What’s New? A congressman killed a biker. New Harleys will be stroked by the public in Milwaukee. American Rider asked me to attend too late. I’ll miss the 100th, but our 1928 Shovelhead arrived and we rode it for the first time. I’ll try to post a feature over the weekend. What a cool scooter thanks to the creative abilities of Strokers in Dallas.
We’re putting together an article on the stripped down 2004 Road King Custom for Cruising Rider, but I still like my 2003 Highbar King better. This morning I spoke to the H-D director of Engineering about the process he endured in redesigning the Sportster to create a rubbermounted driveline and the most reliable, high performance Sportster to date without messing with the traditional look. Good story for American Rider.
Whatta job.
Let’s get to the news:
Janklow driving car in crash that killed motorcycle rider–ByDORIS HAUGEN,Associated Press.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Rep. Bill Janklow hurt his wrist and suffered an injury to his head in a weekend crash that killed a Minnesota man, his son, Russ Janklow, said.But the Janklow family’s focus has been more on the victim’s family, he said.
“He feels unbelievable sorrow for his family and friends,” the younger Janklow said of his father. “It’s a very unfortunate situation.”
According to authorities, Janklow, 63, was the driver of a car that collided Saturday afternoon with a motorcycle, killing the rider, Randolph E. Scott.
Scott, 55, of Hardwick, Minn., was pronounced dead at the scene near Trent in Moody County, Col. Dan Mosteller, head of the state Highway Patrol said Sunday.
The accident happened around 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of Moody County Highways 13 and 14 in eastern South Dakota.
Chris Braendlin, one of Janklow’s staff members, was traveling with the congressman but was not injured, said Mosteller.
Reconstruction experts spent Sunday at the scene, he said. An accident report will be available “in a couple of days,” Mosteller said.
“There have been a lot of calls and inquiries, what’s going on, are we doing the things we normally do,” Mosteller said Monday. “And the answer is, yes, no different. We are doing this by the books and doing this one like we would do any other one.”
Janklow, a first-term Republican congressman and former four-term governor, was on his way home to Brandon after attending an event in Aberdeen to honor Korean War veterans, said Russ Janklow, of Sioux Falls.
“He’d been in Aberdeen and was coming back. When he takes that route he often goes through Flandreau. The road he was on leads right home,” he said.Janklow’s hometown is Flandreau, which is north of Trent.
Russ Janklow said doctors in Sioux Falls examined his father on Sunday and told him to rest in bed for a couple of days.”He feels absolutely horrible about this. I’ve never seen him as distraught as I saw him last night,” Russ Janklow said.
The elder Janklow issued a statement Sunday. “I was involved in a very tragic traffic accident late yesterday. Personally, and on behalf of my family, we feel as much anguish for this gentleman and his family and friends as is humanly possible.”
Mosteller said the accident remained under investigation.Scott was not wearing a helmet and seat belts were being used in the Janklow vehicle, said Mosteller. There was no indication that alcohol or drugs were a factor in the crash, he said.It was not immediately clear whether any charges would be filed.
“I’m waiting for reports on an accident that occurred yesterday in Moody County and until I get the report I don’t know what might develop,” Moody County State’s Attorney Bill Ellingson told The Associated Press on Sunday.
He said he didn’t know when the report might be received.
South Dakota Highway Patrol Capt. Jeff Talbot said Monday that Scott was headed west and Janklow was driving south. The motorcycle hit the car’s passenger door on the driver’s side, right behind the driver, Talbot said. Earlier, Moody County Coroner Ted Jacobs said the motorcycle was eastbound.
North-south traffic is controlled by stop signs at the intersection. The crash forced Janklow’s Cadillac off the road and into a soybean field, while Scott’s motorcycle wound up in a ditch, Russ Janklow said.
–Aberdeen News, from Rogue
MILWAUKEE IRON ON BIKERNET–Randy Simpson, the master builder, from Lynchburg, Virgina, recently became of Sponsor of Bikernet. We’ve been working with Randy for almost 20 years and hope to continue to help him build his business. He was recently honored with a master builder display in the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum.
Milwaukee Iron is known for their tough custom fender line, billet trees, extended dashes and fork stop kits. If you need frame work they have a state-of-the-art frame table. Click on their banner or the logo on the home page for the latest and articles posted on Bikernet.
LIGHTS OUT ON BROADWAY–Riding in NYC rush hour traffic is an acquired skill under the best ofcircumstances. Add a few million freaked out pedestrians crowdingthe streets and no traffic signals and you begin to get the picture.I was down in lower Manhattan taking care of some business on Friday whenthe shit hit the fan. luckily the fan wasn’t working when the power wentout. Some folks thought it was the end of the world, others figuredterrorists were at it again. Me, I just thought Do Wha Ditty, New York City.
Having no radio on the Road King I didn’t have a clue as to the extent ofthe black out. Just a sea of stopped taillights lay ahead. People were pouring out of underground subway stations and busses werebrimming over with humanity.Wall Street types with their brief cases were hanging off the back of trucksand busses like kids in old B&W movies. I was 100 miles from home and goingno where fast.
I thought it was a good time to find a friendly watering holeand wait out the traffic. At 44 St and 1st Ave after being temporarilyblocked from my white line / lane splitting progress by a garbage truck, Ispotted a hot blonde in a short skirt waiting on an endless line for anuptown bus that wasn’t going to come. She smiled at me and that was that. Ioffered her a ride as far as 96st and she shimmied those long lovely legsaround me and off we went.
When we finally made it to Hogs she was grateful for the ride and I figuredI was set for the duration. Fat Chance. A sweet kiss on the cheek and shewas lost to me in the throng of humanity.
Hell, at least there was still hope. Hogs was hopping and the bikes werelined up the whole block in front of the bar. Seems every biker that rode towork that day had the same idea as I did. Hit the bar and wait out thetraffic nightmare. We figured it was NYC and the power would come back onany minute. Yea right.
As darkness fell on the city a strange atmosphere took over. By 10pm it wasMardi Gras, Big Apple style.The ice was fast melting and the beer was getting a might warm but after 5hours of drinking, no one seemed to notice.
I finally was able to get asignal on my cell and phoned home to say I was alive but too toasted to tryand make it home. The band that was scheduled to play that night showed upand did an all night acoustic jam. Ladies who were too hot to stay homedonned their skimpys and started showing up.Dancing on the bar, they made the night go fast. We pulled Skinny Joe’sSportster inside and had a spot light to keep the ladies illuminated as eventhe bikini tops proved too warm and were shed.
At 5:30am, as the sun came up the power came back on. We all booed andhad another cocktail. I joined a bunch of others for a quick nap outside onthe bikes, and by 7am I was on my way North again. When I arrived home twohours later my OL asked me what I did. “Oh, it was terrible I just found acomfortable place to crash and waited it out,” I mumbled and crawled into bed.
–TBear
BIKER LEADER’S TRIAL SET–by ELAINE SILVESTRINI esilvestrini@tampatrib.com Published: Aug 18, 2003.
TAMPA – Two years after the former international president of the Outlaws motorcycle gang was sentenced to life in prison, federal prosecutors hope to send his successor to join him.
James Lee “Frank” Wheeler, 61, a bushy-bearded, sentimental biker poet from Indianapolis, is to go on trial today in federal court in Tampa on racketeering and drug trafficking charges.
Painted in a federal indictment as a leader of a cold- blooded criminal enterprise that murdered rival motorcycle gang members and informants, sold drugs and used women as property, Wheeler allegedly ascended to the top of the Outlaws after Harry “Taco” Bowman was imprisoned. Bowman was convicted of ordering other Outlaws to kill suspected informants, firebomb rival gang clubhouses, and rob and beat competing gang members.
Wheeler, according to the indictment, helped Bowman elude authorities as Bowman spent nearly two years on the FBI’s 10 most wanted list following his federal indictment in Tampa in August 1997.
Among other things, Wheeler allegedly arranged for Bowman’s wife and daughters to meet with Bowman at hotels, motels and Outlaws chapter clubhouses around the country.
In 2001, a federal jury in Tampa convicted Bowman on eight counts – including conspiracy, racketeering and drug charges – thus holding him responsible for two murders, the slaying of a rival gang member and the shooting of a fellow Outlaw.
Authorities have “been working on getting” Wheeler for years, said Lina Presley, a gang expert with the Indiana Department of Corrections, “and they finally got him.”
In addition to his pending Tampa trial, Wheeler faces prosecution in federal court in Ohio under a sweeping indictment that details alleged murders and drug deals and discloses snippets of conversations investigators secretly taped.
In August 2001, for example, Wheeler, at an Outlaw meeting in Cancun, Mexico, allegedly pushed through a bylaw to permit the sale of heroin and ecstasy by members of the gang.
The Ohio indictment also alleges that Wheeler and other Outlaws used a “voice stress analyzer” to determine whether gang members were cooperating with law enforcement.
In Indianapolis, at an October 2001 Outlaws chapter meeting – which the Outlaws referred to as “church” meetings – Wheeler ranted about the problems of methamphetamines, arguing to ban their sale. Then he reversed direction, saying, “We’re Outlaws,” and if the gang didn’t sell the drugs, “we might as well belong to the clean and sober club.”
But he worried that trafficking in methamphetamines would bring more attention from the law. “We’re Outlaws and we’re going to do what we want to do. But I’m telling you they’re [law enforcement] looking in on us.”
At an August 2001 meeting in Fort Wayne, Ind., Wheeler waxed nostalgic about the old days when the Outlaws could “thrive.”
–from Tampa Tribune and Rogue
THE CYRIL HUZE REPORT–
NEW PROJECT:We are working hard at completing a new Chopper called “Stray Kat”. The bike will feature awesome stainless steel trims, new hot rod wheels painted in red, a new black coated exhaust, anda cool artwork designed by Cyril, Von Dutch style,and painted by Chris Cruz. Of course, the bike features our parts. Our objective is to have the bike ready for exhibition during Daytona Biketoberfest Oct. 18/20.
NEW HOT ROD WHEELS:They are the ones used by Cyril on his new bike. Offered polished, chrome, powdercoated or painted in the color of your choice. On street bikes, they give a high tech/high speed look. On choppers,powdercoated or painted they give a very neo-retro look. Available for left or right side drive setup.All sizes front & rear, and soon in 18 x 10.5″ to install a280 mm rear tire. Matching pulleys & rotors. For sale in our online store at
WATCH FOR OUR CUSTOMS:Our Chopper “Tattoo Chop” owned by John Gargano will be featured in the October issue (published September 15) of Easyriders Magazine.It is also the cover story of the current issue of A.M.D. (American Dealer News) the magazine of the motorcycle industry in the US & Europe.
Our Softail “Exotika”, owned by Bill Mc Neal & Nanette Packard, just won 1st place Pro-Builder Class at the Los Angeles Calendar Motorcycle Show. The bike will be featured in the show American Chopper on the Discovery Channel. Later this year”Exotika” will also be featured in the pages of Easyriders magazine.
DREAM BIKES 2004 CALENDAR:” Dream Bikes By Cyril Huze” is the theme of the 2004 wall calendar just published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Ronnie Sellers Productions specializes in theme calendars & picked Cyril Huze for an all Custom Motorcycles calendar featuring12 of his bikes.Distributed through the US & Europe, you can save a trip to your favorite bookstore by ordering it directly online from Cyril Huze at
HOW TO BUILD A CHOPPER:Choppers are back in a big way. They are everywhere. So, all day long we answer questions from garage builders who want to know how to build a Chopper. To avoid very costly mistakes, we recommend reading first the book from Tim Remus “How To Build a Chopper”. The book teaches you about frame stretch & rake, aftermarket V-twin engines and radical chassis components. Interviews with long-time builders put the chopper in perspective and give sound advice to new builders. Three start-to-finish photo sequences document and explain the assembly of a chopper in the shop of top custom builders. Eleven chapters cover History, Frames, Engines, Suspension, Sheet metal, Wiring, Wheels, Tires and Drivetrain choices. With 144 pages and over 250 photos (over 50% in color) this book contains the information needed to choose and assemble your own very unique chopper. The book is only $29.95 and can be ordered online at: Cyril Huze
Custom Motorcycles & Parts
Tel: 561-392-5557
Fax: 561-392-9923
Website: http://www.cyrilhuze.com
Webstore: http://store.cyrilhuze.com
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