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TOOL STASH–There’s nothing worse than being stranded on the side of the road with a minor mechanical problem and no tools to hasten repairs. Next time you hit the open road make sure you pack one of WIN PRODUCTS compact TOOL STASH kits and in most cases you’ll have everything you need to make minor emergency repairs and get up and running.
WIN has gathered the very basic necessities including: pliers, plug wrench, screw driver with six bits, _” socket driver with six sockets from 3/16″ to 1/2″, four opens wrenches 3/8″ to _” and an all in one box wrench and packed them all into a compact, rugged zippered pouch. The pouch measures a mere 9″x 5″x 1″ and retails for just $32.95. Don’t leave home without one.
For complete details call 805-531-1000 or visit www.STARWESTINC.com
BIKERNET’S VALERIE THOMPSON UPDATE–AHDRA SEASON OPENER –Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts Bike Week Nationals Presented byGainesville Harley-Davidson.Race one of the 2007 AHDRA season was March 2-4th in Gainesville, Fl and was a season opener to remember for a number of notable reasons. Unfortunately for racers and fans alike, Mother Nature wasn’t cooperating and gave little time for test and tune and was a test of patience for all as the weather nearly wiped out qualifying.
On Saturday the clouds finally broke and the field was able to make a single pass in both the V-Rod Destroyer and Super Gas class’s. VTR lit up the Destroyer class and qualified second with a career best 9.27 ET. The Super Gas class was a different story as we qualified in the field of 32 bikes even though I had to shut it down and coast through the finish line. It was apparent going into Sunday’s Eliminations; we were going to be a strong team to contend with.
Sunday was full of sunshine to my delight however; to our surprise the bike would not start. After further evaluation it was decided not to run the bike at all. Despite the hard work from my crew chief Mickey Eddinger and the help we received from Jason Miller, Brian Batzel, Team Mate Native Racing and BWR we withdrew from the competition and handed the other teams a lucky break.
Despite the disappointment of our fans and sponsors, our spirits are remaining high as we are preparing for race two in my hometown, Phoenix, AZ. We are excited to get the Phoenix Nationals underway and put on a show for my local fans while racing for the trophy. Be sure to come by and say hi if you can, and check-out the OCC-Go Daddy.com Chopper, great videos, tons of give-always and celebrate AZ bike week!
In other news, VTR Team 2007 is proud to announce new sponsor and crew’s favorite, MAC Tools. Thanks to everyone at Mac Tools especially Terry Larkin and Steve Cottle who while at the race, made the best of a bad situation by displaying my broken steed in their booth, drawing lots of attention for their brand. And another special thanks, this time to Vanson leathers who did the impossible by getting my leathers to the race on time and once again proving to me why their the best in the business.
Let’s Race!
–Valerie Thompson #20
GUILTY CUSTOM FOUND GUILTY OF SHOX–The following is the newest pricing for the single anddual shox system offered through Guilty Customs.These prices replace the pricing listed in prior newsrelease from Guilty Custom on this product.
Dual Shox (powder coated) $140.00
Single Shox (powder coated) $75.00
Show Chrome, Copper and Brushed Nickel Dual Shox$190.00
Those experiencing the newest product offered from Guilty Customs of Orlando Florida and Chopper Shox’s of Las Vegas, NV enthusiastically expressed these words after riding on one of Guilty Customs Chopper Shox equipped rigid choppers. These two companies have come together to bring the industries most comfortable riding seat shocks for rigid chopper riders.
“All of our shock systems are aluminum bodied and come with full weld on brackets that include 3/16″ steel plates for strength and stainless steel for years of hassle free use. Our shocks do not have anything to break or wear out like seals that can cause fluid leads?. and our shocks are used on production and show bikes world wide.” says Dave Breckon, owner of Chopper Shox’s. “We specialize in patented seat shock system for rigid framed choppers and bobbers, and we started Chopper Shox’s with one goal in mind, to make rigid framed bikes ride better”.
Chopper Shox and Guilty Customs passion for creating dependable, unique motorcycle parts that spark a bit of nostalgia at a reasonable price, is what brought the two companies together as manufacturer and distributor. Match this with the people to support the consumer after the sale, and this venture was an easy choice for both Dave Breckon and Hanlon.
“The Chopper Shox’s simple styling, quality craftsmanship, excellent customer service and superb riding characteristics made the decision to become a distributor for Chopper Shox a very simple one. We’re currently using their shocks on our builds”, says CJ Hanlon, owner of Guilty Customs. “With our most recent build, Errant, we opted for the two shock system and the feedback from people has been very enthusiastic once they use it”. The shocks will sell from $99.00 to 175.00 respectfully. Additional options such as two sizes of seat pans and/or leather covering will also be offered at additional costs.
Chopper Shox (www.choppershox.com) is a Las Vegas based manufacture of custom seat shock systems; air, single and dual shock systems along with seat pans, leather covering and has gained national and international acclaim for their innovative and dependable seat shock systems for custom motorcycles.
For more information about this shock system, contact Guilty Customs at info@guiltycustoms.com or 407.453.0844.
MRF ATTEMPTS TO END MOTORCYCLE DESCRIMINATION– The Motorcycle Riders Foundation reports that legislation to close the loophole that currently exists in our nation’s health insurance industry has been introduced in the US Senate (S 616) and House (HR 1076).
Under current law, group market insurance customers – that’s everyone who has insurance from a job in the private sector, military or government – can be denied benefits for a particular injury just because it came from an motorcycle accident.
Congress passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in 1996 to ensure proper access to health insurance for all American workers. Once the bureaucrats at the US Department of Health and Human Services issued their final ruling on the law they managed to allow a loophole that can be used to discriminate against motorcyclists when the need health insurance the most, after an accident.
The loophole also is used by insurance companies to deny benefits for any accidents that stem from horseback riding, snowmobiling, and snow skiing, just to name a few.
“This legislation will right an injustice done to America’s motorcycling community,” said Jeff Hennie, Vice President of Government Relations for the Motorcycle Riders Foundation. “We are asking the Congress to tell the insurance industry that they can no longer get away with refusing benefits that have been bought and paid for by motorcyclists”.
The House legislation has been referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, while the Senate bill is sitting before the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
In order to pass this legislation, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation needs your help. Please join your fellow freedom fighters and ask your Members of Congress and Senators to co-sponsor this important legislation.
The legislation to close this loophole has been around for the last few sessions of Congress, but the bills introduced in this 110th Congress have a few new twists. First, the House Democrat lead is new. Welcome Bart Stupak to the picture; he is a 8th term Democrat from Upper Peninsula Michigan and the geographic top third of the mitten state. Mr. Stupak’s district has tens of thousands of miles of snowmobiling trails and most of his constituents use their snow machines to commute, run errands and socialize, making the snowmobile an integral part of everyday life. Mr. Stupak is also close friends with the Chairman of the House committee that has jurisdiction over the measure; and is a subcommittee chairman on the same full committee.
The House Republican lead is the same, Michael Burgess. Burgess is medical doctor from, Flower Mound, TX. Burgess was an OB-GYN, delivering 3000 babies before running for Congress in 2003.
The Senate sponsors are the same returning Senators as previous sessions of Congress, Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Susan Collins (R-ME). The Motorcycle Riders Foundation thanks all of the champions of this legislation.
Another new development is that the House has adopted the Senate language, making passage into law slightly simpler by eliminating the need for both bodies of Congress to form a conference committee to iron out the legislative differences. Previously the House and Senate had slightly different solutions to closing the loophole.
Last Congress saw no major movement on the legislation. With your help, we can close the loophole that allows our health insurance providers to deny benefits for an injury simply because it involved a motorcycle.
Ask your federal Representative to support HR 1076 and your two US Senators to support S 616. Should you receive any commitments or denials to support the legislation, or if you have any other legislative question or concerns, please contact the MRF.
Ride With The LeadersTM by joining the MRF at http://www.mrf.org/join.php or call 1-202-546-0983
A SPECIAL EVENING WITH AUTHOR ANDUFO RESEARCH EXPERT TIMOTHY GOOD– The Intruders Foundation (IF) is proud to present a special evening with the distinguished British author and researcher, Timothy Good. Mr. Good’s first book, ABOVE TOP SECRET has long been a classic in UFO literature. And his latest book, NEED TO KNOW – UFOs, THE MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE, is currently a bestseller in the United Kingdom. Timothy Good’s special area of study is the shadowy world of the government cover-up of UFO reality. He has unearthed many striking official documents, some of which deal with the earliest years of the UFO phenomenon, such as official reports of huge UFOs by fliers during World War II. He has lectured extensively around the world, but rarely in the New York area, so it is our unique privilege to present him on April 7th.
In the past, Mr. Good has presented the case for UFO reality before many distinguished audiences, such as the Royal Canadian Military Institute, the Royal Navy Station Portland, the House of Lords All-Party UFO Study Group, the Institute of Medical Laboratory Sciences, and the Oxford and Cambridge Union Societies. In May 1998 he was invited to the US Pentagon to discuss the UFO subject at the Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Office, and in 2002 he spoke at the headquarters of the French Air Force.
We have often said about previous seminar speakers, that he or she should not be missed by anyone interested in the UFO phenomenon, but in the case of Timothy Good, that description is extraordinarily apt. He makes few trips to NYC from his native London, so we urge you not to miss this rare appearance by one of the world’s leading UFO researchers.
REGISTRATION & INFORMATION
The seminar will be held on April 7th at the new meeting rooms of A.R.E., located on the SECOND FLOOR at 241 W. 30th Street (between Seventh and Eighth Avenues), New York, NY. The price of the seminar is $30 for non-members and $20 for members of IF, seniors and students. Reservations must be made by telephone at 212-645-5278, and will be filled on a first come, first served basis. Payment must be made in advance to secure the reservation. Make checks payable to the Intruders Foundation, P.O. Box 30233, New York, NY 10011. Seating is limited. Book early! Only 60 reservations will be accepted!For additional information, call IF at 212-645-5278.
NEW GIRL OF BIKERNET COMING–Hope to have the VV shot for GOB this week, here are a couple fromyesterday.
–RFR
ONE MAN AGAINST THIEVES, ATTEMPTS TO KEEP HIS BOARDTRACK NOTION ALIVE–Copy cats abound all over the world….. same rear fender, gas tank design, frame design etc…… I was sick for a year over all of these guys….. Then I discovered that no one was making any money regardless and resigned myself to the fact that as long as I don’t get direct competition (Frame maker who copies and markets my design) I’m cool with all the private guys doing their interpretation on a one-off bike. I figure copies of the design in one off configurations just help to promote my product….
This industry is pretty shaky at best and full of a bunch of con artists and fiends who think they will get rich overnight. They dilute and cheapen the feeling and spirit of motorcycling as a whole.
My analysis of this industry as a whole is that you must absolutely love cycling in its entirety and be willing to make major life sacrifices to survive pursuing your passion. After years of arduous work and self sacrifice, perhaps you will carve a small niche that will provide some semblance of a living to continue the pursuit of your dream.
I have been invited to Washington to talk to the administrator of the EPA. I’ll keep you posted. I had to tell them that I am a bit busy with baby pending, but I may make a trip to lobby for our cause regardless.
-Rick
U.S. Choppers
2039 S. Lyon St
Santa Ana, CA 92705
714-546-4699
Appointments Only Please
POWER TO THE PEOPLE–This name was chosen for the Ames, Iowa motorcycle rally. Not only is it the name of Tommy Thompson’s book that was published 10 years ago, while he was the Governor of Wisconsin, but it is also a fitting way to describe the type of politics that Tommy practices. So why is Tommy Thompson our best choice for President of the United States of America?
Read on:During Tommy’s 14 years as Governor of Wisconsin he practiced his small home town politics. His father who owned a small grocery store told him “You have two ears and one mouth, use them in that proportion and you’ll do just fine.” Tommy has always believed that common sense and listening to the people is the best way for government to work. During his tenure as governor he was able to restructure Wisconsin government agencies in a way that not only made them more efficient but also more responsible. He initiated programs that worked and to this day these programs are still talked about nationally, such as Welfare to Work (W2), encouraging Private Schools by giving vouchers to parents which allowed them to chose where their children went to school (creating competition and dismantling the government monopoly on education), and Truth in Sentencing to name a few.
Tommy states that “Government doesn’t have to be complicated. Bureaucrats, politicians and lobbyists defend its complexity in today’s complex world because if government is kept out of the reach of ordinary citizens, they can stay in charge. By self-definition, they become indispensable.” He believes that “Genuine progress would be a government that works in partnership with people to solve problems, promotes individual responsibility rather than displaces it and demands less in taxes but delivers better quality services. It would be flexible, responsible, and practical government.” Not only did Tommy write these words but he put these ideals into practice. In his book, Tommy speaks extensively about “Progressive” politics and how true common sense is bipartisan. If we can all just focus on what is right and responsible we will find solutions. “Solutions must be specific and not abstract or ideological.” “Individual responsibility works better than responsibility that is vested in government.”
“Though government has a role to play in reasonable regulation they must draw the line at misconduct and not against wealth.” “The government’s job is not to redistribute wealth.”
According to Tommy the Federal government is far removed from the states and should not be making so many one size fits all rules since what works for one state may not work for another. Federal government also is further removed from the people than state government so in effect it does not do as good a job of representing the people. He states “A genuine Progressive movement for the next century would return power and authority from Washington to the states and communities.” In Tommy’s opinion we have lost sight of the Tenth amendment in the constitution which states; “the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” By having Federal Government be so large we have, in effect, created a United State of America rather than the United States.
He says that “it is one thing to make promises that sound good to people and quite another thing to actually get them done.” When he was confronted with problems he says “I didn’t check with the pollsters or hold up my solutions to an ideological litmus test. I did what I thought made common sense. I did what I thought would work in my gut and in my heart. The only way you lose is by not trying and that isn’t governing”. “Big Government is not going to dismantle itself.” The solutions are not complicated but “making them happen isn’t easy.”
The reasons to support Tommy are simple: He has a proven record of being able to make common sense decisions that improved the lives of Wisconsin citizens. Once he left Wisconsin to serve as Secretary of Health and Human services he experienced what it was like to run an organization that had the second largest budget of any agency in the United States and he was able to do so effectively despite our Nation’s great threat of the 9/11 attack. His desire to run for President of the United States of America and implement his Progressive yet Conservative ideas for government is not new. He has had a vision for most of his life to return the Power to the People and it is now time to give him a chance to do so.
Tommy’s connection to motorcycling began in 1994 when he began his annual “Governor’s Ride” to promote tourism in Wisconsin through motorcycling. He also used the motorcycle tours to promote business and bring awareness to various Wisconsin interests. 2007 will be his 14th annual motorcycle ride that is now called Tommy Thompson’s Reunion Ride. This year the ride will be going to Ames Iowa to support Tommy and the Straw Poll Vote. Because of Tommy’s connection to motorcyclists he has also been sympathetic to motorcycling issues, going so far as to testify in Washington DC against a Federal Blackmail law that would require states to pass a law requiring mandatory helmet use in order to receive Federal Highway funds despite Wisconsin’s excellent motorcycle safety record.
To read more about Tommy Thompson’s ideas, order his book “Power to the People” Harper-Collins and read what he has to say about today’s issues at www.tommy2008.com.
–Vicki Roberts-Sanfelipo – Team Tommy Campaign Chair
MAN DREAMS FOR THE SALT– I have an idea I would like to share with you. I wantto run on the salt. I have an ’04 roadglide with a 95-inch turbo charged motor.
My plan is to ride it from Phx. to the salt make arecord attempt in the 150mph range and then ride ithome. I know they have to measure the engine after therecord, but that has no bearing on if we can ride ithome. As long as the engine is not hurt we should befine.
I think my idea is totally within reach. I believethere are a lot of middle aged men sitting at homewishing they could do something like this.
I may be a little more experienced then the averageguy. I owned a custom shop and raced my nitro bike inthe AHDRA. However I think it would make a gooddocumentary for TV or video. Maybe even do something asa series. Grab a few average guys and pick anadventure to chase. Maybe LA to Daytona and run withthe AHDRA and ride home. Something along those lines.Kinda smokey and the bandit style. Get beer intex-arkanna in 24 hours and come home. You knowsomething cool and silly just for fun.
I am not sure where to go with this idea but thoughtI would talk to you about it and see what you thought.
–Gabe Larkins
Hotrodgabe@yahoo.com
www.nitrosyndicate.com
www.hotrodcitycustoms.com
You need to come out and experience the salt. Like the moon, it’s wonderment. Drag Specialties reports that already twice as many bikes have signed up for the run.?Bandit
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