While all users may not be entirely happy with the Gutenberg Block Editor, but you gotta realize that WordPress is now a full-fledged Content Management System. An open-source one at that while competing with the best in the CMS business.
* * * *
Enter the 100-word fiction contest. Win cool swag. Send us a fiction story in 100 words or less. Email wayfarer @ bikernet.com
Indian Motorcycle Dealer Bike-Farm Melle wins top spot with a nearly 3:1 voting ratio
Last weekend, during the Custom Bike Show in Bad Salzuflen, Germany, the finals of the European Biker Build-Off saw Indian Motorcycle Dealer Bike-Farm Melle gain nearly three times the votes with their Indian Chief based Longfork Chopper “Purple Haze” over Harley-Davidson Bielefeld to take the title.
First held in 2007 and the highlight of the famous Custom Bike show, the European Biker Build-Off sees two teams competing to complete their custom bike in just three days, live, under the eyes of the trade show visitors. This year’s title fight was even more exciting as both finalists come from the region, just 30km from each other: Bike-Farm, the Indian Motorcycle dealer from Melle and Reibchen + Stegemann the Harley Davidson dealer from Bielefeld.
From Friday to Sunday at noon, the creation of two extraordinary custom bikes could be followed on the show stage and by 1 pm on the Sunday, the time had come: Judgement Day. With 529 to 179 votes, nearly a 3:1 ratio, the audience chose Bike-Farm’s ‘Purple Haze’ Indian Chief chopper as the clear winner.
“A classic long fork chopper based on the 2022 Indian Chief! It’s absolutely stunning what the Bike-Farm crew has created here. This bike radically brings to flower the seeds that are at the core of the current Chief lineup: The spirit of the past combined with the technology of today.” said Ola Stenegärd, Director of Industrial Design at Indian Motorcycle. “We always had the builders in mind during development and we worked really hard to make the reimagined Indian Chief a delight to work on. So, it’s such a pleasure to see this great canvas to create motorcycle art.”
Not only has ‘Purple Haze’ been completely designed around the current air-cooled Thunderstroke 116 engine, it also still features all the electronic amenities of the original Chief Dark Horse from which it evolved: from ABS to GPS navigation, via the touchscreen of the original gauge now cantered in the revised Chieftain tank.
Other core components have also been adopted and adapted from the original bike such as the footrests and brake systems. The frame, with a full 48° rake, was manufactured by the Dutch experts VG Motorcycle Specials, and all other components are custom-made by the Bike-Farm crew: Sheet metal parts such as the tank cover with integrated gauge and GPS transmitter to the fender were created in-house just like the sissy bar, seat, wheels, handlebars, final drive, intake and exhaust system. Even the seal-less, oil-free fork with its Teflon-lubricated sliding tubes incorporating Progressive Suspension Cartridges. Finally, Lange Metallveredelung took care of the chrome surfaces, while Vossi Lackcenter Melle traditionally handled the finishing of the paint.
“The entire bike was created within just eight weeks,” as workshop manager Tristan Frische recounts. “With four men, we wrenched, shaped and turned day and night. All the more we are delighted with this title. Not only have all the electronic features been retained, but also the fully road legal, including remaining Euro 5. So, this dream bike will soon be seen quite regularly on public roads.”
In case anyone feels inspired to build their own Longfork Chief Chopper: the VG frame is available for order at Indian Motorcycle Melle, the Indian Chief, of course, at any official Indian Motorcycle dealer.
More information about the ‘Purple Haze’ and Bike Farm/Indian Motorcycle Melle can be found on www.indian-melle.de and on their social profiles at Facebook and Instagram.
For more information on Indian Motorcycle visit IndianMotorcycle.eu and follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
ABOUT BIKE-FARM MELLE: What started in 1987 in a barn with a few friends has grown into a large company with highly specialized employees. Official Indian Motorcycle dealer since 2019, the 2,000-square-meter Bike-Farm is all about American V-twins. A constantly changing exhibition showcases custom bikes created on site, which regularly receive top marks in international competitions.
Photos by Ben Ott (@benottfilm) and Fabrian Friese (@fabfri)
The eBay Motors Sand Sports Super Show is this weekend
at the OC Fair & Events Center in Costa Mesa, Calif.,
Friday, September 16 through Sunday, September 18.
The Sand Sports Super Show brings hundreds of exhibitors to Southern California for the biggest and most exciting dune and sand sports expo in the world. Attendees can get up close to the latest UTVs/ATVs, Side x Sides, Sand Rails, Toy Haulers, accessories, apparel and a whole lot more, during a full weekend of festivities.
New this year, Fox Factory’s Proving Grounds in partnership with Hammerking Productions, will provide a unique and memorable experience for all participants and spectators. Guests will see a lineup of professional drivers in purpose-built race vehicles – ripping it up. The high-horsepower, earth-shaking King of the Hammers Ultra4 Class will be showcased, along with UTV and Pre-Runners. Driver autograph sessions will follow each round of demos.
The Sand Sports Super Show offers something for everyone who enjoys the sand sports, dunes and off-road lifestyles. During the show, manufacturers will launch new products and show off their innovations to the passionate and engaged crowd of enthusiast attendees. Many vendors will be offering special show exclusive deals and pricing.
Within the sand sports community, the Sand Sports Super Show plays a pivotal role in uniting and mobilizing enthusiasts, cultivating growth, and fostering safety awareness.
The American Sand Association (ASA), in partnership with Polaris will raffle off a Polaris RZR XP 4 Turbo S
and also a Genesis Overnighter Trailer.
The winning tickets will be drawn Sunday, September 18.
Tickets can be purchased at the ASA Booth and the winner does not have to be present to win.
The Sand Sports Super Show will take place on Friday, September 16, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday, September 17 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, September 18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information on the Sand Sports Super Show and to purchase discount tickets in advance online, visit www.sandsportssupershow.com.
Follow on Facebook and Instagram @SandSportsSuperShow.
