I’m reading a new book called Tale of Two Climates, One Real, One Imaginary, by Bill Pekney. It should be a text book for classrooms all over the world. It’s almost sad that Bill was forced to write it. It shows just how gullible much of the population is.
I’ll run a couple of quotes in my intro and ending of the news today. Here’s one from page 44. Pollutants vs. Carbon Dioxide: It is a quite common mistake to equate ugly and toxic air pollutants such as dust, smoke, soot, sulfur dioxide and so on with carbon dioxide, which is an invisible, non-toxic, clean, and useful molecule. We drink it in carbonated beverages. We generate it with every breath. Plants convert it to oxygen. Carbon dioxide is necessary for all life on this planet.
Starts to make you wonder. Hang on for more, later in the news. On the bright side Born Free went off without a hitch. My grandson, Frankie attended and tried to win a Knucklehead. Him and his girl, Em, bought a dozen tickets, but it was taken home buy a guy who bought just one.
I’m sure the local media called it a super-spreader, but it seems everything fills that bill recently. Stay safe and this too will pass. And the best solution for the Covid, for depression and for bad government is to go for a ride where only the wind disturbs your thoughts and cleanses you mind.
A brother of 47 years stopped by, Bob Bitchin. His massive home overlooking a lake in Berry Creek burned down recently and took his entire motorcycling and sailing history. He’s been fighting depression. We discussed meditation and calming the mind. Basically, meditation is all about taking the mind out of gear and letting it relax, but it’s much tougher than the photos of cute girls in lotus positions depict.
Two easy forms of meditation are riding motorcycles and lifting weights. Anything that takes your mind away from its current funky thoughts is the first step. Remember, anything disturbing you today, can be changed tomorrow. 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, Las Vegas Bikefest, Iron Trader News, ChopperTown, BorntoRide.com and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum.
XDA Heads to VMP for Last Virginia Race in 2021–On September 10-12, the XDA Motorcycle Drag Racing series returns to Virginia Motorsports Park for the Inaugural Bike Brawl. This must-attend event is the sixth stop in the seven-race tour.
The event features the Orient Express Pro Street class running at speeds over 230 mph in only 6-seconds, and the “Running of the Bulls” Grudge Program on Saturday night with the baddest Grudge racers in the game!
Over 700 Professional, Sportsman, and Grudge motorcycle racers will also be in competition all weekend long, battling it out for over $80,000 in cash purse at this event…
TANYA TUCKER GOES TO THE DRAG RACE–NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Original female outlaw and music icon Tanya Tucker surprises the Top 4 of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 6 in the workroom during today’s episode streaming now on Paramount+. During the episode featuring Tanya, the Top 4 are challenged to write lyrics for a new song titled “This Is Our Country,” which will include a duet version with Tanya and Ru available everywhere Sept. 9.
Tanya appeared virtually during the episode and popped up on the screen to give the queens a few words of encouragement and explained that finally winning her GRAMMY® Awards were worth the wait. Each member of the Top 4 has been waiting a long time for their second chance at winning the show and the only thing standing in their way is their final performance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkNzau5L00o
BRAND New Bikernet Reader Comment!–
Bandit’s Cantina: Episode 95
https://www.bikernet.com/pages/Bandits_Cantina_Episode_95.aspx
The first bike at the beginning by Robinson is great! It kind of grows on you. I loved finding this bike which was published in a “71” issue of “Easy rider” before the magazine was changed to “Easyriders.”
Hal was a hell of a talent! Hope the crew at Bandit’s Cantina gets out of LA safely and Margaret and her son get it together. And by the way, maybe Bandit should try throwing in some fiery strawberry blonds for a change of pace. He is such a babe magnet.
–Ann Robinson
Long Beach, CA
NEW FULL THROTTLE MAGAZINE IS NOW ONLINE–SEPTEMBER 2021 FULL THROTTLE
MAGAZINE
MOTORCYCLE REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE FROM LAW TIGERS– Part of owning a finely crafted piece of machinery like a motorcycle is taking care of it. We all love our bikes, no matter what style, price range, or how long we’ve had it- that’s our noble steed! You don’t have to be a DIY mechanic to take care of your ride (although many of us are).
However, you decide to take care of your motorcycle, it’s important to know the basics of bike maintenance. That’s why we’ve compiled tips on inexpensive motorcycle repair, motorcycle repair shop tips, and ways to make sure you’re spending as much time as possible actually riding.
Before you decide how you are going to take care of your bike, you need to know what you are looking for. Here’s a quick checklist of common motorcycle maintenance items so you can ride stress-free:
Pre-trip: This is a term used by truckers, but it applies to motorcycles as well. Basically, walk around and take a look at your bike- create a visual of what each part looks like, and if anything is abnormal, check it out. Look for leaks, cracks, stains, and test your moving parts. It sounds like a lot, and you don’t have to do it every time you ride, but having a routine pre-checkup will help your bike health greatly.
Brakes: Get your tires up in the air, rotate your wheels, and check those brake pads! Check for warping, any sort of surface damage, and how much is left on the pads. Don’t run your brakes down too low- these are the last things you should be stingy about, as they’ll save your neck when they’re good, but can be dangerous when bad.
Fluids/Filters: Like brakes, these need to be checked based on time, mileage, and a general concern for your well-being. Coolant can be done every other season, but make sure to stay on top of your oil, transmission fluids, and primary fluids.
Controls: These will vary bike-to-bike, but you will want to start by checking the clutch and throttle for proper operation. Additionally, make sure your handlebars still turn properly, your mirrors are on tight, and that your pedals and shifters are in the correct position. Basically, you want to feel the same level of comfort each time you ride, and if these are out of place, you can be thrown off.
*What is T-CLOCK? T-CLOCK is an acronym riders can use to help them remember the inspection list below:
T – Tires
C – Controls
L – Lights
O – Oils
C – Chassis and chain
K – Kickstand
BASIC MOTORCYCLE REPAIR
For many motorcycle enthusiasts, the tinkering element provides just as much fun as riding. This almost never comes naturally; it comes with experience and a dedication to learning how to repair your bike.
If you want to learn how to fix a motorcycle, we recommend first learning everything you can about your specific bike via motorcycle manuals, YouTube videos, and bike forums. For better motorcycle repair skills, you can even take a motorcycle maintenance class. Once you start to get the hang of general maintenance, it should become second nature how to fix small problems that pop up here and there.
It’s a great way to do cheap motorcycle repair, but let’s be honest- it’s also extremely rewarding to know you are proficient at taking care of your bike.
MOTORCYCLE REPAIR SHOPS
If you aren’t an avid at-home mechanic, you’re going to have to turn to the professionals for help. This is not a bad thing by any means, but we recommend familiarizing yourself with best-practices for mechanics as well as the specific needs of your motorcycle.
Before you make a commitment to have a mechanic work on your bike, we recommend looking for the following things in a repair shop:
Certifications: Because motorcycles are such a diverse classification of automobile, there are many certifications that mechanics need. Bike styles, engine types, and all sorts of things come into play to get this. Read up on the ones that specifically affect your bike.
Experience: Motorcycle care is both an art and a science, and it requires experience even for newer machines. While we don’t want to fully exclude newer shops and mechanics, we believe that shops, techs, and mechanics with experience yield better results
Reputation: Whether it is from the locals, a riding club, or online reviews, be sure to see what other riders are saying about the shop. . The customer experience plays a role in whether you should be going to a shop, as well. Take things into account like shop security and the integrity of their offers. And always get a written guarantee.
MOBILE REPAIR SHOPS
A great alternative to taking your bike in to a mechanic is utilizing a mobile repair for your motorcycle. These can save time, and they can usually get to you in the event of an emergency. They also typically provide comparable professional work at cheaper prices. If your bike is actually broken down, towing it is often difficult without the proper equipment – another reason to use a mobile tech.
This doesn’t mean a mobile repair shop is always the option. They are typically less-established, might not be able to perform as thorough of diagnostics, and most highly experienced mechanics will have a full service shop. We recommend using a mobile repair shop with great reviews and one that can promise comparable quality to a mechanic shop near you.
SPECIALTY SHOPS
Many motorcycle brands have nuances that you might not trust a general mechanic shop to understand. Some bikes have intricate engineering or electrical systems, such as a high end Kawasaki or Harley-Davidson. At Law Tigers, we know if our Harley riders aren’t taking care of their bike at home, they’re looking for a specific Harley-Davidson motorcycle repair shop near them.
Ultimately, you’re going to have to decide whether doing the work at home, going to a mechanic shop as an intermediary, or going to a trusted specialist is best for your specific bike. There’s not a right or wrong answer, but the more you know about motorcycle repair, the better your experience will be.
Law Tigers Has Your Back
At Law Tigers, we’re proud to be active members of our local motorcycle communities. This means we are happy to act as a resource to help people find the maintenance repair options best suited for their personal situation. It also means we have riders’ backs. With Law Tigers, you never ride alone.
Request our free rider benefit card to get access to immediate benefits like a toll-free 24 hour accident hotline, free legal advice for all motorcycle riding matters, a $10,000 motorcycle theft reward and more.
BIKERNET UNIVERSITY WISDOM CLASS–
Leadership is not about the size of your office or title on your business card. It’s about the depth of your commitment & your passion to get things done.
“Without frustration you will not discover that you might be able to do something on your own. We grow through conflict.” – Bruce Lee
Results of anger are more painful than the reasons of anger. Kind words cost nothing.
When you can’t control what’s happening, challenge yourself to control the way you respond to what’s happening. That’s where your power is.
A person’s most valuable asset is not a brain loaded with knowledge…But a heart full of love, with an ear open to listen and a hand willing to help.
–Wayfarer
Professor
Bikernet University
WHY PROGRESSIVIES RUIN CITIES–
On October 12, 2021 HarperCollins will publish my new book, “San Fransicko”
I am pleased to officially announce that on October 12, 2021, HarperCollins will publish my new book, San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities. At nearly 400 pages, and with 1,100 end notes, the book is equal to Apocalypse Never. It is based on over 200 interviews, including with leading experts, advocates, and elected officials, over the last two years. I wrote it because I love San Francisco and am upset and ashamed of what has happened to it and to other progressive cities in the name of progress. Please consider pre-ordering copies now.
The subtitle will make some people defensive but I not suggesting that progressives only ruin cities, nor that they never save them. Nor am I suggesting that conservatives never ruin them. But I am saying that when progressives do ruin cities, they do so in similar ways, and for similar reasons. And while the crisis of disorder I am describing is strongest in progressive West Coast cities, it is spreading east, like many trends in America do.
In San Fransicko I explore how the conversation around how to use law and order to advance civil rights gave way to a debate over whether law and order is an obstacle to social justice. The question used to be carrots versus sticks. Do you reward people for not committing crimes, or do you punish them when they do? But that’s been superseded by a question from progressives: what if it’s a form of victimization to try to influence people’s behavior at all?
The governing majority in some of America’s cities seems to believe that the only real public policy problem is how to pay for letting people do whatever they want, from turning public parks into open-air drug encampments, to using sidewalks as toilets, to handing over whole neighborhoods to people who are heavily armed and purpose- fully unaccountable.
Progressives have been in charge of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle, as well as California and Washington, during most of the decades in which the problems I describe here have grown worse. On the fundamental policies relating to mental illness, addiction, and housing for the homeless, moderate Democrats, conservatives, and Republicans have either gone along with the liberal and progressive agenda or been powerless to prevent it since the 1960s.
And it was Democrats, not Republicans, who played the primary role in creating the dominant neoliberal model of government contracting to fragmented and often unaccountable non-profit service providers that have proven financially, structurally, and legally incapable of addressing the crisis.
Not long after I began my research, I read what I felt then, and still feel now, were the three best books on homelessness, all published in the early 1990s, and all authored by liberals or progressives. At first the books inspired me. I felt as though three wise elders had reached forward through time to pass along essential truths. But then it dawned on me that, despite those three books having been widely reviewed and well received, including by America’s most influential newspapers, the crisis of untreated mental illness and addiction, as well as what we call homelessness, had grown worse, not better. What would prevent San Fransicko from suffering a similar fate?
That night, I confessed to my wife, Helen, that all I might be able to do was write a book that warned other places what not to do. She grew quiet and looked away. After I asked her what was the matter, she said, “We live here.” I needed to be as constructive as I was critical, she felt. And so at the heart of San Fransicko is a positive proposal for how to restore human dignity, not just law and order, to progressive West Coast cities. At both philosophical and policy levels it will, I hope and believe, resonate with the heads, hearts, and guts of reasonable conservatives and reasonable progressives.
So far it appears to have done so. San Fransicko has received positive reviews from leading scholars and thinkers. Joe Rogan has invited me to appear on his podcast and there will be several public book events, including in Washington D.C. at American Enterprise Institute, and in New York with New York Times columnist John McWhorter, to discuss San Fransicko as well as his book, Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America.
I wrote San Fransicko without giving much thought about what connected it to Apocalypse Never, but in recent weeks have started to write about the relationship. Neither book is conservative, but both describe why progressive policies have made environmental and “social” problems (drugs, crime, homelessness) worse. Behind apocalyptic environmentalism and progressivism is, I conclude, a religion, victimology, one that divides the world into victims and oppressors, promotes learned helplessness, and promotes anxiety, depression, and polarization.
The good news is that the backlash against the excesses of progressivism is already underway. We are still in the early stages of it, but the signs are everywhere. There are recall efforts against San Francisco school board members, San Francisco’s District Attorney, and California’s governor. There is growing resistance by students and parents to the obsession with race in schools. And there is a blossoming of world-class journalism on Substack. My hope is that San Fransicko will contribute to making the backlash, and what comes after it, positive, constructive, and humanistic.
–Michael Shellenberger
COMOTO FAMILY OF BRANDS JOINS FORCES WITH THE PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOUNDATION’S 2021 RIDE FOR KIDS TO FUEL THE INDUSTRY AND INSPIRE THE COMMUNITY
RevZilla, Cycle Gear, J&P Cycles, and REVER come together to inspire communities and riders to help forge the path to a cure
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (Aug. 12, 2021)—The Comoto Family of Brands officially launches its month-long Ride for Kids fundraising campaign this week. Comoto itself expects to donate over $100,000 to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (PBTF) based on rider participation in the REVER Ride for Kids Challenge, local Cycle Gear store Bike Night fundraising events, and the largest “shop to support” campaign the company has ever done. Comoto will also be hosting the Eastern Pennsylvania Ride for Kids event at its Philadelphia corporate headquarters as part of the annual Ride for Kids taking place across the U.S. To participate in this month-long campaign riders and fundraisers can sign up at RideforKids.org/Ride.
Since 1991, PBTF has provided leadership and funding to accelerate targeted therapies for children battling brain tumors. The Foundation proudly equips families with the patient-family education, financial relief, and emotional support needed to navigate their child’s journey.
The PBTF Ride for Kids has inspired communities across the country for more than 30 years. Alongside American Honda, Comoto is joining forces with the Foundation to invite the powersports industry to make the Ride for Kids the biggest motorcycle charity event in the country. For decades, motorcyclists across the country have come together to ride in their respective cities and raise funds to help children with brain tumors–the leading cause of cancer death in children. Due to this ongoing commitment, Ride for Kids is the longest-running, most successful motorcycle charity event in the nation.
To ensure the success of this year’s Ride for Kids, Comoto has actively involved each of its brands within the family. For example, Comoto will be making a direct donation to PBTF of 2.5¢ for every mile logged (up to 1 million miles) in the REVER app throughout the course of the month-long 2021 Ride for Kids Challenge starting August 12th. Riders will have three ways to get involved: Ride with REVER and/or a local Ride for Kids event, donate directly to PBTF, and shop at Cycle Gear, J&P Cycles, and RevZilla (online and in-store) on Sunday, September 12th, when 10% of all sales will be donated to PBTF.
“We are honored to be working alongside American Honda to bring awareness to PBTF’s mission of supporting families affected by this disease. Partnering with PBTF provides an opportunity for us to bring our powersports community together and encourage them to enjoy their passion for riding, while supporting an amazing cause. We at Comoto are proud to have been joined in our efforts by many of our colleagues and vendors* who have pledged additional sponsorship and assistance,” said Ken Murphy, President and CEO of Comoto.
“Having the support of both the Comoto Family of Brands and American Honda means the world to us,” said Bob McNamara, National Director of Fundraising and Community Engagement for PBTF. “Finding a cure to this disease is an ongoing battle. Through this partnership, we have the opportunity to change the outcome for children with brain cancer, while empowering motorcyclists to support us by doing what they love most—riding.”
CALIFORNIA GUN NUT REPORT–Last week, the Assembly Appropriations Committee passed Senate Bills 264 and 715, two anti-gun bills which would restrict gun shows in Orange County and Costa Mesa, and prohibit hunters under the age of 21 from purchasing a hunting rifle or shotgun. These bills will now head to the Assembly floor, where they will soon be eligible for votes. Please click the red button below to contact your Assembly member and ask them to OPPOSE SB 264 and SB 715.
Senate Bill 264, as amended, prohibits officers, employees, operators, lessees, or licensees of the 32nd District Agricultural Association from entering into any agreement to allow for the sale of any firearm, firearm parts, or ammunition on property or buildings that comprise the OC Fair and Event Center or properties in Orange County and Costa Mesa that are owned, leased, operated, or occupied by the District. This imposes a one-size-fits-all restriction to prevent officials from deciding how to use venues.
Senate Bill 715 limits when a hunting license satisfies the requirements for adults under 21 purchasing a long gun. This means an individual who has purchased a license for an upcoming season will not satisfy the requirements in order to obtain a firearm for hunting.
Thank you for making your voice heard against these bills!
Yours in Freedom,
–Ken Lan
Communications Coordinator
NRA-ILA
http://www.nrailafrontlines.com/
NEW CAR MAKES AMERICA GREAT AGAIN–Amy white, who a lotta people can’t handle because they do not possess charm and delightfulness to be around, unlike myself, bought a car and has done this to it.
–J.J. Solari
[page break]
HANG ON FROM THE NASH TEAM–Though it shines dazzlingly, the Golden Knuckle Chopper is bronze (not actual gold) and is the latest addition of collaborative pieces between Nash Motorcycle Co. and Jason Momoa’s, On The Roam project.
These aren’t on the shelves yet, but you can pre-order yours now to make sure that you get one before Jason tells Instagram and they sell out. Visit the “Golden Knuckle” Chopper web page:
Go For The Gold Bronze Now!
NEWS FLASH–Story on Channel 7, 3pm news today.
Motorcycle Hogs will ride from L.A. to New York to honor firefighters who lost their lives.
I thought that this is a story of interest for you!
–A.J.
QUICK, OPEN THE BANDIT’S CANTINA BAD JOKE LIBRARY–
Little Bruce and Jenny are only 10 years old,
but they know they are in love.
One day they decide that they want to get married, so Bruce goes to Jenny’s father to ask him for her hand.
Bruce bravely walks up to him and says,
“Mr. Smith, me and Jenny are in love and
I want to ask you for her hand in marriage.”
Thinking that this was just the cutest thing, Mr. Smith replies, “Well, Bruce, you are only 10. Where will you two live?”
Without even taking a moment to think about it, Bruce replies, “In Jenny’s room. It’s bigger than mine and we can both fit there nicely.”
Mr. Smith says with a huge grin, “Okay, then how will you live? You’re not old enough to get a job. You’ll need to support Jenny.”
Again, Bruce instantly replies. “Our allowance, Jenny makes five bucks a week and I make 10 bucks a week. That’s about 60 bucks a month, so that should do us just fine.”
Mr. Smith is impressed Bruce has put so much thought into this.
“Well, Bruce, it seems like you have everything figured out. I just have one more question. What will you do if the two of you should have little children of your own?”
Bruce just shrugs his shoulders and says, “Well, we’ve been lucky so far.”
Mr. Smith no longer thinks the little shit is adorable.
–El Waggs
Certified Librarian
Bandit’s Cantina™
PRISM SUPPLY ATTENDS BORN FREE–
Along with most others who were present at Oak Canyon Ranch this past weekend, Born Free 12 was the first motorcycle show we’ve been to since 2019.
Anticipation has been growing for this show for a long time now – builders spent their time perfecting their bikes while we planned our trip out west. To say we were eager to catch up with everyone would be an understatement and we were also excited to show off some of our latest projects. Our Sportster Hardtail kit was unveiled at this year’s show alongside a slew of our most popular parts including a variety of our tail lights, petcocks and control kits.
While we’re grateful that our parts have been well received, we’re most excited about getting to know a lot of you who have been supporting us over the years. We had a great time chatting with new and familiar faces throughout the weekend as we all got to enjoy what some of our industry’s most talented builders had to offer.
In between conversations and rounds of dice, we roamed around and shot photos of anything that stood out to us. We hope to see you later this year at our show with DicE Magazine, The Congregation Show, which is happening on October 9 here in Charlotte, NC.
See the whole tamale at Prism Supply.
Posted by Matt Best
Prism Supply
Micah crewed with TK, John Yeat’s nephew. They were able to spread John’s ashes during a pass. Over 200 bikes ran this year on four separate courses. Plenty of passes being made.
LORETTA LYNN’S RANCH HIT HARD BY FLOODING–The AMA and the entire motorcycle community saddened by loss of life and property at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch and surrounding community
By Joy Burgess
The Loretta Lynn Ranch, located in Hurricane Mills, Tenn., was devastated this past Saturday by flash flooding, as was much of the surrounding community. Receiving a reported 17 inches of rain in just 24 hours, the community was caught off guard by the massive rainstorm and its aftermath.
Home to the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships for 40 years — the 2021 championship took place just a couple of weeks ago — the ranch experienced significant damage, although Loretta Lynn and her immediate family have, thankfully, been reported safe.
Tragically, longtime ranch foreman Wayne Spears was swept up in floodwaters and did not survive. Many others also lost their lives as a result of the flooding. Loretta Lynn posted about the tragic loss on her official Facebook page, commenting that the entire Lynn family is heartbroken at the loss.
“After 40 years of holding the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at the Loretta Lynn Ranch,” said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman, “we were deeply saddened to see the devastation at the ranch, but even more heartbroken to hear of the loss of the ranch’s foreman, Wayne Spears, and many others in the area as a result of flash flooding. Our thoughts are with the Lynn family and the entire community during this distressing time.”
“The local community surrounding the Lorretta Lynn Ranch has been helpful and supportive to the motocross racing efforts there in Hurricane Mills, and the motorcycle community will be there for them as they work to rebuild after this tragedy,” Dingman added.
To learn more about how you can help, visit www.road2recovery.com/cause-view/racers-4-waverly/
FOUR CORNERS Motorcycle Rally– We’re Coming for You
The Four Corners Motorcycle Rally is one of our favorite VTV Performance Bike Shows of the year! If you have a sweet ride, come on down to Durango Harley-Davidson and enter it in the show for a chance to win $1000 cash!
STURGIS 2021 RALLY STORY—A couple of brothers rode out and had a blast running from event to event. The younger brother, a barber from Venice California on his 2009 modified Dyna ran into a bald tire, but the shops and services were backed up. It took him a couple of days to get his tire replaced.
In the meantime, he couldn’t miss the action and the Badlands rides. So, just before they planned to leave, he decided to change in sparkplugs and broke one off. He didn’t just break the ceramic, but the nut off the plug leaving just the threads in the head.
He reached out to Jason at Deadwood custom Cycles, who had experienced a killer week and needed to take a week off. Cool Deadwood Custom Nights was coming up.
Brother two had to make decisions. He needed to return to the coast for work and decided to follow his brothers back in a rental car. But another play entered the picture, a stripper from the Badlands.
He made his move, but felt guilty because he had just hooked up with a broad on the coast. They were boyfriend and girlfriend for less than a week.
Okay, so he had a problem with the stripper, but she was honest and let him know she had the covid. He returned to be quarantined as he came down with the flu. He left his motorcycle behind, didn’t get laid and couldn’t go back to work. Plus, he got busted by his new ol’ Lady.
She wanted to know where he got the shit. Sound familiar?
–Bandit
THE BIKERNET CODE OF THE WEST FORUM–
This is so much better than most current news stories. Have a blessed day!
Live simply,
Love generously,
Care deeply,
Speak kindly!
BONNEVILLE SALT FLATS UPDATE–
The Restore Bonneville program has stalled, bureaucracy has failed, and the legendary Salt Flats are at risk…but you can help
By Joy Burgess
“For motorcyclists,” Hall of Famer and former fastest man on two wheels Chris Carr told American Motorcyclist, “the Bonneville Salt Flats is one of our seven wonders of the world. If you want to go really fast, Bonneville is the most famous place in the world to do that.”
But according to the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), while racers were once able to push velocity limits on 13 miles of racetrack at Bonneville, today there’s only eight miles of straightaway available for those attempting to set land-speed records.
For over half a century, the land-speed racing community has continued to sound the alarm that government neglect and mismanagement is destroying the beloved Salt Flats. Since 1946, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has been the custodian of the land. Their response to racers’ concerns? A long line of studies. “Frankly, Bonneville has been studied to death,” notes SEMA.
Over 60 miles long, the Bonneville Salt Flats are divided in half by highways and railroad tracks, with racetracks on the north side and a potash processing plant on the south side. Racing and mining survived side-by-side until BLM started issuing leases in the 1960s that allowed salt to be transferred south through miles of ditches without any proof that there’d be no damage to the racing portion of the Salt Flats. It’s estimated that 50 to 75 million tons of salt were removed from Bonneville, with much of that salt currently located in large evaporative potash processing ponds.
The potash mine’s owner and the racing community created a salt brine return system in the 1990s, which was implemented with BLM approval. For some time, pumping in an average of 1.2 million tons per year stabilized Bonneville’s crust and even led to some small increases, but the pumping volumes have been more limited in recent years.
In 1989 the Save the Salt Coalition (STS) was formed by a group of racers, community members and businesses with the mission to protect the Bonneville Salt Flats — which has been designated an “Area of Critical Environmental Concern” — and to promote its history and motorsports legacy.
“In 2015,” Stuart Gosswein, Senior Director of Federal Government Affairs at SEMA, told American Motorcyclist, “we had a summit bringing all the stakeholders together — including the BLM, Utah Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Intrepid potash mining operation, the land-speed racing community, and State and Federal legislators — and what we called the Restore Bonneville program was conceptualized.”
Highlights of the program include: The Utah DNR and BLM will oversee the salt brine pumping program, and the program will be funded via annual appropriations from the BLM and the State of Utah; Intrepid will increase pumping volumes via infrastructure upgrades; the overall cost of the program will be approximately $50 million across 10 years, with most money coming from federal and state appropriations, with Intrepid donating the value of the salt, and contributions from the racing community.
“In April 2020,” Gosswein continued, “the Utah Department of Natural Resources and the BLM signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create the Restore Bonneville program.” While this initially seemed like a huge win for the Salt Flats, bureaucratic inefficiency has the program at a standstill. Paperwork outlining the project’s scope and requirements is incomplete, and funding has been withheld as a consequence.
“We had an unspecified amount of money available,” Gosswein mentioned, “in the 2020 Federal Appropriations — likely around $1 to $4 million — that we could have tapped to start the program. And that money has gone by the wayside. We potentially have a similar amount of monies available for 2021, but right now we’re still trying to get that money released so we can start funding the project.” Gosswein added that there’s an additional $1 million in Utah matching funds available once federal monies are released.
In May 2021, the Department of the Interior briefed Congressional appropriators on the status of the program. BLM and Utah DNR officials are still outlining program specifics and measurables that will allow a release of federal funds. They want to review previous studies to quantify the effects of an increased salt laydown and confirm the program’s ultimate success, while also outlining the infrastructure upgrades needed to dramatically expand the pumping. So while there’s some positive news on the bureaucratic front, the project is spinning wheels until more salt is pumped.
Meanwhile, the racing community continues to move ahead. “Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials supports the responsible stewardship of the historic racing surface on the Bonneville Salt Flats, and the Restore Bonneville program,” says Delvene Reber, owner and operator of Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials. “As history continues to be made every year by motorcyclists vying for FIM World and AMA National Land Speed Records, these restoration efforts are essential to ensure that future generations can continue to race.”
“There are very few places in the world where you can flat out go as fast as you want,” Carr said, “and racers down the road might not get a chance to experience this if something isn’t done soon. People have been racing there longer than I’ve been alive; knowing future generations might not be able to enjoy that is a scary feeling.”
Until the Restore Bonneville agreement is implemented, Bonneville remains critically endangered. Still, there’s the potential for a happy ending. You can send a message to the Bureau of Land Management and Utah’s Dept. of Natural Resources to let them know you support saving the historic Bonneville Salt Flats. Check americanmotorcyclist.com for the latest news on Bonneville or visit savethesalt.org to get involved.
–AMA
FAMILY ALERT–Wooing Chicks Above Your Station With Poetry
Dear Biker Slob; As you most probably fucking know, you being a Harley hard core denizen normal chopper dude with no fairing, etc., and probably no actual refinement……
Oh wait, let me tell you what “above your station” and “wooing” mean. Wooing means getting into a chick’s underwear, assuming she wears any, which normal chicks don’t. But we’re tryin’ ta upgrade yer fuck-fodder here, so bear with me.
Like, if you wanted to get into the pants of a violinist in an orchestra. Which is a whole nuther topic, believe me. And a good one. “Above your station” is old-fashioned English 19th Century jargon meaning “a step up in class.” Which in my case means any chick under 60 not living behind a dumpster. It pro’bly – or maybe not – has a different meaning for you.
So anyway, the way to “woo” these high-class broads is sometimes a tad more complex than just pulling up on your putt after you just got done slopping the hogs and sayin’ “Hop aboard, cutie, I’ll show you what fun is.”
Chicks in the “normal citizenry” need love poems. Makes ’em all delirious and woozy. It’s better than five sloe gin fizzes. Almost. You remember those, right? Ha ha, yeah, me too.
Anyway, I’ll pen an example in the near furture. Use it or write your own. I have confidence in ya.
–J.J. Solari
Love Doctor
Bikernet Medical Center
AMA MOTORCYCLE HALL OF FAME CELEBRATION–
Every year (with the notable exception of Covid-addled 2020, of course) the American Motorcyclist Association honors motorcycling’s most accomplished and significant people in a very special AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame induction celebration — which this year will happen at AMA Headquarters in Pickerington, Ohio, on October 15.
The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2021 represents eight areas of influence — Ambassadors/Industry, Design/Engineering, Dirt Track, Leadership/Motorcycle Rights, Motocross/Supercross, Off-Road, Road Racing and Specialty Competition — and includes Dave Arnold, Nancy Davidson, Gary Denton, Tommy Hays, Loretta Lynn, Scott Plessinger, Kenny Tolbert and Ryan Villopoto.
“The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2021 includes men and women who have excelled in competition, promotion and advocacy of the sport we all love,” said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “They have advanced motorcycling in areas as diverse as amateur motocross to American V-twin culture. They have performed at the pinnacle of their disciplines and helped elevate riders and teams to new heights. We are humbled and honored to recognize these motorcycling greats this Oct. 15 at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.”
The induction ceremony will include a cocktail hour and dinner, all happening on the AMA campus in Pickerington, Ohio. The following day will include an open house, as well as the installation of the Class of 2021 exhibit in the museum.
Reservations are available at https://form.jotform.com/212175016920043 or by calling (614) 856-2222.
A FEW HUMBLE WORDS–Get to base of Gray Mountain by using Google Maps:
Have you ever noticed how Google Maps never yells, condemns or castigates you if you take the wrong turn? It never raises its voice and says, “You were supposed to go LEFT at the last crossing, you idiot! Now you’re going to have to go the LONG way around and it’s going to take you SO much more time, and you’re going to be late for your meeting! Learn to pay attention and listen to my instructions, OK???”
If it did that, chances are, a lot of us might stop using it. But Google Maps simply Re-Routes and shows you the next best way to get your destination.
Its primary interest is in getting you to reach your goal, not in making you feel bad for having made a mistake.
There’s a great lesson in this… It’s tempting to unload our frustration and anger on those who have made a mistake, especially those we are close to & familiar with.
But the wisest choice is to help in fixing the problem, not to blame and accuse.
Have you had “Re-Routing” moments recently? With others, and also “with your own self”?
Be a “Google Map” to your parents, children, spouse, friends, teammate, colleagues, neighbors and all the people who matter, people you care about!!!
–Wayfarer
Monk in Training
Bikernet Cultural Center
BIKERNET INTERNATIONAL COVERAGE–
What’s the difference between what Jesus told his followers and what Mohammed told his followers:
Jesus told his followers “When you go into a town to teach the inhabitants the good news about their liberty on the physical level and their salvation on the spiritual level and they mock you, leave the town and then remove even the dust and the aroma of the place from your clothing and move on to another town.”
Mohammed told his followers “When you enter a town to teach the inhabitants the bad news about mandatory privation, ritualistic mandatory OCD, mandatory suffering, mandatory taxation, mandatory punishment, mandatory murder rape and plunder, and they mock you, kill the inhabitants and make slaves of the ones you find physically attractive and breed yourself to them against their will then subject your offspring to brutality and incest so that when they are adults they will be suicidal sociopaths like yourselves.”
Now…..Biden, the State Department and the Squad think Mohammed is the guy to take advice from. Just a heads up. For example, the Pentagon now has the Taliban as an ally: who do what Mohammed said. Not what Jesus said. In other words, DC and its Muslim allies are now united, and enthusiastically so, because there’s lotsa child-molestation-as-a-virtue involved for both groups giving the two of them virtually ALL goals in common….. against….Christians.
Welcome to Rome, 100 AD, Christians.
–J.J. Solari
Lead Reporter
Bikernet.com™
NEWS FROM THE AFGHAN FAILURE–Don’t know if this is true, but I am sure reliable news sources such as Reuters and others would have published the public data on any American military equipment now in possession of Taliban.
Lot of social media noise about this but CNN and Fox and BBC won’t be able to doctor any known public data about the cost or inventory of equipments.
It’s not like US or any nation publicly declares its military inventory in any location, whether within their borders or foreign locations.
So, $85 billion and thousands of vehicles, helicopters, etc. is something only the Government / Pentagon knows if true or not.
Anyways, the Afghans who helped Americans are surely screwed and that’s not something anyone needs to speculate about.
Only the Courts or DOJ or Congress Committee can force the numbers out into public domain.
So, meanwhile any politician / news agency can claim any numbers suiting their agenda.
There was news a few months ago of Germany shipping huge quantities of beer back to Germany after US & NATO Allies had decided to leave Afghanistan. Their vendors could not sell that beer to Muslims there (haraam – against religious teachings) so instead of leaving it in Afghanistan they paid to ship it back to Germany.
If they don’t even leave beer behind, it’s unlikely that billions of dollars of arms and equipment will be left behind.
It’s not as if US left Afghanistan overnight. The moving out was planned.
So, these claims and numbers seem doubtful.
Germany has announced it will fly more than 22,500 litres of beer home from Afghanistan, as Nato forces prepare to withdraw.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57386704.amp
–Wayfarer
Senior Reporter
Bikernet International News Bureau
INFRASTRUCTURE REPORT–Two weeks ago, the NMA launched an information campaign directed at the top aides of U.S. Congressional members who sit on either the Senate or House Transportation & Infrastructure (T&I) Committees. One single-topic email is sent per week on issues contained within the massive proposed legislation to fund an upgrade of the nation’s transportation-ish infrastructure. (We’re not fans of the “-ish” affectation, but the scope of the proposals goes beyond roads, bridges, tunnels and transit systems.)
What we really aren’t fans of are the infrastructure recommendations that are onerous to drivers. Below are examples of the first two NMA emails, personalized and sent to the staffers. We will be following with three or four more emails in the next few weeks on topics such as automated enforcement, funding of a mileage-based (vehicle-miles-traveled) road user fee pilot program, support for standardizing in-cabin driver monitoring systems, and one that never goes away, the federal funding of state-run high-visibility traffic enforcement campaigns that are measured by tickets issued rather than safety metrics.
We’ll share those emails with you, too, in future e-newsletters. If motorists are going to move the needle on any of these issues, it’s going to require the help of you and others in reaching out to the T&I Committee members with shared concerns.
Senate Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee
House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee
The staffer response we have received so far to the NMA emails shown below has mostly been a routine polite recognition of the issue along with a promise to share our concerns with the legislator. One legislative aide observed that for as long as her boss has been on the T&I Committee, she has never heard a negative word about Vision Zero. That remark is very telling, and is also why we linked stories of eleven major North American cities with VZ programs either ineffective or outright failing despite massive public funding. The question is whether she, and more importantly, her boss, will read those accounts with some degree of alarm.
We know the messages struck a chord with the legislative director of a U.S. Representative, who wrote, “Thank you so much for flagging this. My boss completely agrees with the sentiments you outlined below regarding Vision Zero. Let me know if you have time this week to discuss the issue and potential paths forward on pushing back on this madness.” That is precisely the kind of response upon which we will be building.
NMA August 9th/10th Email to Senate and House Top T&I Aides
H.R. 3684 Infrastructure Bills: Concerns of the Motoring Public,
Part 1 – Vision Zero
Dear Kara,
Congress appears to be getting ready to approve a $1 billion investment in Vision Zero and Safe Streets state programs over the next five years. Is that really the right thing to do with taxpayer money when time-after-time these programs have failed to meet expectations despite having hundreds of millions of dollars pumped into them already?
Traffic safety improvements can and should be made, not by pursuing an unrealistic “zero traffic fatalities at all costs” approach, but by providing funding for more robust driver education programs across the country that include advanced-skills training, and for the safety training of other road users such as bicyclists. That would be a billion dollars much more effectively spent toward lowering roadway accident and fatality rates.
Please encourage Senator Whitehouse, as a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, to give the proposed appropriation for Vision Zero programs a critical review, especially with the abysmal track record of previous VZ efforts.
Some recent, high-profile examples of those expensive failures:
Austin, TX
Austin, TX traffic fatalities nearly triple in January (Feb 2020)
Chicago, IL
Several years into a ten-year “Vision Zero” target, some cities that took on a radical safety challenge are seeing traffic fatalities go up (Nov 2019)
Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles’ Vision Zero Plan is Not Working…Yet (Feb 2020)
New York, New York
Vision Zero Sputters As NYC Traffic Deaths Reach Highest Level of De Blasio Era (Oct 2020)
Philadelphia, PA
As traffic deaths spike, Philly reveals updated Vision Zero action plan (Nov 2020)
Portland, OR
City of Portland dissolves Vision Zero task force (Feb 2021)
San Francisco, CA
City Performance Scorecard (Dec 2020)
San Jose, CA
With traffic deaths on the rise, San Jose renews focus on safety (Jul 2020)
Seattle, WA
24 Deaths in 2020 Show Seattle Still Falling Woefully Short of Vision Zero Pledge (Feb 2021)
Toronto, Ontario
Why Toronto’s approach to Vision Zero isn’t making streets safer (Oct 2019)
Washington, DC
D.C. traffic deaths rise during pandemic, impeding plans for zero-death goal (Oct 2020)
If you have any questions about the issues from a motorist’s perspective, please feel free to contact me.
Thank you for your consideration, and for the attention Senator Whitehouse will give to these important issues for motorists and taxpayers.
Kind regards,
Gary Biller
President/CEO
National Motorists Association
Empowering drivers since 1982
Email: gary@motorists.org
Telephone: 608-849-6000
1001 Arboretum Dr, Ste 120, Waunakee, WI 53597
NMA August 16th/17th Email to Senate and House Top T&I Aides
H.R. 3684 Infrastructure Bills: Concerns of the Motoring Public,
Part 2 – Speed Limits
Dear John,
Two key elements of Vision Zero will open the door for local authorities to lower speed limits without regard for current engineering standards and significantly expand the use of photo enforcement—speed cameras, in particular—to monitor compliance under the threat of significant penalties.
Part 1, sent last week, illustrated the ineffectiveness, at great cost, of Vision Zero programs in major cities around the country. This email addresses the safety and community-trust ramifications of arbitrarily lowering speed limits to reduce traffic fatalities. Please forward this information to Representative LaMalfa for consideration when reviewing the bipartisan “Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act” and the parallel “INVEST in America Act” package.
State Departments of Transportation (DOT) understand the essential need to post viable speed limits based on typical safe driving behaviors. The Iowa DOT is not unique in affirming publicly, “When a good speed limit is set based on data-driven decision-making, drivers adapt, and less enforcement is needed. Sometimes we are asked to reduce speed limits in hopes of preventing crashes, but in most cases, lower speed limits aren’t the solution. When a speed limit is set too low without supporting data, we see more variability in speeds. This creates conflicts and makes assessing the speed of other drivers difficult to determine.”
In fact, the seminal study on speed limit changes, the Federal Highway Administration’s publication, FHWA-RD-97-084, Effects of Raising and Lowering Speed Limits on Selected Roadway Sections, by Martin R. Parker & Associates, shows no safety benefits for (and often adverse effects resulting from) limits posted below established traffic speed patterns.
By funding Vision Zero programs with $1 billion over the next five years, Congress will be giving the green light to eliminating the current requirement to gathering speed-study data as a necessary component of speed limit determination. Posted speed limits will be based on the individual decisions of engineers (or administrators) in thousands of different jurisdictions across the country.
The word “uniform” is prominent in established standards set by the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and the Uniform Vehicle Code for a reason. Without a coherent, engineering-based national standard for setting speed limits, drivers can drive safely but become unwitting violators as they travel from one community to the next. Do we want drivers focused more with eyes down on their speedometers or with eyes up on the road?
Traffic enforcement has a long history of being applied inequitably, as many of today’s headlines too often make clear. Funding Vision Zero programs will promote the lowering of speed limits by default, not by engineering methodology, and encourage the proliferation of automated enforcement cameras. The federal government would be paving the way for drivers, particularly those from low-income and marginalized communities, to become vulnerable to higher ticketing rates. This is at a time when trust between the police and community must be strengthened, not damaged further.
The NMA encourages Rep. LaMalfa to vote against the federal funding of ineffective and wasteful Vision Zero programs.
Thank you for your consideration,
Gary Biller
President/CEO
National Motorists Association
Empowering drivers since 1982
Email: gary@motorists.org
Telephone: 608-849-6000
1001 Arboretum Dr, Ste 120, Waunakee, WI 53597
[page break]
QUICK, New Bikernet Reader Comment!–THE EDUCATIONAL BIKERNET WEEKLY NEWS for August 26, 2021
https://www.bikernet.com/pages/THE_EDUCATIONAL_BIKERNET_WEEKLY_NEWS_for_August_26_2021.aspx
So, does this mean Easyriders may pay up? Should I hold my breath?
About trucking, did it most of fifty years. At 68, I got out, paperwork, tattletails, tracked from space and rules of service that seemed too change daily.
I do not miss it, and on a recent trip to TN, seeing all of the 18 wheelers looking for a place to park before being out of hours, not good.
I still have my class a cdl and a current health card, just in case I get hungry enough.
— Alex Jemery
Deland, FL
The Easyriders crew have taken care of some subscribers, or maybe you’ll get a sub to the new ER. –Bandit
NEWS FROM THE BIKERNET BLOG EDITOR–
Did you know the Royal Enfield with a sidecar was used by fire-fighters in the past. Attached an old photo of sidecar fire-fighting motorcycle from the internet. The license number plate on the Enfield motorcycle is of UK.
https://regarchive.com/plate/CUH457
In modern times, companies have pitched a two-wheeler Enfield motorcycle for Fire Departments of India’s major cities. They showcased a working fire-fighting motorcycle – on two-wheels.
In the news from 2016, a company uses the all-terrain Enfield Himalayan for its fire-fighting motorcycle.
News Links below:
From 2012: https://www.motorbeam.com/fire-fighting-royal-enfield-bikes-cost-rs-7-lakhs-each/
It says – Similar fire fighting motorcycles are being used by the States of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Maharashtra. These are Royal Enfield Electra 350 motorcycles which are fitted with Compressed Air Foam (CAF) and a water system. The kits mounted on the bikes can be carried along by the firemen in case the bikes can’t reach the exact spot of fire.
From 2016: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/firefighting-fire-brigade-officers-mumbai-royal-enfield-mumbai-fire-brigade-350414-2016-11-05
It says – Enfield Himalayan model used for custom made fire-fighting motorcycle. The tank is integrated with a high pressure pump power capacity derived from a motorcycle engine and delivers 10 litres of water per minute at 100 Bar pressure. It also can throw water mist and jet up to 20 metres.
In India, the police have various motorcycles for fast response for traffic incidents or for routine patrol. Just like the fire-fighting, the police also issue tenders for their vehicles.
–Wayfarer
Editor in Supreme Charge
Bikernet Blog™
Indian Motorcycle expects to garner 25-30 pc share in India’s premium motorcycle segment–
US-based niche bike maker Indian Motorcycle is seeking to replicate the growth in India which it has witnessed in other global markets, and expects to garner 25-30 per cent market share in the premium motorcycle segment, having suffered a “washout” in 2020, according to a senior company official.
The company, a wholly-owned division of Polaris Industries Inc that sells a range of imported bikes priced between Rs 15.68 lakh and Rs 43.96 lakh, was unable to operate fully in the Indian market due to non-availability of BS-VI compliant models besides the disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Globally, we are registering growth everywhere, we are getting market share. There is a double-digit growth in North America, in Asia-Pacific, in Europe and in Japan. It gives a clear indication that the brand is growing everywhere,” Polaris India Pvt Ltd Country Manager Lalit Sharma told PTI.
As for the Indian market, he said last year was very tough for everyone and unfortunately or fortunately, it was more of a “cooling period for us because we were not having any Euro V (BS-VI) motorcycles at that time. We received the new set of motorcycles early this year only”.
However, Sharma added this year is pretty strong with the company.
“We have a new set of motorcycles… The new Chief series and more affordable bikes are coming up… Customer inquiries and orders have gone tremendously up. New customers are coming in and dealers are pretty positive,” he said.
Before 2020, Indian Motorcycle had around 25-30 per cent market share in the country’s premium bike segment that is, at present, close to around 1,000 units a year.
When asked if Indian Motorcycle would look to regain that market share this year with the arrival of the new bikes, he said, “I think we will focus on that because that’s the kind of solid growth which we are targeting this year. And definitely, we will see the overall industry by the end of this year and where we are and what needs to be done in the next year.”
Commenting on the impact due to the pandemic, Sharma said, “If we talk about premium motorcycling, it’s all about brotherhood and it’s more of a social gathering (through group riding). Technically speaking, it has been impacted by the pandemic globally, not just in India.”
Due to the pandemic, the rides that the company used to organise in different parts of India were completely halted, he added.
However, with the situation improving, Sharma said the company is keeping a close eye with the local regulations and has started allowing dealers to organise regional rides in small sets of customers by following all COVID-19 protocols.
“Now, the rides are picking up slowly. The customers are coming forward and they are showing keen interest in the new set of motorcycles and things are shaping up very well,” he added.
However, while inquiries have gone up ‘tremendously’ , doing demonstrations to customers continues to be a big challenge as many of the customers are still not willing to visit the showrooms and are not very eager to take a test ride.
On the prospects of the premium motorcycle market in India, he said that while many people are not that comfortable in spending Rs 20 lakh to Rs 40 lakh for buying a motorcycle but there are “a set of customers or enthusiasts who are fans of certain brands”.
“They’re spending money and definitely we are targeting them and we are moving in the right direction,” Sharma said.
–Wayfarer
Senior Reporter
International News Desk
Bikernet.com™
RED CROSS ALERT–Hurricane Ida
Hurricane Ida made landfall along the Louisiana coast near Port Fourchon today as an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm, bringing catastrophic 150 mph winds, disastrous flooding, dangerous tornadoes and a life-threatening storm surge to the same region still recovering from last year’s devastating storms.
Ida will continue to produce heavy rainfall today through Monday across the central Gulf Coast from southeast Louisiana, through coastal Mississippi to far southwestern Alabama.
People from Louisiana through Alabama should be prepared for prolonged power outages, storm surge, destructive winds and flying debris and major, life-threatening flooding. States of emergency has already been declared in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Many areas are under either mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders.
It’s thanks to generous supporters like you that we are able to be ready, on the ground, to support the communities that will need us.
Alongside our partners, the Red Cross has mobilized hundreds of trained disaster workers and relief supplies to shelter and support people in evacuation shelters.
Some 600 Red Cross volunteers are on the ground supporting relief efforts.
Across Louisiana and Mississippi, the Red Cross and other organizations have opened dozens of evacuation shelters offering safe refuge for hundreds of people.
In addition to shelter, the Red Cross is ready to provide cots, blankets and comfort kits, along with tens of thousands of ready-to-eat meals.
This relief effort would not be possible without the generosity of our incredible donors like you.
Our Red Cross staff and volunteers are on the ground today providing immediate aid, shelter and critical resources. But your help is needed now to ensure we can continue to provide support to families and individuals facing the aftermath of this dangerous storm.
In the days ahead, we will continue to keep you updated on our response and how you can make a difference.
Thank you for your continued support,
Disaster Response Team
American Red Cross
P.S. We urge people in the path of this storm to listen to the advice of local authorities and evacuate immediately if asked to do so. We encourage safety and staying out of harm’s way above all. Full information on hurricane safety is available here. Visit www.redcross.org/find-your-local-chapter or call 800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767) to be connected to your local chapter.
FACTORY NEWS–
This is great news for H-D considering their focus on premium motorcycles instead of the many affordable models they suddenly cancelled.
I am curious to know what bikers think of this news and of the CEO Zeitz effort to make the legendary company profitable again.
Of course, this is just North America market but it was always Harley-Davidson’s largest market and it was losing its market share on its home turf for years.
H-D Pan America™ Becomes No.1 Selling Adventure Touring Motorcycle
https://blog.bikernet.com/h-d-pan-america-becomes-no-1-selling-adventure-touring-motorcycle/
–Wayfarer
Supreme Editor
Bikernet Blog™
LIFESTYLE CYCLES DEAL OF THE WEEK–
2020 Harley-Davidson FXBRS – Softail Breakout 114 for $19,995.00
SEE IT HERE: https://www.lifestylecycles.com/default.asp?page=xPreOwnedInventoryDetail&id=10992873
This bike is a Monster with a H.D. STAGE 4 M8 114c.i. with super low Mileage
ONLY 1627.00 Miles !!!!!
2020 Black Harley-Davidson BREAKOUT FXBRS
Some of the features/Add-on’s on this bike
* 114 Stage 4 M8 Motor
* 6-Speed trans.
* S&S Exhaust
* 21 inch front Wheel
* Corbin seat
* Drag bars
This bike has passed Lifestyle Cycles rigorous 92 point safety and mechanical/structural inspection. Whether your looking to commute to work, ride the coast or take that dream vacation, this bike is ready to go!!!
EZ FINANCING-SHIPPING AVAILABLE!!!
Fill out an online application and ride today!!!
**Open 7 days a week**
Just $19,995.00 at Lifestyle Cycles (714) 490-0155
NEWS FROM THE CLIMATE DEPOT–
Scientists rip UN IPCC report: MIT’s Dr. Richard Lindzen: ‘Demonizing CO2 is just crazy’…’Ignore the climate crisis’ — Dr. Nir Shaviv of Hebrew U.: ‘They’re totally missing fact that the sun has a big effect on climate’
MIT Climate Scientists Dr. Richard Lindzen: When asked his opinion of Israeli solutions to climate change, Lindzen said: “Solution implies there is a problem.” The real question is if the plan’s worth doing. To that, he replied: “Not at all.” “Demonizing carbon dioxide is just crazy,” said [MIT climate scientist Richard] Lindzen. “It means we have a population that’s forgotten elementary biology. They don’t remember photosynthesis. We’ve already benefited due to the increase in CO2 by probably over a trillion dollars increase in agricultural productivity. The earth is greening due to this.”
Nir Shaviv, a professor of physics at Hebrew University, told JNS that he feels many climate scientists are under pressure to produce alarming reports. There is “such a large climate industry that people need to publish things that show a large effect [from man-made emissions], or they don’t get grants,” he explained. Shaviv said the IPCC’s scientists are not looking at all the evidence. “The thing that they’re totally missing is the fact that the sun has a big effect on climate. We can simulate it in large-scale simulations.” Shaviv: “So I’m totally confident after 20 years that the link is there, the sun has a large effect on climate.”
–Marc Morano
If you are being bullied by anyone, there should be a number to call.–Bandit
ROAD SHOW POSTPONED–Tucker Powersports: Tucker Powersports VP Announces Road Show Postponement
Tucker Powersports VP of Sales, Brad Turner, recently sent a note to Tucker dealers announcing the postponement of the 2021 Tucker Road Show Tour.
LATEST FROM LOWBROW— Why do you need new spark plug wires?
A few reasons are to:
Improve performance
Customize your ride
Properly maintain your bike
At Lowbrow, we have ready-to-go spark plug wire kits to fit your motorcycle.
We also have all the highest-quality, USA-made spark plug wire components to build your own custom sets.
Plug Wires
Be sure to check out the original cloth-covered spark plug wires from Lowbrow Customs. We have been making them specifically for motorcycles since 2007.
Not sure what you need? CONTACT THE LOWBROW CREW
DENNIS KIRK BRINGS YOU STURGIS 2021 BY MICHAEL LICHTER–
Sturgis 2021 is in the books, and so is the exclusive Dennis Kirk Blog series form world-renowned motorcycle photographer Michael Lichter. Check out his recap of this year’s rally, complete with awesome photos and interviews: https://bit.ly/3DHQE3Z
And catch up on his past Sturgis posts on the Lichter Notes page: https://www.denniskirk.com/blog/lichter-notes/
–John Eastman
Director of Digital Marketing
BIKERNET UNIVERSITY POLITICAL STUDIES–American Politicians Explained
The problem is not the office holder currently holding the office. The problem is that the office actually exists. Even though there is no actual job description for it.
Other than stopping people from doing things before they do them and punishing them for doing things after they do them. And the “things” list of what not to do or else get punished… and what to get punished for if you DO them….. doubles in size every day.
What kind of a person do you think would WANT a job like that? That’s right: a shithead, worthless, lying, impotent, probably child-molesting, psychopathic monster.
Thank you.
–J.J. Solari
AMAZING SHOP TIPS OF THE DAY—
https://www.facebook.com/5Minute.Crafts.Men/videos/544733686692775
5-Minute Crafts Men – Helpful repair tricks to fix everything like a pro
Helpful repair tricks to fix everything like a pro: Superb gadgets to turn your kitchen tasks easier. Kitchen gadgets, cleaning gadgets, car gadgets
–from El Waggs
FROM THE CLIMATE DEPOT—This is the single most important Climate chart in the world: Showing what has happened to Climate related disasters as humanity used more fossil fuels. Climate-related disaster deaths plunge: Fossil fuels haven’t taken a safe climate and made it dangerous. ‘Fossil fuels have taken a dangerous climate and made it safe’
–Alex Epstein
LIFE IS NUTS, BUT IT’S COMING AROUND—Hell, we just featured a 1-million buck Crocker on Bikernet, the last one built.
Easyriders events and the magazine are coming back.
I’m still reading Bill’s book. Plus, I covered several Climate related topics. I’ll cut you some slack.
I’m meeting with a contractor tomorrow morning to discuss building my shop extension. Would love to have it completed before the winter sets in. I’ve got shit to build, the Salt Torpedo to prep for Bonneville next year, an old Rapido to restore for the Redhead, and some brothers offered to sell my Sturgis Chop back to me.
If that doesn’t happen, I’ll bet I will start another project or two, maybe three. Can’t wait.
Keep the faith, the bullshit and bullies are losing their grip. Let’s ride free forever!
–Bandit
