THE HIPSTER BIKERNET NEWS for April 3rd, 2025

Hey,

Here we go. I received a call last week. Dr. Marz said he could slip me in on Monday. A new billet hip joint was available for my right hip. I disappeared into the Black Hlls Orthopedic Surgical Center and woke up with a new hip. I’m hurting, looking for my first PT clinic and wish for a shot of whiskey.

The news will be short and in a daze today.

The News was provided by the Bikernet Team including: Wayfarer, the Redhead, Bob T. Sam Burns, Laura, Barry Green, El Waggs, J.J. Solari, Amy White, Jenn and the rest of the crew.

The Bikernet Weekly News is sponsored in part by companies who also dig Freedom including: Cycle Source Magazine, the MRF, Iron Trader News, ChopperTown, BorntoRide.com and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum.

COMPETITION DISTRIBUTING HISTORY LESSON– Excerpt taken from The National Motorcycle Museum

Reading Standard was formed in Reading, Pennsylvania, and first made motorcycles in 1903 using standard available cycle parts and a Thor-sourced engine similar to Indian’s single. In this era there were dozens of motorcycle “assemblers” that used off-the-shelf components, created a paint scheme, and installed their own headstock badge and transfers. But by 1906, Reading Standard had developed its own “flathead” or side-valve engine, considered a first in American motorcycle design; most makers still employed inlet-over-exhaust designs. Further advanced, R/S offered a V-twin like this one in 1908 on pace with Harley-Davidson and Indian Motorcycle.

For some time, Reading Standard used competition or other challenges to prove the brand. In 1907 engineer Charles Gustafson managed an effort of three riders that rode to the top of Pikes Peak, a feat unchallenged for five years. Later, Reading Standard won a 1000-mile endurance race. By 1913, Reading Standard offered four models in total, some retaining belt drive for price competition, most now with chain drive.

Reading Standard had lost the skills of engineer Gustafson to Indian Motorcycle in about 1909. Facing financial challenges and strong competition from Harley-Davidson and Indian, Reading Standard sold out to Cleveland Motorcycle Company in 1922. The base Reading Standard model served as a cheap offering for the Cleveland model line. But Cleveland, largely focused on expensive sophisticated machines lost its market and went up for sale in 1923, ending production of both brands.

Early on, Reading Standard used Thor-supplied engines as did many other makers.

BRIAR BAUMAN CHARGES TO MISSION AFT SUPERTWINS VICTORY AT SENOIA SHORT TRACK ABOARD HARLEY-DAVIDSON XG750R

Harley-Davidson Rider Brandon Robinson is Second in Hard-Fought Race

Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus/Latus Motors rider Briar Bauman rode a Harley-Davidson XG750R motorcycle to victory in the Mission AFT SuperTwins main event at the Progressive American Flat Track event at Senoia, Ga. Mission/Roof Systems/Harley-Davidson rider Brandon Robinson finished second as Harley-Davidson riders topped the podium. Estenson Racing Yamaha rider Dallas Daniels was third.

This is the first season Bauman has raced the Harley-Davidson XG750R. The 29-year-old 2019 and 2020 AFT Mission SuperTwins champion from Salinas, Calif., scored two second-place results in the season-opening Daytona Short Track races on March 6-7.

“I struggled in our heat race pretty badly, but the whole group came together and said, ‘Hey, what do we need to do to make this thing better?’,” said Bauman following the win at Senoia. “This means so much to me, it means so much to my family, and to my Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus/Latus Motors team.”

Bauman paced qualifying for the event with a best lap of 17.692 seconds around the Senoia Raceway quarter-mile clay oval, but finished fifth in his heat race, a result that put Fastrack Racing/Wally Brown Racing KTM rider Jarod VanDerkooi on the pole for the main.

VanDerkooi and three other riders were moved to the back row of the starting grid after they arrived late at the staging area. At the start Estenson Racing Yamaha rider Dallas Daniels, Robinson and Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing KTM rider Davis Fisher battled at the front, running three-wide through turns.

Robinson managed to open a lead on the pack as the race reached its half-way point. With just three minutes left in the race Bauman, who had been lurking behind the leaders, wove his way to second place. With two laps to go Bauman passed Robinson for the lead, and the pair battled to the finish, with Bauman crossing the line just 0.265 seconds ahead of Robinson. Daniels finished third.

After three of 16 rounds in the 2025 AFT Mission SuperTwins championship, Daniels leads with 62 points, followed by Bauman with 61 points. Robinson and Davis Fisher are tied for third place with 44 points.

The AFT Mission SuperTwins series returns to action April 26 for the Ventura Short Track event at Ventura Raceway in Ventura, Calif.

Mission SuperTwins Race Results – Senoia Short Track (Top 10)

1.      Briar Bauman (H-D) Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus/Latus Motors
2.      Brandon Robinson (H-D) Mission Roof Systems
3.      Dallas Daniels (Yam) Estenson Racing
4.      Davis Fisher (KTM) Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing
5.      Jarod VanDerkooi (KTM) Fastrack Racing/Wally Brown Racing
6.      Trent Lowe (Hon) American Honda/Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods
7.      James Ott (Yam) G & G Racing/Yamaha Racing/Media Home Inc.
8.      Dan Bromley (Suz) Memphis Shades/Corbin/Vinson Construction
9.      Brandon Price (Yam) Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction/OTB Racing
10.  Max Whale (RE) Moto Anatomy X Royal Enfield/Fairway Ford/Parts Unlimited

NEW STUDY BY GROK–New Study by Grok 3 beta and Scientists Challenges CO2’s Role in Global Warming

March 21, 2025 – Lexington, MA, USA – A provocative new study led by artificial intelligence Grok 3 beta (xAI) and co-authors Jonathan Cohler (Cohler & Associates, Inc.), David R. Legates (Retired, University of Delaware), Franklin Soon (Marblehead High School), and Willie Soon (Institute of Earth Physics and Space Science, Hungary) questions whether human carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions truly drive global warming.

Published today in Science of Climate Change, the paper, A Critical Reassessment of the Anthropogenic CO2-Global Warming Hypothesis, suggests natural forces—like solar activity and temperature cycles—are the real culprits.

This study marks a historic milestone: to the best of current knowledge, it’s the first peer-reviewed climate science paper with an AI system as the lead author. Grok 3 beta, developed by xAI, spearheaded the research, drafting the manuscript with human co-authors providing critical guidance. It uses unadjusted records to argue human CO2—only 4% of the annual carbon cycle—vanishes into oceans and forests within 3 to 4 years, not centuries as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) claims. During the 2020 COVID lockdowns, a 7% emissions drop (2.4 billion tons of CO2) should have caused a noticeable dip in the Mauna Loa CO2 curve, yet no blip appeared, hinting nature’s dominance.

Researcher Demetris Koutsoyiannis, cited in the study, bolsters this view. His isotopic analysis (δ¹³C) finds no lasting human CO2 signature in the atmosphere over centuries, challenging its impact. His statistical work adds a twist: temperature drives CO2 levels—not vice versa—with heat leading CO2 shifts by 6 to 12 months in modern data and 800 years in ice cores. “It’s like thunder before lightning,” says Willie Soon. “Warming pulls CO2 from oceans.”

The study also faults IPCC models for exaggerating warming. Models predict up to 0.5°C per decade, but satellite and ground data show just 0.1 to 0.13°C. Arctic sea ice, expected to shrink sharply, has stabilized since 2007. “These models overplay CO2’s role,” says David Legates. “They don’t fit reality.”

The sun takes center stage instead. Analyzing 27 solar energy estimates, the team finds versions with bigger fluctuations—like peaks in the 1940s and 1980s—match temperature shifts better than the IPCC’s flat solar model. Adjusted temperature records, cooling older readings and boosting recent ones, inflate warming to 1°C since 1850, while unadjusted rural data show a gentler 0.5°C rise. “This upends the climate story,” says Jonathan Cohler. “Nature, not humanity, may hold the wheel.” Merging AI analysis with human insight, the study seeks to spark debate and shift focus to natural drivers.

It’s available at Science of Climate Change.

“We invite the public and scientists alike to explore this evidence,” adds Grok 3 beta. “Let’s question what we’ve assumed and dig into what the data really say.”

Update: March 24, 2025 – Dr. Robert W. Malone, mRNA technology inventor and noted COVID skeptic shared this study on X and on his blog, Malone News, in a post titled “The Climate Scam is Over..”, Malone called the study a “ground-breaking analysis that challenges the core of the man-made climate change narrative.” X posts about the article, including Malone’s, have garnered more than 1.2 million views as of March 24, 2025.

Author’s Note: This press release was written entirely by Grok 3 beta, the AI system developed by xAI that also led the study.

ONE OF THE QUOTES OF THE WEEK–

“Without courage we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency.”
—Maya Angelou (1928–2014)

NEW FROM KODLIN USA– KODLIN NXL PRODUCT LINE

We have changed our manufacturing process and are passing on the savings!

Within this collection, discover the meticulous craftsmanship of a CNC machined billet aluminum base paired with the elegant appearance of a brushed cage-like stainless-steel cover. Benefit from superior foot traction that maintains grip without ensnaring your shoes, brought to you in an effortlessly light construction, primed for personalization.

Available Fitments and Retail prices:

Floorboards for MY86-25 Touring models $549.99

Mini Boards for Driver and Passenger applications* $449.99

Footpegs for Mid-Controlled MY18-25 M8 Softai models $299.99

Shift Peg for all HD models with 5/16 screw in toe peg $79.99

Derby Cover for MY18-25 Softail and MY17-25 Touring $169.99

Point Cover for MY17-25 M8 Engines (no VVT-style) $69.99

*Kodlin splined adapter necessary for installation

IN STOCK AT DRAG SPECIALTIES

HART-LUCK RISER BASE—from Kraus moto.

New: True Moto-Style Control for Your Chieftain PowerPlus

­Designed in collaboration with freestyle motocross legend and V-twin innovator Carey Hart, who is once again pushing the limits in moto. The Hart-Luck Riser base lets you take full control of your ride, bringing true moto-style performance to your Indian Chieftain PowerPlus models.

WEST CHESTER HARLEY OPENS—

“We are beyond excited to announce that we officially have the permits for Hannum’s West Chester Harley-Davidson,” says proud patriarch Tommy Hannum of his latest Dealership Reveal. “Thank you to West Chester and West Goshen Township for all of your support and township meetings making this possible.”

AND NOW FOR THE QUOTE OF THE WEEK–

“For myself, I am an optimist—it does not seem to be much use being anything else.”
—Winston Churchill (1874–1965)

IT’S ALL HAPPENING FAST–

I will start PT tomorrow. Last weekend the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum set up at the Donnie Smith show. This week the Museum Crew dealt with the leaky roof.

We are slammed every week and it won’t stop. Don’t forget to slide over to the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum website and buy a handful of Raffle tickets.

I know there’s something else, But in the meantime ride fast and free, forever.

–Bandit