Hey,
This is easy, if only we had some leaders with balls. You’ll be blown away. Let’s hit the news:
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.
SUPPORT GOOD TIMES BANNERS— SGT Banners! 3×3′ and 3×2′ vinyl with metal grommets.
Get yours at
SUPPORTGOODTIMES.COM
NEWS FROM THE PRISM GANG—
Going to Sturgis? Join us, along with Harley-Davidson, for our Choppical Pool Party! The Choppical Pool Party is exactly as it sounds, a tropical themed pool party & chopper show that will feature the most unique and custom builds.
CALIFORNIA GUN NUT REPORT–California: Ask Public Safety Committees to Oppose Anti-Gun Bills
On June 27th, the Public Safety Committees will each hear anti-gun bills that have crossed over from the opposite chamber, including Senate Bill 2, to attempt to ignore the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in the Bruen case, which affirmed the right-to-carry. Please contact committee members and ask them to OPPOSE the anti-gun bills before them.
Assembly Public Safety Committee on June 27th, starting at 9:00AM
Senate Bill 2, among other things, creates new subjective criteria for the issuance of carry permits to allow authorities to arbitrarily deny applicants, restricts permit holders to carry only handguns registered to themselves, increases the requirements to apply for a permit, and increases “gun-free zones” where law-abiding citizens are left defenseless.
Senate Bill 368 mandates that licensed firearm dealers offer the service of storing firearms for safekeeping, prohibits firearm dealers from offering items in games of chance (such as by raffles), and expands prohibited persons categories for certain misdemeanor crimes.
Senate Bill 452 prohibits firearm dealers from selling or transferring any semi-automatic handgun after January 1st, 2027, unless the state certifies that it has microstamping.
In addition, it also prohibits replacing a microstamping component on such a handgun unless it is replaced with another “valid” microstamping component. In recent weeks, a federal court struck down the microstamping requirement, as well as other required features for handgun models to be placed on the California handgun roster.
While the attorney general has appealed the decision, he did not appeal the microstamping requirement. To read more about California’s microstamping law, please click here.?
Assembly Bill 732 goes above and beyond federal law in its requirement for individuals to relinquish their firearms upon conviction of a prohibiting offense. In addition, it creates a verification and enforcement procedure that can potentially violate the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
Senate Public Safety Committee on June 27th starting at 8:30AM
Assembly Bill 733 prohibits state and local government entities from selling off surplus firearms, ammunition, and body armor. This prevents them from being good stewards of taxpayer money and prevents the public from buying these taxpayer funded items, which are lawful to own.
Assembly Bill 1089 expands California’s ban on private citizens and non-professional users making firearms with CNC milling machines, or possessing CNC milling machines that have the “primary” or “intended” function of manufacturing firearms, to also include 3D printers. This is simply another scheme to harass law-abiding hobbyists by preventing them from using modern manufacturing techniques for otherwise lawful purposes.
Assembly Bill 1420 broadens the grounds for firearm dealer inspections and punitive measures for technical violations. In addition, it requires that prospective firearm purchasers and recipients list their email address on the DROS forms.
–NRA
WILLIE’S BOOK LAUNCH PARTY–
Please mark your calendar for Monday, August 7 in Deadwood SD, where, from 6pm to 10pm, we’ll hold the Ride Free Book Launch Party in Outlaw Square.
There will be music and appearances by Karen and Bill Davidson, along with some special features about Willie G and his lifetime with Harley-Davidson. There will be hospitality for media offered in conjunction with the new Hard Rock Rocksino in Deadwood as well.
–Steve Piehl
TWO MORE REASONS TO PARTY AT THE CHIP— Announcing Two More Bands a Good Party Wouldn’t be Complete Without Below
(Plus When to Expect the Complete Lineup Announcement and the Limited-Edition Festival Poster and How to Stream the Event Free)
BUFFALO CHIP HOUSE BAND
BUCKCHERRY
Friday, Aug. 11, 2023
PUDDLE OF MUDD
Friday, Aug. 11, 2023
See These Sturgis Rally Bands & Entertainment Listed Below FREE with your Campground Admission Pass!
THE MAGNIFICENT INTERNAL COMBUSTION BILL OF RIGHTS–
Senate Bill 202 by Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, is not really called the Internal Combustion Bill of Rights, but with so much federal and state legislation carrying the “bill of rights” label, it seems like maybe it ought to be.
SB 202, which passed the House on Tuesday and was sent back to the Senate to sign off on a relatively minor amendment, essentially guarantees the right of Oklahomans to use internal combustion engines and gas-fueled stoves — as long as the federal government doesn’t say otherwise.
Specifically, the bill says state and local governments cannot prohibit the use of such devices.
Such legislation might seem unnecessary, but House sponsor Jon Echols, R-Oklahoma City, said it is because “nationally, we have lost our ever-loving mind.”
Specific to SB 202, Echols was referring to efforts in some cities to ban or restrict internal combustion engines and the installation of new natural gas stoves, as well as furnaces and hot water tanks.
Fredric Harrell
Director, Conferences & Events
Motorcycle Riders Foundation
P.O. Box 9090
Peoria, Illinois 61612
HAPPINESS EXPLAINED
“Your mind will always believe everything that you tell it. Feed it joy, feed it truth, feed it love.”
“Whoever is happy will make others happy too” ~ Anne Frank
“Happiness is not determined by what’s happening around you, but from what’s happening inside you.”
–Wayfarer
Editor: Bikernet Blog & Facebook Page
GIVE ME PIZZA OR GIVE ME DEATH–
NYC Pizzerias versus Climate Change
Charles Rotter
There is a storm brewing in the New York City food scene, a storm born out of seemingly well-intentioned climate change regulations. Yet, the key question remains, is it a storm we need to weather?
According to a recent article from The Post, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has proposed new rules targeting decades-old baking methods in pizzerias. Specifically, the department is cracking down on coal-and-wood-fired ovens, demanding a 75% reduction in carbon emissions. DEP spokesman Ted Timbers explains,
“All New Yorkers deserve to breathe healthy air and wood and coal-fired stoves are among the largest contributors of harmful pollutants in neighborhoods with poor air quality.”
While the desire for cleaner air is something we can all get behind, the overall impact of these regulations is questionable at best. A city official admitted that less than 100 restaurants would be affected by the mandate, leading us to ask, is it worth it?
How many pizza ovens will it take to make up on of Al Gore’s private jet rides?
–WUWT
SPEAKING OF SCIENCE, THIS JUST IN FROM A MICHAEL CRICHTON LECTURE–
I want to pause here and talk about this notion of consensus, and the rise of what has been called consensus science. I regard consensus science as an extremely pernicious development that ought to be stopped cold in its tracks. Historically, the claim of consensus has been the first refuge of scoundrels; it is a way to avoid debate by claiming that the matter is already settled.
Whenever you hear the consensus of scientists agrees on something or other, reach for your wallet, because you’re being had.
Let’s be clear: the work of science has nothing whatever to do with consensus. Consensus is the business of politics. Science, on the contrary, requires only one investigator who happens to be right, which means that he or she has results that are verifiable by reference to the real world. In science consensus is irrelevant. What is relevant is reproducible results. The greatest scientists in history are great precisely because they broke with the consensus.
There is no such thing as consensus science. If it’s consensus, it isn’t science. If it’s science, it isn’t consensus. Period.
I say it is hugely relevant. Once you abandon strict adherence to what science tells us, once you start arranging the truth in a press conference, then anything is possible. In one context, maybe you will get some mobilization against nuclear war. But in another context, you get Lysenkoism. In another, you get Nazi euthanasia. The danger is always there, if you subvert science to political ends.
That is why it is so important for the future of science that the line between what science can say with certainty, and what it cannot, be drawn clearly—and defended.
In 1993, the EPA announced that second-hand smoke was “responsible for approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths each year in nonsmoking adults,” and that it “impairs the respiratory health of hundreds of thousands of people.” In a 1994 pamphlet the EPA said that the eleven studies it based its decision on were not by themselves conclusive, and that they collectively assigned second-hand smoke a risk factor of 1.19. (For reference, a risk factor below 3.0 is too small for action by the EPA. or for publication in the New England Journal of Medicine, for example.) Furthermore, since there was no statistical association at the 95% confidence limits, the EPA lowered the limit to 90%. They then classified second-hand smoke as a Group-A Carcinogen.
This was openly fraudulent science, but it formed the basis for bans on smoking in restaurants, offices, and airports. California banned public smoking in 1995. Soon, no claim was too extreme. By 1998, the Christian Science Monitor was saying that “Second-hand smoke is the nation’s third-leading preventable cause of death.” The American Cancer Society announced that 53,000 people died each year of second-hand smoke. The evidence for this claim is nonexistent.
In 1998, a Federal judge held that the EPA had acted improperly, had “committed to a conclusion before research had begun,” and had “disregarded information and made findings on selective information.” The reaction of Carol Browner, head of the EPA was: “We stand by our science; there’s wide agreement. The American people certainly recognize that exposure to second hand smoke brings a whole host of health problems.” Again, note how the claim of consensus trumps science. In this case, it isn’t even a consensus of scientists that Browner evokes! It’s the consensus of the American people.
Meanwhile, ever-larger studies failed to confirm any association. A large, seven-country WHO study in 1998 found no association. Nor have well-controlled subsequent studies, to my knowledge. Yet we now read, for example, that second-hand smoke is a cause of breast cancer. At this point you can say pretty much anything you want about second-hand smoke.
–Michael Crichton
BUILDER OF THE WEEK–
Eugene Rousse, cycle builder at River Side Cycle located at 708 Mongrue Street – Luling, LA 70070 – (985)785-8474 – gene@riversidecycle.net
In the late ’90s, Harley made “Street Stalker” custom kits for ’96-’99 Fatboys. They came in 3 stages with Stage 3 including larger gas tanks, everything custom painted with all hardware to change your stock bike. H-D dealerships could install them without voiding the warranty.
Here’s Eugene’s sample above and Bandit’s by Bartels’ H-D.
–Sam Burns
Associate Editor
Bikernet.com™
RIDER DOWN–
The rider that was killed was a good friend and co- worker / he and I made the Sturgis trek in 2015. This report is just preliminary police report, we don’t have all the details, so let’s not jump to conclusions about the 17 year old driver.
Needless to say, our little group of riders is beyond heartbroken. The responding officers were from the Porter County Sheriff ‘s dept. I’m told the details are much more gruesome than what we read. This has been a rough week – we’ll talk again after this shock wears off. Take care –
–Doug White
dmw18613@gmail.com
SHORAI NEWS—
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BRAND New Bikernet Reader Comment!–
THERE’S HOPE BIKERNET WEEKLY NEWS for June 22, 2023 (click to view)
Bandit,
To turn a two axle trailer easier by hand crank the dolly down to raise the front axle off the ground and it should spin easier.
Good luck.
–Poppy
Windsor, CT
“Thanks much, I’ve also heard of a rolling platform for the nose of trailers.” –Bandit
NEWS FROM THE BIKERNET INTERNATIONAL NEWS DESK—
Powertrain technologies will keep evolving, but ICEs are here to stay
With certain technologies and government regulations in place, the powertrains will continue to evolve, experts said at the recently-concluded 4th Edition of ETAuto Tech Summit 2023.
New Delhi: With all the talk around electric vehicles (EVs), internal combustion engines (ICEs) are not going anywhere so soon. With certain technologies and government regulations in place, they continue to evolve, suggest experts at the recently concluded 4th Edition of ETAuto Tech Summit 2023.
Rajendra Petkar, President & CTO, Tata Motors said that the EVs will make a significant penetration in the upcoming years but ICEs have also come a long way and sit at the pinnacle of technology today. In terms of energy efficiency ICEs are one of the finest energy converters from pure energy to mechanical power.
“In the next decade, ICEs will continue to evolve till we reach net zero at the national level. This is owing to the government’s investment in alternative fuels, biofuels, and CNG. Going forward, the focus will be on creating a fuel agnostic engine. Till the net zero technologies become completely commercially affordable with respect to the charging infrastructure, the ICEs will continue even though they will taper down from where we are today,” he said.
Dr N Saravanan, CTO, Ashok Leyland, agreed. Further, talking about the alternative fuel technology, he said that unlike the diesel engines, one of the challenges from an OEM perspective is not just to get the technology ready, but the infrastructure.
According to him, hydrogen ICE provides potential opportunity and seems to make a viable option for large commercial vehicles. Even though critics have talked about the efficiency of hydrogen ICE being lower than fuel cells, I believe it makes sense considering the ecosystem of hydrogen ICE. There are challenges including storage, safety but they can be sought. Maybe in the next 3-4 years, the industry will have hydrogen ICE vehicles on the road. The first applications can be expected in areas where there’s limited vehicle movement going on, for example, large ports, or with customers who have a captive fleet.
Analysts suggest that even by 2030, industry will have a significant share of the ICE vehicles.
Sumeet Dhar, COO & CTO Electra EV, said, “The ease of converting ICE vehicles to an alternative fuel vehicle is a low hanging fuel; the ICE technology is not going away so easily. But the pace at which the development of EVs is happening will be much faster than what happened for ICEs.”
Dhar said that the mass adoption of EVs is not going to be easy owing to the current pace of technology, cost and infrastructure. The advances in EVs are going to happen in multiple ways.
About the changing dynamics of the OEM-supplier relationship, Praveen Mysore, Technical Director, Dassault Systemes India said that the spirit of collaboration between suppliers and OEMs is on the rise with new technologies. The component suppliers are now changing into integrated system suppliers.
“The partnership model is evolving because there is a heavy reliance on the supplier ecosystem. The suppliers come with deep expertise in their domains and OEMs always rely on that kind of expertise to contribute into the vehicle development process.”
Read full story: Economic Times (click here)
–Wayfarer
Editor: Bikernet Blog & Facebook Page
[page break]
BORN FREE ACTION– Weather was perfect! Not scorching hot as in past events. Location hasn’t changed, which put you on winding Canyon roads to enjoy.
Coming from any direction you run in the groups of riders heading to the party.
Vendors represented top notch shops and parts manufacturers. Cold beer, and T-shirts. Live music on stage. Beautiful ladies. Motorcycle builders and riders!
Event run like a well-oiled machine. Staff has it down. Invited builders bike. Show with awesome bikes. And a chance to win a dynamite Panhead in the raffle.
–Zack
Undercover agent
Bikernet.com™
“The full stellar report is coming from Tileman James in the next couple of days.” –Bandit
CLASSIC QUANTUM FOR SALE–
I really appreciate your help.
I am retired, can’t ride anymore and really need to get this bike sold.
Please contact me if you have any questions.
–Michael
T:757-348-3677
NEW CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE AUCTION SITE— Classic Avenue, LLC, All rights reserved.
We can be reached at:
PO Box 904, Venice, California 90294
(424)265.0645
info@classicavenue.com
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATIVE ALERT—They will ultimately ban everything. Letters Needed Now to Keep Competition OHVs on California Public Lands
The Motorcycle Industry Council is calling on all powersports companies to add their names, on their letterhead, to an MIC-drafted letter in support of legislation to allow continued use of competition-model OHVs on public lands in California.
“Without the passage of California Senate Bill 708 in the state assembly, the use of competition OHVs on public land in the state will be in jeopardy,” said Scott Schloegel, senior vice president at the MIC Government Relations Office. “We’re facing this threat because the state’s Red Sticker Program for competition OHVs was terminated by the California Air Resources Board in 2021.
A solution, SB-708, has passed the Senate but it’s currently being held up in the Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee. So we need immediate assistance from across the powersports industry to advance this important legislation and keep access open for these popular competition machines.”
Authored by State Senator Brian Jones, a longtime motorcycle advocate and rider himself, SB-708 would create “sanctioned event permits” – starting on January 1, 2025 – that would allow California residents to operate competition OHVs at sanctioned events.
The new event permit will help facility staff and law enforcement to quickly identify such vehicles at these sanctioned events held on public lands. SB-708 would also restore funds historically slated for important conservation and law enforcement efforts that were lost with the termination of the Red Sticker Program.
–MIC
CHOPPER HISTORY– Sonny barton Galloping Goose Prez 1966 bike
Buck Lovell
Lovell Photography & Design
B.L.A.B.B. (Buck Lovell’s American Biker Blog)
bucklovell@gmail.com / bucklovellsblog@gmail.com
(605) 490 2991
TRUTH SUCCESS–CO2 Coalition Assists in Rolling Back Carbon Taxation Scheme in Virginia
Last year, the CO2 Coalition published a comprehensive report on the effects of climate change in Virginia. The report was to provides the science to supporting initiatives in the state to terminate harmful regulations.
In 2022, the Virginia House of Delegates passed a repeal of the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA), but it failed narrowly in the Senate. In advance of the votes, we hand-delivered copies of the report to every delegate and senator.
In 2021, the newly elected governor, Glenn Youngkin, had pledged to remove the state from the economically crippling Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). Unable to withdraw the state with an executive order, Gov. Youngkin is poised to fulfill his pledge by way of the Virginia Air Pollution Control Board that recently voted to remove the Commonwealth of Virginia from RGGI, which is essentially a carbon tax.
The action will likely face legal challenges, but rest assured that the CO2 Coalition will be helping to kill RGGI, whether it be filing a court document, testifying in Richmond or initiating some other means of support.
–CO2 Coalition
BIKERNET READER COMMENT—
Spring has Sprung Bikernet Weekly News for June 15th, 2023 (click to view)
I read the article about Gloria Struck twice to fully digest it. So, Meter Maids kicked her out ‘cause she didn’t pay her dues? What kind of foolish administrative assistant who doesn’t know who Gloria is gets to make that call?
Gloria has to be one of, if not the only surviving Charter Member. I mean, when does a person earn Lifetime membership?
She’s been paying dues for over 70 years. I’ll pay her membership for a year. If every biker who knew Gloria offered that, she wouldn’t ever have to worry about dues again. Hey Meter Maids, REALLY?
–Mike Rapp
MIC Prevents New Motorcycle Catalytic Converter Requirement in California–
The MIC Government Relations Office worked with California state legislators to have motorcycles excluded in a new bill requiring engraving or etching on catalytic converters, among other anti-theft measures.
Drafted to clamp down on an epidemic of automotive catalytic converter thefts, Senate Bill 55 would have created a number of expensive problems for motorcycle manufacturers, dealers, and customers.
Writing to the bill’s sponsor, California State Senator Thomas Umberg, the MIC GRO stated that requiring motorcycle manufacturers to engrave or etch the vehicle identification number onto each catalytic converter would be a costly and burdensome task, and such theft is not a widespread problem for motorcycle owners.
Further, the letter stated that there was no safe harbor provision for vehicles already awaiting sale at dealerships, and the bill would have forced dealerships to purge their inventories. As written, the legislation was overly broad and would have captured new and used vehicles. It would have required catalytic converters from used vehicles to be removed and sent back to manufacturers for engraving.
Without the amendment secured through MIC efforts, SB-55 would have harmed California dealerships and cost the state revenue and jobs by encouraging customers to buy from nearby states.
–MIC
STUDENTS GEAR UP— for the 2023 Tiny Strider Chop-Off Competition at the Flying Piston Benefit Auction and Breakfast
During this year’s highly anticipated 83rd annual Sturgis Rally, six schools, including Pine Bush High School, are showcasing their industrial arts skills. They’re participating in the Tiny Strider Chop-Off Competition at Flying Piston Benefit Breakfast and Auction. The breakfast shindig is located in the Big Engine Bar at the Buffalo Chip.
The Flying Piston Benefit’s Tiny Strider Chop-Off Competition is an exciting opportunity for these creative students to explore their passion for fabrication, machining and design by customizing a tiny balance bike. Similar to renowned Harley customizers, these young enthusiasts will unleash their creativity on a stock Strider bike to transform it into a one-of-a-kind custom, showcasing their ingenuity and craftsmanship.
“Instructor Kenny Marshall and his students have put in well over 150 hours from the design through fabrication process,” explained Aaron Hopmayer, Pine Bush Principal. “Students used the equipment in the Pine Bush High School Gene Haas Innovation Center which includes Haas mills, waterjet, 3D printers, laser cutter, wood CNC, and other tools.”
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The Flying Piston Benefit has teamed up with Pine Bush High School and five additional institutions to compete in the Tiny Bike Chop Off. The other schools and tech programs are Lakeville North High School in Minnesota, Helping with Horsepower in Ethan, SD, WyoTech in Laramie, WY, Mitchell Tech in Mitchell, SD and the Jessi Combs Foundation.
This competition provides an immersive experience for the students,” explained Marilyn Stemp, co-producer of the Flying Piston. “But really, in this competition, there are no losers, only winners!”
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Once the custom bikes are completed, they will take center stage at the 9th Annual Flying Piston Benefit where they will be unveiled and auctioned online. Proceeds support All Kids Bike, teaching kids to ride bikes in kindergarten P.E. nationwide, and Motorcycle Missions, supporting vets with PTSD.
Enthusiasts can register for the auction at https://qtego.us/qlink/piston to bid online from anywhere. To buy tickets for the Builders Breakfast, held at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip Crossroads on Sunday, August 6th and presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys, go to https://www.tixr.com/groups/sturgisbuffalochip/events/sturgis-buffalo-chip-2023-60458.
Strider is changing the paradigm of how kids learn to ride through AllKidsBike, which seeks to teach every kid how to ride a bike in kindergarten P.E. class. www.AllKidsBike.org, www.Striderbikes.com
Event Hashtags:
#FlyingPistonBenefit
#PerformanceArt
#BuildersBreakfast
KELLERMANN Launches New Jetstream and Dayron Motorcycle Lighting Products
Kellermann, the worldwide leader in premium motorcycle lighting products, today announced the launch of its latest innovations – the Dayron and Jetstream lines.
On the heels of the company’s recent announcement of its exclusive distribution agreement with Tucker Powersports, these two products are the newest additions to Kellermann’s popular LED lighting products for motorcycles.
Building on the success of its super bright and compact Atto indicator, which established the Kellermann brand in the US market, the Jetstream and Dayron lines will be well received by motorcycle riders concerned about style and visibility.
Jetstream is a line of sequential lighting indicators that uses Kellermann’s innovative brake and turn signal technology. This allows for a smoother transition between turn signals, making it easier for riders to communicate their intentions to other drivers on the road. Styled after the wing of a jet fighter aircraft, the look is clean and streamlined.
The 16 high-power LED’s deliver tremendous visibility with a striking look. With fitments for almost every motorcycle, Jetstream products are available as a turn indicator or a 3-in-1 model that operates as a turn indicator, brake light and running light. Jetstream’s looks, fitment and adaptability will make it a must-have lighting accessory for any serious rider.
The Dayron is a ground-breaking daytime running light that provides a unique look and unparalleled safety on the road. With its cutting-edge design, the Dayron is the perfect addition for riders who want to be noticed. The unique design operates as a white daytime running light, ensuring the motorcycle’s visibility to surrounding vehicles, and, when activated, becomes an amber turn signal. The light uses an airflow-optimized casing and is available for several BMW models and Harley-Davidson’s Pan America.
The Dayron® daytime running light system is installed with the support of motorcycle-specific plug & play solutions. The integration into the onboard electronics of the motorcycle is done by the DRL device (Daytime Running Light Module). This intelligent DRL device controls the perfect coordination and communication of all components with the motorcycle’s onboard electronics..Additional fitments are continually being added.
Kellermann products are available at Tucker dealers across the United States. Style and fitment information is available at kellermann-online.com.
NUMBER ONE CROCKER BIG-TWIN– A restoration by Chuck Vernon
Wedge style cylinder heads mean this restoration is not correct. Chuck Vernon replaced the OE hemi style heads with the later generation wedge units produced by the Crocker aluminum foundry in Los Angeles. Contemporary aluminum alloys of 1936 were fragile to a fault and cracked easily under the heat and stress of a big-twin installation. At any rate you’re looking a very expensive murdercycle.
— Mr. Buck Lovell…. no longer a nice guy!
“Chuck asked Buck to test ride this classic and wouldn’t take no for an answer.” –Bandit
URGENT: Send a Letter to EPA Opposing Proposed Vehicle Emissions Standards
Encourage opposition from officials on these proposals:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued proposed federal emissions standards for new motor vehicles model-years ’27 to ’32, which are intended to dramatically increase sales of electric vehicles (EVs) and will stifle fuel technology innovation.
The EPA estimates that 67% of new passenger vehicles sold in the U.S. would be EVs by 2032 under its proposed standards. SEMA has serious concerns with this proposal, which aggressively seeks to lower carbon emissions under timelines that effectively make electric vehicles the only option for automakers to meet its requirements.
The proposal will reduce consumer choice for Americans looking to purchase new vehicles, and it will increase the cost of purchasing a new vehicle given the rising prices of EVs.
Officials Must Hear from You Right Away!
We need your help! Please sign a letter opposing the EPA’s proposal. Feel free to personalize the letter and explain how the agency’s push to an all-electric future will impact your interests.
–SEMA
INDIAN INVITES YOU TO THE NEXT BAGGER COMPETITION—
Join us for the next King of the Baggers Race in sunny California from July 7th – July 9th and receive owner exclusive discounted tickets! Use the following discount code when purchasing tickets online to receive 50% off: IMRG23
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS–Supporting Recreation, Opposition Mounts Against Bureau of Land Management Rule
A controversial proposed Public Lands Rule would prioritize rangeland conservation over other uses, including recreation, across the nearly 250 million acres that the Bureau of Land Management oversees. The proposed rule has a new July 5 deadline for public comment, according to the agency.
“Unfortunately, the rule would create a new definition of conservation,” said Duane Taylor, director of safe and responsible use programs for the MIC, the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association, and the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America. “It’s impossible to understand how a brand-new conservation leasing program will work, especially with a new definition that places conservation on par with other uses for the first time in history. These are foundational changes not envisioned by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and they warrant Congressional review and input.”
Many recreation groups have expressed significant concern about the proposed BLM rule and the MIC, ROHVA, and the SVIA submitted a joint letter in opposition.
Arkansas Congressman Bruce Westerman, chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, has vowed to block BLM efforts, recently moving six related bills through committee, including H.R. 3397, which received an MIC letter of support and would require the BLM director to withdraw the rule.
Westerman also indicated he would work with members of the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations to block the rule through a spending bill if H.R. 3397 does not become law. On the other side of Congress, Wyoming Senator John Barrasso introduced a companion bill, S.1435, now referred to the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Those who wish to provide comments about the proposed rule should visit the rule page on Regulations.gov.
–MIC
[page break]
TRIKE OF THE WEEK—Outlaw 120
–Sam Burns
EVs ARE GOING BACKWARD–Smaller and greener is the future
When you send a rocket into space, you run into a paradox: Around 90% of the weight of the rocket is the fuel that it needs to lift away from Earth. As the rocket accelerates, three things happen: The speed increases, the rocket gets farther away from Earth (and from the gravitational pull of the planet) and as the fuel burns off, the rocket weighs less and so can accelerate faster.
We face a similar problem in the world of EVs, with an obvious exception. Technically, car batteries get heavier as they are charged, but the difference is so small that you couldn’t measure it even with the most precise car scale. However, that doesn’t matter, because when you add more batteries to a car, it must always carry all those batteries. That’s a problem that’s growing bigger as cars themselves get bigger and heavier.
It turns out that batteries are quite heavy. The battery pack on a Tesla Model 3 weighs more than 450 kg (1,000 lbs). The Rivian truck’s battery weighs 800 kg (1,755 lbs). And if you buy an EV Hummer, the battery you’re dragging around weighs more than a 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit at 1,300 kg (2,800 lbs).
Read full story at:
https://techcrunch.com/2023/06/14/why-are-they-getting-bigger/
“So, are we all gonna ride around on a tiny electric lawnmower and the rich neighbor on an electric golf cart ?” –Wayfarer
HISTORY FROM THE NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM—
1913 Sears DeLuxe Dreadnought Twin
The Sears DeLuxe Dreadnought was built to specifications and featured top quality components. Power came from a 9 horsepower inlet-over-exhaust V-Twin engine sourced from F.W. Spacke Machine Company of Indianapolis. This 70 cubic inch DeLuxe engine, shared by other manufacturers such as Dayton, Eagle, Minneapolis and Crawford carries Fred W. Spacke’s brand name, DeLuxe, cast into the crankcase. It had a reputation for power such that it was also fan-cooled and used in cycle-cars; very lightweight, narrow automobiles popular for a short time in the early 20th Century.
Chain final drive was to a single speed or optional two speed rear hub. It is said that Sears had their motorcycles made to price, and that they used known racing performance proven components instead of funding factory racing programs as their competitors did.
The name Dreadnought was adopted from the name of cutting edge battleships of the early 20th Century.
Sears, Roebuck, the once giant Chicago based chain of department stores, and mail order cataloger, first added a motorcycle to its offerings in 1912. Given that their catalog sales were the lifeline to remote, sparsely populated areas of America, their product had to be simple, tough and easily maintained, possibly by novices. The Sears DeLuxe Dreadnought Twin and its companion single were all of that.
Production of the Dreadnought lasted until 1916 when Sears stopped sales for unknown reasons. Post WWII, Sears, under their widely used Allstate brand, brought in mostly Gilera motorcycles and Vespa scooters from Italy, and Puch motorcycles, scooters and mopeds from Austria.
Powerfully marketed up to date product offerings from Japan are probably what made Sears give up motorcycle and scooter sales altogether in the late sixties. But around that time many of us spent our early years on Allstates of every shape and color.
The early Sears twins and singles are interesting and very rare. If Sears had morphed into an online marketing giant like Amazon, aside from trade laws, might we still be buying our motorcycles via catalogs, but of the online variety?
When you visit the National Motorcycle Museum you’ll find this Sears in the Hagerty Best of the Best Gallery. Nearby is a Curtiss, a Reading-Standard, a Thor, an early Husqvarna twin road bike and the rare original condition 1911 Flying Merkel racer.
Note: In the 1910s there were two Excelsior motorcycle manufacturers, and both were in Chicago. The maker of this Sears motorcycle is not the Ignatz Schwinn “Excelsior” that is bicycle and motorcycle associated, not the one called Excelsior Motor Manufacturing and Supply Company, but rather Excelsior Cycle Company of North Sangamon Street, Chicago, Illinois.
Although this fine and rare Sears is not currently on display in the Museum, as it is touring with Mecum Auctions, it will be among hundreds of motorcycles and thousands of pieces of memorabilia offered in the John Parham Estate Collection Mecum Auction at the National Motorcycle Museum, Anamosa, Iowa, September 6 – 9, 2023.
Watch for information on the Mecum Auctions website, Mecum.com For schedule information, to consign a vehicle or to register as a bidder for this and all Mecum events, visit Mecum.com, or call (262) 275-5050 for more information.
SEMA-Supported Bill to Protect Vehicle Choice Heard in U.S. House Committee; Introduced in U.S. Senate
The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Environment, Manufacturing and Critical Minerals Subcommittee held a hearing on H.R. 1435, the “Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act,” a bill designed to protect Americans’ right to choose the technology that powers their motor vehicles.
Meantime, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), the Co-Chair of the Congressional Automotive Performance and Motorsports Caucus, introduced S. 2090, a Senate companion bill to H.R. 1435. SEMA strongly supports both bills, which prohibit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from issuing a waiver for regulations that would ban the sale or use of new motor vehicles with internal combustion engines by 2035. The bills are important to stopping California’s plan to ban new ICE vehicles, which requires the EPA to waive provisions in the Clean Air Act in order for the mandate to go into effect.
“SEMA believes that vehicle owners should not be directed toward a specific technology, but rather be allowed to choose the type of vehicle that best serves them,” said SEMA President and CEO Mike Spagnola.
–SEMA
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ANOTHER RESTRICTION ALERT–
EPA emissions proposal aren’t a fit for West Virginians–As the owner of Howell Automotive, I have seen firsthand the obstacles to business growth created by misguided government rules. I try to use my knowledge as a business owner to make changes that grow our state’s economy, and I have serious concerns about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to further restrict emissions standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles, particularly their possible implications for West Virginia.
The EPA’s proposed emissions standards for model years 2027-2032 would effectively ban gasoline and diesel vehicles, forcing consumers to go all electric. These rules will have far-reaching impacts for West Virginia consumers, as well as the decades old industry built around the internal combustion engine. This proposal, as drafted, will decisively, and unfairly, tilt the U.S. car and truck market toward electric vehicles over the next decade.
I have long been an advocate for legislation that prevents big government from interfering with the individual right to express oneself through your vehicle and the ability to choose the vehicle that is best suited to you, your family and your business. If these rules go into effect as drafted, EVs could soon be the only option for new car buyers.
The U.S. market and West Virginians, specifically, remain skeptical of new EV technology and the infrastructure ready to support it. In 2022, just 817 battery-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles were sold in our state. Similarly, according to a recent report by J.D. Power, concerns about charging issues and pricing, as well as confusion around federal tax credits, are prompting more shoppers to avoid purchasing EVs. These policies would severely reduce consumer choice and adversely impact the largely rural vehicle owners of our state.
It’s important for West Virginians to get involved. Let your federal legislators know how important vehicle choice and supporting innovation are to you. It’s not enough for them to say “they are with us.” They need to demonstrate legislative action for West Virginians to truly believe they are on our side.
Gary Howell, a Republican from Keyser, West Virginia, represents the 87th House of Delegates district.
–Times News Cumberland
BIG FIREWORKS ACTION–
For the past 24 years, the Independence Day Celebration at Irwindale Speedway has captivated SoCal…. This year we take it to the NEXT LEVEL!! Get your Tickets NOW for Irwindale Speedway’s Biggest Night!! The annual Independence Day Celebration will take place on Saturday, July 1st!!
SoCal’s Best Fireworks Show meets Night of Destruction and the ARCA Menards Series Napa Auto Parts 150!! PLUS, a few SURPRISES along the way REMINDER: This Event has Sold Out prior to event day for FOUR YEARS STRAIGHT. So MAKE SURE TO ORDER YOUR TICKETS ONLINE Tickets are $25 per Person for Ages 2 and Up. Age 1 and Under are Free with Lap Seat Only. Tickets are On Sale NOW at www.IrwindaleSpeedway.com
CLIMATE ALERT FROM THE CLIMATE DEPOT–Today We Died–Greta Thunberg
Five years ago a week ago.
Even the most generous interpretation, that by not ending fossil fuel use by this date we are locked into a destructive future, past the tipping points, and our inevitable doom, is as absurd as the non-generous interpretation of the above tweet, which is now deleted:
RECESSION ALERT– Says … Janet Yellen?
That’s Awkward: The Department of Commerce’s recent report on the economy showed that gross domestic income (GDI) shrank in the past six months. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen might finally have to confess that the country is in a recession, explains Heritage research fellow EJ Antoni.
“According to … Yellen’s own words from last year, the economy is back in recession,” writes Antoni.
“That’s no surprise to half of Americans who believe we’re currently in a recession, but the data refute President Joe Biden’s claim that the economy is ‘strong as hell,’” he says.
Oops.
Hard sell or Bad bargain ?
Investment and vehicle registrations dip in electric two-wheeler segment
INDIA: The overall round of funding deals in the industry also reduced year-on-year from January to June, with 26 in 2022 and only 13 in 2023 during the same period
With subsidy norms getting more stringent and a reduction in subsidies starting June 1, the electric two-wheeler sector witnessed a year-on-year dip in investments and a reduction in registrations of E-two-wheelers.
According to data sourced by businessline from Tracxn, a market intelligence and analytics platform, the electric two-wheeler industry received an investment of $427 million so far in 2023, compared to $796 million in investments during the same period in 2022.
Wayfarer’s Note: Does this mean, no customer actually wants this piece of crap technology unless it’s made dirt cheap through tax subsidies? If so, why? What was the attraction for the end-user except cheap subsidized vehicles? Does an Electric Vehicle have any utility at all ?
Keep in mind, India is the world’s largest two-wheeler market! Bigger than China!
–Wayfarer
Editor:Bikernet Blog & Facebook Page
HOLY SHIT—Stuff is scrambling in every direction.
My Paul Cox, Cycle Tech single chain primary drive arrived. May start assembly this weekend.
Buck Lovell, the master, shot my ’48 UL for a Choppers mag feature. Choppers mag is the only sheetfed Choppers mag on the market. It’s a bigger format than most mags and thicker paper. Check it out online. You won’t find one at 7-11.
I’m scrambling with work on the liner. With the help of Jared and Terry Components, I installed a jumper system and an ignition/battery cut-off switch.
Back at the Knuckle I need to test my oil bag with gasoline. I measured the straps for the oil bag and sent the seat pan and strap dimensions to Howard Knight for leather work.
I need to reach out to the crew at BMST to check on my registration.
In the meantime, ride fast and free forever, goddammit!
–Bandit
