This past week has been filled with dust, workers putting up drywall, plasterers, and did I mention dust? But the walls of three rooms and a hallway are like new. Today Danny ?Lemon Shrimp? Gonzalez is painting the newly textured surfaces and will continue to work through the weekend till all the walls are painted. I chose a beautiful ?Cr?me Brule? for my office, and the evil blond chose Blood Red for her room. Once again, progess.
This really is an exciting time for us here at Bikernet. With Bandit heading off to Primedia everyday, submerged neck-deep in the magazine industry, it?s interesting to see the people come out of the woodworks in support of his efforts. I?m sure you?ve seen a cover or two of what he?s proposing a cover should look like. He?s been getting thumbs up from you upstanding biker trash, to two thumbs down from the corporate uglies. I?ll take the biker trash?s opinion any day. That man knows magazines and finally, in a meeting yesterday, the uglies dropped a ten-pound report on the table and confessed, ?Yes Mr. Bandit, you were right about what a biker magazine should contain. We, (choke) were wro—, well, you were right.? It only cost them $20,000 to figure out, leave the man to his job.
Cincinnati Dealer show is happening this weekend and Bandit will be there. If you see him, (he?ll be the tallest guy wearing a Hot Bike shirt), stop him and say hello. Unless you?d rather kick or kiss him, but preferably just say hey.
OK folks, here?s your news—
Ahui Hoi Layla– First I like to thank you for the Bikernet key tags, they come in handy for mytool boxes, and they also look stylish.
I was wondering if you would be able to post this picture of our new ShirtDesign. If people are Interested in purchasing T-Shirts, they come inseveral styles such as: Shop work shirt, Long sleeves, Short sleeve, TankTop ,and Women’s Tank Top. They come in all sizes and only available in Blackor White.
Thanks, Darren
KustomFab Choppers
80 Sand Island Access RD. #228
Honolulu, Hawaii 96819
Ph-808-847-5322
BIKERNET STEALTH REPORT– This past weekend the Easyriders Bike Show Tour was here in Charlotte. The “Meanest” and I went Saturday evening. There were some top-notch bikes there from up and down the east coast as well as from points beyond. The weather was cold and rainy but it didn?t dampen the spirits at the show.
The big names at the show included Billy Lane, Chica, Kendall Johnson and Randy Simpson and his crew from Milwaukee Iron. If you have been watching the Discovery show, Southern Steel, then you know about Randy and his crew. I have known Randy for sometime and he is one of the really nice guys in the industry. The break with the Discovery show could not have happened to a more deserving person.
The line for pictures and autographs with Billy Lane went on forever. Billy obliged everyone who wanted a picture and autograph. It was good to see this as some these days forget that if it wasn’t for the people wanting autographs, the celebrities would not be household names.
My favorite two bikes at the show were both memorial bikes, one in honor of Dave Mann and the other in honor of Indian Larry. They were both panheads.
The show was a two-day event this year and in my opinion was a good idea. It gives more people a chance to attend. All things considered from what I saw the show was a success again.One thing I noticed at the show was a more bobber style bike. No car tires on the rear, just bare bones nothing extra bikes. These are my favorite style of bikes and I am glad to see them coming back although for some of us they never went anywhere.
Well that is it for this week. Check the “STEALTH” report in the upcoming weeks for updates on the 7th Annual Run For Breath “In Memory Of Justin Pullin.” We have some exciting additions to be announced soon. Oh by the way Mr. Bandit has agreed to make another Best of Show Award for the bike show this year. People have been asking for a couple of weeks about that!
Until next week!
STEALTHMAN
BOY ARRESTED FOR STICK FIGURE DRAWINGS– OCALA, Florida (AP) — Two boys were arrested for making pencil-and-crayon stick figure drawings depicting a 10-year-old classmate being stabbed and hung, police said. The children, charged with a felony, were taken from school in handcuffs.
The 9- and 10-year-old boys were arrested Monday and charged with making a written threat to kill or harm another person. They were also suspended from school.
One drawing showed the two boys standing on either side of the other boy and “holding knives pointed through” his body, according to a police report. The figures were identified by written names or initials.
Another drawing showed a stick figure hanging, tears falling from his eyes, with two other stick figures standing below him. Other pieces of scrap paper listed misspelled profanities and the initials of the boy who was allegedly threatened.
The boys’ parents said they thought the children should be punished by the school and families, not the legal system.
Rogue
COVER YOUR ORGAN–Lena, the church organist at Coon Ridge Lutheran Church, was in her eighties and had never been married. She was much admired for her sweetness and kindness to all.
The pastor came to call on Lena one afternoon early in the spring, and she welcomed him into her Victorian parlor. She invited him to have a seat while she prepared a little tea.
As he sat facing her old pump organ, the young minister noticed a cut glass bowl sitting on top of it, filled with water. In the water floated, of all things, a condom.
Imagine his shock and surprise. Imagine his curiosity! Surely Miss Lena had flipped or something…! When she returned with tea and cookies, they began to chat. The pastor tried to stifle his curiosity about the bowl of water and its strange floater, but soon it got the better of him, and he could resist no longer.
“Miss Lena,” he said, “I wonder if you would tell me about this?” (pointing to the bowl).
“Oh, yes,” Lena replied, “isn’t it wonderful? I was walking downtown last fall and I found this little package on the ground. The directions said to put it on the organ, keep it wet, and it would prevent disease. And you know… I haven’t had a cold all winter.”
For those of you who couldn’t get a FLU SHOT this year, you might want to give this a try!Stay healthy everyone!
BIKERNET CARIBBEAN REPORT–Ok, I know the last few weeks the news been kind of boring, or should I say that it?s lacked any kind of venom or controversy. If you are wondering, in reality not much has been going on. After Rincon bike weekend, it seems like everything got sucked into a vortex, the people, the shop, the builds. I really don’t know why but everything became like in total slow motion.
Now the shows start rolling in, Cinci, Indy, then Daytona and whatever else. As of now, I don’t have any plans of attending. I might miss Daytona for the first time in 16 years, the Bike Week that gives me so much writing wise, anyway, who knows, I might change my mind later on. I have a bunch of bikes that the magazines from Europe and Japan would shoot, but moving all that over the ocean to get them there becomes a pain in the ass and the pocket.
On the work front there’s a 71 Sportster that is about to be done, I will post it here as soon as it is. Also I have a couple tech articles, one installing an internal throttle and another of turning a 4 into5 speed tranny into a kicker.In the shameless plug department I’m selling my black chopper if any interest send me an e-mail at Jose@chopperfreak.com I also have a CFL for sale.
Hank Young of young choppers has just moved to a new space, as soon as I get the address and numbers I will post them here.
Now to finish this off, here’s a schedule of the Biker Build Off series.
Feb 1 Russell Mitchel vs Detroit Brothers
Feb 8 Indian Larry vs Mondo Porras
Feb 15 Chica vs Mike Pugliese
Feb 22 Cory Ness vs Eric Gorges
March 1 Hank Young vs Cole Foster
March 8 Billy Lane vs Mike Brown
March 15 Kendall Johnson vs Eddie Trotta
March 22 Matt Hotch vs Rick Fairless
March 29 Arlen Ness vs Roland Sands (in Puerto Rico)
See you guys next week…..
Jose ? Caribbean Reporter
MOTORCYCLE BOOMER DEATHS RAISE CONCERNS–
By DAVID SHARP
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) – Safety experts suspect older motorcycle riders with a lot of disposable income are buying more machines than their aging, out-of-practice bodies can handle.
Across the country, the annual number of motorcycle fatalities among 40-plus riders tripled over the past decade to 1,674 in 2003, while deaths among riders under 30 dropped slightly to 1,161, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
According to NHTSA, the average age of motorcyclists killed in accidents rose from 32 in 1994 to 38 in 2003.
“It’s really kind of astonishing. The ages of these fatalities are so high. You would think it would be all of the young kids on those fast bikes, but it’s not,” said Carl Hallman, highway safety coordinator with the Maine Department of Public Safety.
Mike Cullinan made a midlife course correction, breaking up with his girlfriend and buying himself a big Harley-Davidson motorcycle: a 620-pound Dyna Low Rider with a 1,450-cc, fuel-injected engine.
Lots of baby boomers and middle-aged Americans like the 38-year-old Cullinan are getting motorcycles, whether to recapture their lost youth or pull through some kind of midlife crisis.
And now, as a result, riders 40 and over are accounting for an alarming number of motorcycling deaths.
The surge in deaths among older riders helped to push motorcycle fatalities higher overall. They jumped by nearly half during the past five years, from 2,483 in 1999 to 3,661 in 2003.
In Maine, 22 people were killed on motorcycles in 2004, the highest level in a decade. In New Hampshire, 29 died, versus nine the year before. In Vermont, there were 11 fatal crashes, more than in the three previous years combined. In all three states, riders in their 30s and older accounted for the most crashes.
“From a career standpoint, they have a little extra time and a little extra disposable income. The kids have grown up, so they’re looking for hobbies,” said Rae Tyson, a NHTSA spokesman who specializes in motorcycle safety.
As for why so many riders in their 40s, 50s and beyond are dying, big, powerful bikes appear to be part of the explanation. NHTSA data show that both engine size and deaths among riders with the largest class of engines rose during the past decade.
NHTSA figures also show that riders in their 30s and 40s who died were more likely than their younger counterparts to have been drinking.
In addition, safety experts say many older riders are either returning to motorcycling after many years or are trying it for the first time.
“They haven’t ridden in 20 or 30 years, so their skills are rusty. Motorcycles have changed, and they’re getting bigger motorcycles. And they’re getting on without a refresher course,” said Cathy Rimm, program director for Motorcycle Rider Education of Maine, a nonprofit organization that offers safety training.
Finally, safety officials point out that older riders’ eyesight and reflexes are not what they once were.
“In our experienced-rider courses, we do take into account the way your body changes, that your reaction time will change and that your eyesight will change. There are changes older riders should make,” said Mike Mount, spokesman for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation in Irvine, Calif.
Cullinan, a repair shop manager from Standish, had not ridden for 15 years, and his life underwent a big change when he broke off a relationship. He spent more than $18,000 on his black low rider with chrome.
“I went for the largest bike I could handle, or that I hope I can handle,” he said.
Though Maine and many other states require classes for new riders to get motorcycle licenses, there are no such requirements for a license holder who decides to get on a bike for the first time in decades. No state requires continuing periodic education, said Kathy Van Kleeck of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.
Cullinan said his eyes were opened by the statistics. He has bought a helmet, which is not required in Maine, and is taking a refresher course this winter.
“I’m hoping I will learn something that’ll make me safer,” he said. “I’ll be riding this spring and summer with my eyes open.”
On the Net:
Motorcycle Safety Foundation: http://www.msf-usa.org
National Highway Transportation Safety Administration: www.nhtsa.dot.gov
H-D 2005 THREE NEW MODELS–
Newest VRSC Model Combines Muscular Style and Aggressive Performance
MILWAUKEE (January 24, 2005) ? In the court of public opinion, the all-new 2006 VRSCR Street Rod might appear guilty of using steroids. But the newest member of the liquid-cooled family of Harley-Davidson motorcycles gets its reputation honestly by combining an upright riding position; 40-degree lean angle and a retuned suspension to deliver a Harley-Davidson that marries custom looks with agile performance.
?Harley-Davidson?s racing genes flow throughout the new Street Rod,? said Bill Davidson, Harley-Davidson director of marketing, motorcycle product development. ?The spirit of our strong racing heritage and the recent success of our NHRA Pro Stock Championship season is evident in the feel and performance of this premium, hot rod roadster.?
Carrying on the VRSC family tradition, the Street Rod wields the explosive power of the liquid-cooled, 1130cc Revolution V-Twin engine. In addition, the engine is cradled in a hydroformed, tubular perimeter frame topped with stylized bodywork. A clipped rear fender and 180mm-wide rear tire carry the family looks as well. However, the fuel-injected, 60-degree V-Twin has been pumped up with a pair of chrome straight-shot dual exhaust pipes that help boost horsepower to 120 hp at 8,250 rpm while maintaining its 9,000-rpm redline.
The Street Rod?s distinct styling and upright riding position are the result of a new suspension combination, highlighted by massive 43mm inverted forks. Aero-cut polished, forged aluminum triple clamps are equally robust and deliver a steeper rake/fork angle (30/32 degrees) for more aggressive handling in the corners. The change in rake and fork angle shortens the bike?s wheelbase by 0.7 inches (to 66.8 inches). When matched with performance suspension calibration on the rear shocks, the set up delivers a sporty, performance-oriented ride.
Complementing the suspension changes is a generous 40-degree lean angle and Brembo four-piston caliper brakes with 300mm dual front rotors. The Street Rod?s handlebar and risers are shorter and less swept back. Combined with mid-mounted foot controls and a higher 30-in. seat height, this places the rider forward and into an aggressive position for attacking corners. Fuel capacity of the Street Rod is five gallons.
Adding to the Street Rod?s muscular looks are standard 10-spoke Staggered Cast Aluminum wheels, while radial, ZR-rated Dunlop tires deliver the performance message to the pavement with authority.
The VRSCR Street Rod is available in five stunning color options, including Vivid Black with a black frame, or Black Cherry, Rich Sunglo Blue, Mirage Orange and Yellow Pearl all with a silver-leaf frame. Highlighting each paint option is the silver and black engine with polished covers, plus selected, blacked-out components.
Ohio motorcyclists’ rights groups band together to push Justice for All legislation– About 16 representatives of the AMA, ABATE of Ohio, Concerned Motorcyclists of Ohio, the Ohio Motorcyclists Coalition and other groups met Monday to work on legislation to hold drivers more accountable for injuries caused to motorcyclists and other road users.
The meeting, held at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum at AMA headquarters in Pickerington, Ohio, was the second in a series that organizers hope will lead to a bill being introduced at the Ohio Legislature. Those involved are molding a bill to address right-of-way violations. Though specific details are yet to be worked out, the group members agree that penalties must be increased in Ohio for those who seriously injure or kill motorcyclists and other road users by turning into their paths or violating rights of way in other ways.
The meeting is an example of what the AMA wants to happen around the nation to get Justice for All-related legislation approved in every state. At the core of the Justice for All campaign are three measures that the AMA hopes to get approved in all 50 states. That legislation would: increase penalties, including jail time, for those who commit manslaughter with a motor vehicle; impose fines and drivers license suspensions on drivers who commit traffic offenses that injure or kill others; and get motorcyclist-awareness instruction included in each state’s driver-education program.
Rogue
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