Hey,
We are entering another bullshit time in history, spurred by gangsters and thugs. They can call it Jihad or give it some religious excuse, but it’s bullshit from bullies. During a time of giving thanks we are also looking at a twisted world and at the future of our own government. We’re ready for whatever they throw at us. At least Bikers are…
Buddhism teaches about cause and effect, and one of the Dharma rules is that everything is changing all the time, so get use to it, and deal with it with your heart in the right place.
They have something called the eightfold noble path, and it always catches and corrects my direction. It goes something like this: The Right View, the Right Thought, the Right Speech, the Right Action, the Right Livelihood, the Right Effort, the Right Mindfulness, and the Right Concentration.
According to the Venerable Master Hsing Yun Buddhism is not a religion but a philosophy. So believe what you like regarding religion. But I find anytime I ask myself, “What’s the right view, the right effort, or the right action?” It brings me directly to the right decision. Let’s hit the news in hopes the world can wake up one morning and ask the same questions.
THIS JUST IN FROM CHOPPERTOWN– Hey Guys,
We have something really special this week, the entire Full Throttle Saloon series is available for download! Life at the world’s most famous biker bar is insane and this fun series really captures it all – we got all 47 episodes ready to go.
We also created a special shipping rate for everyone who wanted to get a Choppertown Dickies messenger bag – just $10 flat rate to any country. We want to give everyone a chance to get this one-off bag and realized that the shipping was as much as the bag to some places! Hope this makes more sense so you guys can grab one while they last.
NOTE: We’ve reinstated our “Build Your Own Bundle” plan so you can save every time you order. Choose ANY three DVDs or downloads (even discounted ones!) and you save 10%, any four save 15%, and any five take 20% off. Now you can stock up on DVDs for Xmas.
“Excellent show about an excellent bar”
~Russ verified viewer
Stay Independent,
–Zack and Scott
www.choppertown.com
Federal Highway Bill headed to the President’s Desk, December 4, 2015–
The U.S. Senate approved the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act by an 83-16 vote within a few hours of the U.S. House voting 359-65 in favor of the highway bill compromise – one day before the current funding extension was set to expire.
It now heads to the President’s desk for signing. Indications are that he will sign it; giving us the first highway bill spanning longer than two years since 2005.
The 5-year bill is a $305 billion dollar fully funded reauthorization of federal highway and transit programs.
Re-establishing the Motorcycle Advisory Council to advise the U.S. Department of Transportation on motorcycling infrastructure issues:
Continuation of the funding of motorcycle safety grants.
Funding distracted driving grant programs.
Language titled Share-The-Road Model Language that requires the Secretary within 1-year of passage of the FAST Act to provide to the states model Share the Road language on the importance of sharing the road safely with motorcyclists.
Stops Motorcycle Checkpoint federal grant funding for any program to check helmet usage or to create checkpoints that specifically target motorcycle operators or motorcycle passengers
Limitations and owner definition on data retrieval from vehicle event data recorders.
The Motorcycle Riders Foundation would like to thank our former lobbyist, Jeff Hennie, for the tremendous effort he put into the positive measures of this highway bill. Additionally, the MRF would like to recognize in appreciation our membership who worked tirelessly for several years in Washington D.C. and back in their home states to further this important bill.
–Kirk “Hardtail” Willard, MRF President
QUICK, OPEN THE BIKERNET BAD JOKE LIBRARY, BLONDE ON TIME–
A girl was visiting her blonde friend, who had acquired two new dogs, and asked
her what their names were?
The blonde responded by saying that one was named “Rolex” and one was
Named “Timex”.
Her friend said, “Whoever heard of someone naming dogs like that?”
“Helllooooo… ,” answered the blonde. “They’re watchdogs.”
–from Robert Tronolone
NEW MODEL DISCOVERED BY THE TRIKING VIKING– You know she hasn’t done modeling because she has a lot of tattoos. She looks more like a runway model, 6ft, thin not super busty, probably 21-22. She is a receptionist at the salon I go to– brunette,
Perhaps I will try her out on the bike this weekend for fun. I need a new girl. This one was with me two years, she was the checker at Pavilions, where I shop.
–The Triking Viking
The Great and Virtuous Bikernet Trikes Editor
I’m not sure he’s making much sense. He’s under a lot of pressure and just moved.—Bandit
LA CHOP RODS NEWS— We rolled over to Gard’s shop the other day and I was amazed by some of Gard’s projects. Sure ARCH is a fine example of motorcycle engineering, but the master’s brain never stops.
Here are just a couple of shots of a Sportster the staff is building for their web master. All the sheet metal is steel and unified. They built their own trees to keep the geometry correct. They build innumerable one-off products.
Check the tranny cover coupled to mid-controls.
Watch for more from LA Chop Rods next week in the news.—Bandit
BIKERNET INTERNATIONAL EDITOR BACK IN SOUTH EAST ASIA— Direct from Phnom Penh Cambodia.
Santa is alive and well here
Street scene. Classic architecture. Motorbikes etc
Exercise at river walk. Every day. Not hot right now.
River tour boats. Condos
Soccer with small wicker ball also on river walk.
–Art Hall
Venerable Master Bikernet
International Editor
The Motorcycle Riders Foundation Legislative Strategy Agenda for 2016–
At the 2015 Motorcycle Riders Foundation’s (MRF) 31st Meeting of the Minds Conference held in September in Milwaukee, WI, a Legislative Strategy Session was hosted by the MRF’s Legislative Committee.
As has been done for the past several years, the MRF requested that it be attended by Sustaining State Motorcyclists’ Rights Organizations (SSMRO) Legislative and/or Executive Officers. We welcomed several representatives from our Sustaining Motorcycle Clubs and Organizations as well.
The goal was to set the MRF’s Federal Legislative Agenda for the 2015 Meeting of the Minds to the 2016 Meeting of the Minds annual cycle.
The MRF’s SSMRO partners responded once again with a majority attendance that resulted in a healthy dialogue focused on motorcycling. The MRF Legislative Committee remains extremely pleased at the aligned and clear direction we experienced again this year from our SSMRO partners. This level of agreement continues to allow for solid action plans to be developed by our Legislative Committee and our Board of Directors that can be effectively employed by our Government Relations Department and our SSMRO partners while in Washington D.C. and in working federal issues in their home states.
Additionally, we continue to see productive gains in state legislative activities that support our federal efforts when it comes to protecting on-road motorcyclists, motorcycling, and its associated lifestyle.
The MRF Legislative Committee continued the practice instituted four years ago of recording one vote per SSMRO in attendance. The session this year was moderated by MRF Vice President, Jay Jackson, with support from MRF Vice President of Government Relations & Public Affairs, Jeff Hennie, and MRF President, Kirk “Hardtail” Willard.
FOLLOWING EACH LEGISLATIVE AGENDA ITEM ARE THE RECORDED VOTES BY THOSE IN ATTENDANCE
100% FAVOR
100% FAVOR
100% FAVOR
100% FAVOR
100% FAVOR
100% FAVOR
100% FAVOR
100% FAVOR
100% FAVOR
100% FAVOR
100% FAVOR
• MRF to continue to insure the inclusion of motorcycles in ongoing Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) emerging technologies
100% FAVOR
• Pursue safer roadway design strategies at the federal level
100% FAVOR
• Continue to promote our theme of crash avoidance versus safer crashing, using the principles of House Resolution 1498 urging NHTSA to focus on crash prevention and rider education
100% FAVOR
• MRF to pursue limiting funding in a relevant legislative vehicle of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) for their increasing involvement in motorcycling safety issues
100% FAVOR
• MRF to monitor private organizations that oppose the legislative agenda or mission of the MRF and investigate their funding sources to make certain they are not receiving federal tax dollars
100% FAVOR
• MRF to monitor public organizations for funding sources when in opposition to our legislative agenda or mission, respond appropriately if they receive federal tax dollars
100% FAVOR
• MRF to monitor and report on non-transportation federal agencies becoming increasingly involved in motorcycling such as the Government Accountability Office (GAO)
100% FAVOR
• MRF to continue to closely monitor the federally mandated Affordable Health Care Act for potential motorcyclist and motorcycling discrimination
100% FAVOR
• MRF to fully engage the EPA on upcoming activity on motorcycle emission regulations and motorcycle drive train mandates
100% FAVOR
• MRF to support the Black Box Protection Act to regulate black boxes in motorcycles, seek to clarify the rights of the vehicle owner to ownership of the recorded data
100% FAVOR
• MRF to monitor fair tolling concepts on federally funded roads and roads supported by federal bonds
100% FAVOR
• Federal Agency Motorcycle Design Standards-MRF to oppose non motorcycle manufacturer mandated specific design standards
100% FAVOR
• MRF to seek to add clarification of an “Autocycle” as a third class of vehicle at the federal level
97% FAVOR, 3% OPPOSE
• Lane splitting was discussed in depth as was decided it should remain a state by state issue and the MRF continue to provide resources, there is no federal effort on lane splitting at this time.
100% FAVOR
94% FAVOR, 3% OPPOSE, 3% ABSTAIN
• MRF Sustaining Member Motorcycle Club Committee to lead an effort to help clarify the use of words such as clubs, gangs, known associates, associates, as definitions.
94% FAVOR, 3% OPPOSE, 3% ABSTAIN
• There was agreement that that there would be an effort by the MRF and SSMRO’s to get non-motorcycle powered two and three wheelers such and mopeds, scooters, and the various cabin based steering wheel type vehicles removed from motorcycle crash statistics.
DISCUSSION
• There was discussion on the novelty helmet educational promotional campaign by NHTSA to the Law Enforcement Community and it was decided the SSMRO’s should be educating their members on the definition of a helmet as practically used in their states
DISCUSSION
With the current U.S. Congress, combined with our comprehensive and aggressive legislative agenda, the MRF Legislative Committee strongly encourages our SSMRO partners and our MRF members to actively engage in a lively motorcycling dialogue with their U.S. House of Representative and U.S. Senate Members as an immediate priority.
We will need our strong presence to continue with this Congress. If your SSMRO needs any assistance in planning a trip to Washington D.C. to begin or strengthen the dialogue with your members of Congress, contact the MRF Washington D.C. office at 202-546-0983.
We would also like to encourage you to finalize your plans to attend our national biker lobby day event in Washington D.C., Bikers Inside the Beltway, on Thursday May 19th, 2016.
See our website at www.mrf.org for more details.
MRF Legislative Committee Members:
Dave “DAD” Dwyer, George Gorman, Lenny Holcomb, Ryan Hubbard, Jay Jackson, Jim “Legs” Korte, Boyd McFail, Bob Myers, Todd Riba, Kirk “Hardtail” Willard (Chair)
NEW BIKERNET DEMOGRAPHIC SURVEY– Hope all is well in Bandit-Ville.
I just filled out your quiz you requested in an email to me today….
I almost got killed on my way back from Sturgis this year when my buddy was driving my rig and rolled my airstream… the truck almost rolled, but we got out without a scratch…
Thankfully GEICO paid for my lost toys on the roads of Utah and I’ve replenished my toys with a 2014 Victory Cross Country, which I love and a 2005 Steed Chopper that I just updated with a 30-inch front wheel…. I can send you shots of that one if you want to do a feature on Steeds again…
Speaking of photos!
I have a ton of topless babes on bike shots in my library… Do you have interest for shots like this on your site?
–John Covington
former Steeds Company Owner
Author
Master Photographer and designer
We will work with John on several projects in the near future.—Bandit
DISARMING YOUR OPPONENT WITH REASON AND FACTS–
NMA Editor’s Note: The NMA has a long tradition of calling out the AAA for its often contradictory or hypocritical stances on important motorists’ issues such as improperly set speed limits and the use of red-light cameras.
NMA Foundation Executive Director Jim Walker has often led the charge as he did recently with this letter to AAA Northeast. The letter below serves as a balanced critique of AAA’s recommendation for a red-light camera program in White Plains, New York. Note how Jim cuts through AAA’s rhetoric and uses the facts to dismantle the association’s arguments.
Dear Mr. Slatky,
Thanks for the paper on recommendations for a White Plains red-light camera program. It contains many of the generic principles that could establish a fair and transparent program aimed at producing safety improvements if cities adopted them, not a lucrative revenue stream. However it does not contain the specific mandates necessary to prevent using a program primarily for revenue rather than safety.
There are no absolute (“Shall” in traffic engineering terminology) requirements to:
Use yellow intervals in the ITE formula based on the actual 85th percentile approach speeds of free flowing traffic under good conditions.
Use perception/reaction times in the ITE formula longer than 1.0 seconds which is sufficient for only about half the drivers.
Use a minimum grace period for the reasonable tolerance principle mentioned (Virginia mandates 0.5 seconds by law).
Prevent ticketing the overwhelming majority of safe slow rolling right on red turns by safe drivers who endangered no one because they slowed enough to be sure there were no conflicting pedestrians, cyclists or other vehicles as they made very low speed turns.
Do the engineering changes in advance that tend to drop violation rates by 60 percent to 90 percent before cameras can be considered.
Note that NHTSA research shows only 0.4 percent of crashes at signalized intersections also involve a right on red turn, and this percentage includes both drivers who made a full stop and those who did not. That research shows only 0.06 percent of all crashes with injuries or fatalities also involve a right-on-red-turn, and that tiny percentage also includes both drivers who made a full stop and those who did not.
Attached is an Excel chart showing the difference in using a 1.4 second perception/reaction time (PRT) in the ITE formula (or 1.0 plus a 0.4 second grace period). Since about 60 percent of all through movement violations occur in the first half-second, the 0.4 difference will tend to reduce violation rates by about 50 percent, as happened in 2013 when Florida made this mandate to use 1.4 for the PRT.
Posted speed limits at camera locations are often 7 to 10 mph lower than the actual 85th percentile approach speeds of free flowing traffic under good conditions which makes the yellow intervals another 0.5 to 0.7 seconds too short.
Cities and the camera companies know this, so timing yellows for the under-posted speed limits is a material part of their for-profit business plans. There are a lot of documented examples where cities added 1.0 seconds to yellow intervals (as Georgia mandated) and got 70 percent to 90 percent reductions in the violation rates. And, contrary to false claims by the camera companies, the violation reductions are permanent, the rates do not rebound as drivers get used to the longer yellow intervals.
The for-profit camera companies and most of their for-profit city business partners strongly resist “Shall” requirements to set adequate and fair yellow intervals because they drastically reduce the revenue, sometimes below the basic costs of using the cameras. And virtually no cities will use red-light cameras that lose money, when the total fines are lower than the costs of the cameras.
Cities could claim they followed the outline and the generic fairness principles in the paper, and still issue most tickets for split-second violations and safe slow rolling right-on-red-turns by safe drivers—none of which endangered anyone. The for-profit ticket camera companies and most of their for-profit city business partners will use any loopholes necessary to make and keep the cameras profitable above their typical costs of $4,000 to $5,000 per month per camera.
We believe AAA should actively and publicly oppose all red-light camera programs that do not make the engineering changes to prevent most inadvertent split-second violations, and to prevent ticketing slow rolling right-on-red-turns when the video evidence does not reveal a failure to yield the right-of-way or some other hazardous action.
But, so far, these requirements are not in the AAA position. AAA does not actively and publicly oppose most of the red-light camera programs that are run primarily for profits.
Regards,
–Jim Walker
THE BIKERNET BAD JOKE LIBRARY IS STILL OPEN–
Three engineering students were gathered together discussing who must have designed the human body. One said, “It was a mechanical engineer. Just look at all the joints.”
Another said, “No, it was an electrical engineer. The nervous system has many thousands of electrical connections.”
The last one said, “No, actually it had to have been a civil engineer. Who else would run a toxic waste pipeline through a recreational area?”
–from Rogue and Jerry
MEANWHILE BACK IN CAMBODIA—
Moto parking at central market
Colorful Flower mart.
Oldest transport manpower cyclos with modern high-rise contrast.
Lunch $8. Fish Amok local specialty I always have a few times. Seafood fried rice. Cola and fruit bowl.
–Art Hall
Bikernet International Editor and Supreme Commander
THE NEW/OLD PROJECT–
My new toy is out of 8 years of storage at my other business location and now in my driveway.
I just need to decide what the hell I’m going to do with it? Eight years ago it seemed like a good idea to buy it.
–Steve Bauman
Bikernet Tech Writer
STUDYING EASYRIDERS MAGAZINE HISTORY— John Kimzey, one of the sons of Lou Kimzey the publisher and creative master of Easyriders is researching the history.
Do you recall why Harley-Davidson pulled their advertisement from Easyriders, one month back in the ‘70s or perhaps early ‘80s? I believe Lou’s response was a black, empty page, with Lou writing that HD pulled their ad for a specific reason. Does this ring a bell? Do you know the reason? Would you ask around the office for me.
I’m curious as to the reason and what issue of Easyriders this was.
I remember H-D got so much flack for pulling the ad that the following issue H-D had two or three ads in Easyriders.
I hope you are doing well. Things are good here in Singapore.
–John Kimzey
You’re testing my memory. But it seems that when we went topless, they dropped us. The dealers said that was bullshit and brought the ads back. I’m not sure the exact timing in the ‘70s. Do you have a set of mags? Let me see what I can find.–Bandit
Great trike, I also have a white Harley Trike Frankinstein conversion. My wife & I did all the work. Love it! Again, great trike. I’m sure you will win more awards.
Ride safe,
–Dale Martin
Spanaway, Washinton
noun
1. Slang. an old ragged garment; tattered article of clothing.
2. Slang. any garment.
Quotes
Adele went downhill after that, especially after the girls were in school. She’d go for days without a shower. Started walking around in that pink schmatte and the flip-flops even in winter.
— Deborah Copaken Kogan, Between Here and April, 2008
Origin
Schmatte is from the Yiddish term shmate meaning “rag,” which in turn comes from the Polish term szmata. It entered English in the mid-1900s.
More From Dictionary.com
The story behind the #christmas devil known as #krampus??
Posted by Pub of the Dead on Thursday, December 3, 2015
THE HISTORY OF THE EVIL SANTA—
–from El Waggs
NRA STUDIES H.R. 3762–
On Thursday, December 3, the U.S. Senate took up H.R. 3762, the Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act. Despite the seemingly innocuous title, the bill set up a dramatic showdown over Second Amendment rights.
The bill was brought under budget reconciliation, an expedited legislative procedure for a budget resolution to meet fiscal targets. Under this procedure, the bill required only 51 votes to pass the Senate and was limited to 20 hours of debate. It was also subject to a rule, which prohibits non-budget related provisions from being added.
Anti-gun Democrats were nevertheless determined to exploit both the bill and recent tragedies to attach as many gun control amendments as possible. To proceed to debate on these out-of-order amendments, however, they had to reach a supermajority of 60 votes to suspend the rules. The pro-gun Senate you elected held the line. Every anti-gun amendment was defeated.
Long-time Second Amendment opponent Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) offered a far-reaching amendment that would have given the U.S. Attorney General what amounted to a discretionary veto on gun sales to anyone “appropriately suspected” of having some connection to “terrorism.” Anti-gun bureaucrats would have been empowered to deny Second Amendment rights based merely on their own “reasonable belief” concerning someone’s present or future intentions.
Gun control advocates have made clear, however, that they don’t trust anybody with a gun, and they have slandered pro-Second Amendment Americans as dangerous “rightwing extremists” and worse. Equally clear is that many supporters of this amendment have no stomach for effective measures to keep America safe from terrorists, chief among them ensuring that foreign nationals involved in or supportive of terrorist groups are kept out of America in the first place. Feinstein’s Amendment failed by a vote of 45-54.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) also dredged up his ill-fated ban on private firearm transfers between friends and many family members. That was defeated by a vote of 47-50 – receiving seven votes less than it got two years ago. Manchin’s background check bill has been a rallying cry for anti-gun activists since its historic defeat in 2013. Fortunately, that cry once again fell on deaf ears as reason prevailed over hyperbole and opportunism.
In the days leading to the vote, gun prohibitionists and their allies in the media had whipped themselves up to a veritable frenzy. The pressure they brought to bear on the Senate was intense. Nevertheless, cooler heads prevailed, backed by sound research and empirical evidence.
No doubt the defeated anti-gunners will be venting their displeasure over yet another round of clear defeats. Please make sure to let your Senators know in the days ahead how you felt about their votes. In particular, those who stood on the side of freedom deserve to hear a hearty thanks and well-done!
LIFESTYLE DEAL OF THE WEEKEND– 2005 Harley Davidson Dyna Superglide FXD.
Our Price
$8,995
Was
$12,995
Exterior: Gray
VIN: 1HD1GHV345K317078
– See more here.
WE KEPT THE BIKENET BAD JOKE LIBRARY OPEN FOR THE WEEKEND– A little old lady, well into her eighties, slowly enters the front door of a sex shop. Obviously very unstable on her feet, she wobbles the few feet across the store to the counter. Finally arriving at the counter and grabbing it for support, stuttering as she asks the sales clerk, “Ddooo youu havee dildoss ?”
The clerk, politely trying not to burst out laughing, replies, “Yes madam, we do have dildos. Actually we carry many different models.
“The old woman then asks: “Ddooo youu carryy aaa pppinkk onee, tenn inchess llong aandd aabboutt ttwoo inchesss thiickk…aandd rrunns by bbaatteries ?”
The clerk responds, “Yes madam, we do..”
She then asks: “Ddooo yyoouu kknnnooww hhhoww ttooo tturrnn iitt offf?
–from Jerry and Roque
THERE YOU HAVE IT— Did you know that we are faced with 80 million more people on the planet every year? I won’t go there.
Most folks just try to do their best and slip through life without dealing with the struggles and strife. They just keep their heads down and hope it will all work out.
Hang on.
Regarding Bikernet, next week we will bring you a report on the new Biker’s Choice V-Twin Battery install into Jeremiah’s Dyna. This new Lithium battery weighs like one fifth of a stock battery—amazing. They are so light it’s tough to take them seriously.
We will post special reports and features all week long. We don’t ever slow down, even during the holidays. I’m working on a wild Life and Times story from an anonymous contributor.
Have a helluva week and stay strong and ready for action, whatever life throws at us, we will handle.
–Bandit
