Continued From Page 1
DORK OF THE WEEK with no name…..YET– DENVER – An accident involving four motorcycles and a black Lexus caused major jams on Speer Boulevard during the afternoon rush hour.The accident happened just before 3 p.m. Police spokesman Sonny Jackson said four motorcycles were headed south on Speer Boulevard when a black Lexus drove through a red light and crashed into them.Subsequent reports from the scene say it’s not clear yet whether or not the driver ran a light.
Three people were taken to the hospital in critical condition. The status of a fourth person is unknown.Motorcyclist Jeff Thomas, who was riding with the group, got stopped at the light and witnessed the accident.
“It scared the hell out of me,” said Thomas. He said he’s been riding with the group for years. Thomas identified the riders who were hit as Mike McGinley, Mike McGinley Jr., Johnnie Baker and Byron Waggner. The accident happened just across the street from Denver Health Medical Center.
Witnesses said staff poured out of the hospital immediately following the accident and were able to quickly stabilize the victims and get them into surgery.
ATTENTION BIKERNET STAFF AND READERS– Australian National Transport Commission wants to stop motorcycles and scooters riding down between the traffic lights when traffic is stationary.
Police want to be able to enforce the regulation as a specific ” crime”
You will have to pay a monetary fine and also lose points on your riders/drivers license.For commuters and motorcycle couriers it’s going to be a pain in the ass!
Help stop this stupid regulation before it becomes law. Add your name to the petition below.
Thanks (on behalf of all Aussie riders)
–Jaqhama.
Here is the link for the THE GENIE AND THREE WISHES–Three guys — a Canadian farmer, Osama bin Laden, and an American engineer — are walking together one day. They come across a lantern and a Genie pops out of it. “I will give each of you one wish, which is three wishes total”,says the Genie. The Canadian says, “I am a farmer, my dad was a farmer, and my son will also farm. I want the land to be forever fertile in Canada.” Pooooof! With a blink of the Genie’s eye, the land in Canada was forever made fertile for farming. Osama bin Laden was amazed, so he said, “I want a wall around Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran so that no infidels, Jews or Americans can EVER come into our precious states.” Pooooof! Again, with the blink of the Genie’s eye, there was a huge wall around those countries.. The American engineer asks, “I am very curious. Please tell me more about this wall”. The Genie explains, “Well, it’s 5000 feet high, 500 feet thick and completely surrounds these countries…….. it’s virtually impenetrable. Now what is your wish?” The American engineer smiles and says, “Fill it with water.” Pooooof! –Chris T. BIKERNET QUOTE OF THE WEEK–Excess on occasion is exhilarating. It prevents moderation from acquiring the deadening effect of habit.” –Somerset Maugham, BIKERNET POSITIVE THINKING TEQUILA CLASS–Do you sometimes wish you were more assertive?If you answered yes to any of these questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist about Tequila?. Tequila? is the safe, natural way to feel better and more confident about yourself and your actions. Tequila? can help ease you out of your shyness and let you tell the world that you’re ready and willing to do just about anything. You will notice the benefits of Tequila? almost immediately, and with a regimen of regular doses you can overcome any obstacles that prevent you from living the life you want to live.Shyness and awkwardness will be a thing of the past, and you will discover many talents you never knew you had. Stop hiding and start living, with Tequila?. Tequila? may not be right for everyone. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use Tequila?. However, women who wouldn’t mind nursing or becoming pregnant are encouraged to try it. Side effects may include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, incarceration, erotic lustfulness, loss of motor control, loss of clothing, loss of money, loss of virginity, delusions of grandeur, table dancing, headache, dehydration, dry mouth, and a desire to sing Karaoke and play all-night rounds of Strip Poker, Truth Or Dare, and Naked Twister. Tequila?. Leave Shyness Behind.(tm) HARLEY-DAVIDSON PLANS CHINA DEALERSHIP–MILWAUKEE — For Ray Ma, freedom on the open road means riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle behind two police cars through the Chinese countryside.The 53-year-old Hong Kong dental surgeon and members of his 35-bike riding group had to pay 10,000 Hong Kong dollars ($1,290 U.S.) per bike in escort and paperwork fees last fall to make their trip to Guilin city a reality. “We have to follow the rules in the place where they have the rules,” Ma said. “And I regard that as free.”But Ma said he yearns for the day when he can escape the cramped city for the Chinese mainland without the hassle. “We really hope that we can ride through the border like anywhere else, like in the States or Canada, or Europe,” said Ma. “So that we can just plan a weekend trip, three days and two nights in China. That is really the best for a Hong Kong rider.”For years, iconic motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson Inc. has pushed hard to find ways to sell its motorcycles in China. Now, the Milwaukee-based company says it plans to announce before summer that it will open its first retail outlet in the country since at least World War II. “Mao said that a thousand-mile journey begins with the first step,” said Timothy Hoelter, Harley-Davidson’s vice president of government affairs. “I guess we’re taking some baby steps already.” The company says there are still major hurdles – some 170 Chinese cities limit or ban motorcycle use or ownership, largely because they are viewed as underpowered, cheap, polluting machines that clog traffic and endanger others. “We are not encouraging motorcycle use,” said Miss Huang, who only gave her surname, a spokeswoman for the police force’s Shanghai Public Security Policy Consultation Office.Motorcycles have been banned from almost all the main streets in Shanghai, Huang said, and the city stopped accepting motorcycle registrations in 2002. After China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, import restrictions, quotas and tariffs dropped substantially against foreign motorcycle manufacturers, but municipal traffic ordinances have remained, Hoelter said. “The problem is although we can now sell our motorcycles in China, the Chinese can’t use them, at least if you live in an urban area,” he said. Foreign manufacturing advocates say the policy, while somewhat justified by safety concerns, has created an unfair barrier to access. Harley-Davidson estimates small Chinese manufacturers build some 17 million motorcycles a year – most for domestic consumption – but most are small and used in rural areas, so they evade many of the restrictions on Harley-style heavyweight bikes. Other bikes such as 1950s-era Chang Jiang 750, which are still used by the Chinese government, are considered three-wheelers because of a sidecar, Hoelter said. In contrast, BMW, which entered the Chinese motorcycle market in April 2003, said it sold only 70 bikes on the mainland last year. The main barriers the German company has faced are riding bans in big cities and motorways, high customs duties, poor insurance coverage and the huge gap between legally sold and illegally imported motorcycles, said Stefanie Lowenstein, spokeswoman for the BMW Group.Liu Xintong, secretary-general of China Motorcycle Industry Association, said the result is that pent-up demand for large motorcycles is going unfulfilled. “Motorcycle riding fans are still eager to get top machines like Harley-Davidsons,” he said. “But the government policy seems not motorcycle-friendly at all.” Alan Tonelson, a research fellow at the U.S. Business and Industry Council, said all U.S. manufacturers still face a “very formidable array” of barriers to gaining access to the Chinese market. “U.S. government attempts to reduce, much less eliminate, these trade barriers, has been woefully ineffective,” he said. For now, Harley-Davidson is going to drive around them.The company’s managing director for China, Dave Foley, said the company has selected a dealer and that before summer, “more specific communication will be forthcoming.”He declined to say where it would be, but noted the Beijing area had the highest concentration of riders of imported heavyweight motorcycles in the country. Motorcycles may not be operated within Beijing’s Third Ring Road, a 30-mile highway that encircles the city, so Hoelter said a likely dealer location would be outside the city core.But the company will have to sell its products, which can exceed $20,000 retail, in a country where most Chinese make around $1,000 a year. “The potential is enormous but it’s up to us to really develop that leisure-oriented market,” Foley said. The company said it was too early to forecast sales, but estimated there were more than 1,000 heavyweight motorcycle riders in China, most of whom acquired their bikes through unofficial channels.Analyst Timothy Conder of A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. said it may be slow-going but Harley-Davidson should eventually win out. “What they’re selling is Americana. I think they should do well,” he said. Chen Lexing, a 37-year-old real estate worker in Guangzhou, said he and his group of Harley riders leave the city before dawn on weekend outings in Guangdong Province. They can’t obtain license plates in the city of Guangzhou because their bikes are some five times the allowed engine size of 250cc.Chen said he worries that Guangzhou will ban motorcycles altogether next year, but is hopeful at news that Harley is making inroads. “I hope Harley-Davidson moves into China, sells more motorcycles and works with the government so that more roads and places will open up to motorcycle riders,” he said. Hoelter said the road into China will be a long one.”China is certainly today from the market-access perspective, our most daunting challenge,” he said. “It’s going to be a long-term effort, it will no doubt be a multifaceted effort and we’re going to have to be patient.” Let’s ride the Great Wall HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY?–( 1 ) You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming. ( 2 ) No person really decides before they grow up who they’re going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you’re stuck with. WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED? ( 2 ) No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married. HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED? WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON? WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE? ( 2 ) On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date. WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR? WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE? HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK? –from Art Friedman NEW PRODUCTS FROM SAMSON–Here is his list: Big Guns 3, Stealth muffler and the newfishtails. For more information touch on the banner above. –Kenny Price WALL STREET EYES HARLEY DEMAND– (MarketWatch) – Wall Street next Thursday will focus on whether Harley-Davidson can shrug off the concerns of slowing growth and rising inventories that have weighed on the motorcycle maker’s stock for much of last year.54.03, -0.05, -0.1%) have bounced back from the lows of 2005, but shed 9 cents to finish Thursday’s session at $54.03. Back in April, the stock plunged to $47.66 after the company reported a slowdown in first-quarter motorcycle sales. But the 52-week nadir of $44.40 came in October right before upbeat third-quarter results buoyed shares. See full story. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call are expecting a fourth-quarter profit, on average, of 81 cents a share with revenue of $1.35 billion. For the year, profit is pegged at $3.38 a share. Citigroup downgraded Harley on Thursday to hold from buy, explaining that shares may be overheated, having outperformed the S&P 500 by 13% since Oct. 10. “Given the lack of positive new data points since the company reported third quarter 2005 figures, we do not view the stock as compelling at these levels,” said analyst Gregory Badishkanian, pointing out the stock is closing in on his $57 per-share target. Anthony Gikas, analyst at Piper Jaffray, was also bearish when he said earlier in the week that he wouldn’t be surprised if a number of factors lead Harley management to cut production estimates in April. “In addition to declining used bike prices, more-than-seasonal discounts on new bikes, slow improvement to dealership performance, and elevated inventory levels at most dealerships suggests current 2006 production guidance (5%-9%) is too high,” he said in a note reiterating his market perform rating. The Hog maker, which also sells bikes under the Buell name, is banking on younger riders and rising global demand to help it achieve that 5%-9% growth outlook in 2006. –from Rogue BIG TWIN WEST ANNOUNCES CELEBRITY/MASTER BUILDER BUILD-OFF–Big Twin West Announces Celebrity/ Master Bike Builder Build-Off Lead Singer of Smashmouth to Join Build-Off Team. New York, New York – January 20, 2006 ? Advanstar Communications, Inc ? a leading provider of print, event and online media for the powersports, off-road and automotive aftermarkets – today announced a Celebrity and Master Bike Builder build off, to be held at Big Twin West, a leading custom motorcycle industry trade show, in Las Vegas on December 1?3, 2006 at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Convention Center. The Celebrity / Master Builder feature will pit four teams, each consisting of a celebrity and a master builder, against each other in an exciting custom bike building competition. The four completed motorcycles will then be auctioned at the close of the event with the proceeds going to charities chosen by the teams. Steve Harwell, lead singer of Smashmouth, is the first of four celebrities to sign up to get their hands dirty with master builders such as Paul Yaffe and Dawn Norakas. ?The custom bike lifestyle is very similar to the rock music world and there are many of us who cross over,? said Steve Harwell. ?When we are not on tour or recording we are watching what is going on in the custom bike world and some of these builders are like rock stars to us. To get the chance to build a bike with them and provide some charity is great,? Harwell continued. Each team will be given all of the components they need and the opportunity to design and paint a complete custom motorcycle. Final assembly of the bike will take place under the watchful eyes of the exhibitors and attendees at Big Twin West in December 2006. ?This is so cool and a really fun way to help out people in need and there are some great people involved in this,? said Paul Yaffe, master bike builder. ?More and more women are discovering custom bikes and the addition of Dawn Norakas mirrors what?s happening in the custom world,? he went on to say. In addition to Harwell, Yaffe and Norakas, the remaining celebrities and master builders will be introduced at key events throughout the season and they will have an opportunity to gather ahead of the event to create a truly unique motorcycle. The celebrities will be invited to nominate a charity of their choice and at the conclusion of the build off, the bikes will be auctioned with the proceeds from each bike being donated to the respective charity. Steve Harwell has chosen the Victory Junction Gang Camp as his benefiting charity. The Victory Junction Gang Camp enriches the lives of children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses by providing life-changing camping experiences that are exciting, fun, and empowering, in a safe and medically sound environment. More information can be found at www.victoryjunction.org. For more information, call 800.854.3112 or visit our website at www.bigtwinwest.com. Continued On Page 3
British writer 
— Alan, age 10 (true sports fan)
— Kirsten, age 10
( 1 ) Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.
— Camille, age 10
— Freddie, age 6 (very wise for his age)
( 1 ) You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.
— Derrick, age 8
( 1 ) Both don’t want any more kids.
— Lori, age 8
( 1 ) Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.
— Lynnette, age 8 (isn’t she a treasure)
— Martin, age 10
( 1 ) I’d run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns.
— Craig, age 9
( 1 ) When they’re rich.
— Pam, age 7
( 1 ) Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck.
— Ricky, age 10 (future diplomat)
Founder/CEO
Samson Motorcycle Products, Inc.
3818 E Coronado St.
Anaheim, Ca. 92807
714-518-2480
