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UNIVERSAL TECHNICAL INSTITUTE BEEFS UP FACILITIES–Phoenix, Ariz. – To meet the industry’s demand for Professional service technicians, Universal Technical Institute Inc. (UTI)?one of the nations leading providers of technical education training?announced that it is investing $54.2 million to expand its facilities across the nation, including relocating corporate headquarters. To accommodate this growth, the company plans to hire 100 instructors within the next two months.
Major investments are being made at Motorcycle Mechanics Institute (MMI) in Phoenix and Motorcycle & Marine Mechanics Institute in Orlando, Fla., among others.
At the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute Phoenix campus, UTI recently completed a $3.5 million, 42,000 sq. ft. expansion, which allows the school to accommodate more student enrollments and industry training. Now totaling 102,000 sq. ft., this facility trains service technicians for the motorcycle industry. MMI is the only technical training school supported by the top five motorcycle manufacturers.
In September, 2002, the Motorcycle & Marine Mechanics Institute in Orlando, completed a three-building, $6 million expansion to bring the total campus area to 117,760 sq. ft. The expansion will enable the campus?which trains technicians for the motorcycle, marine and personal watercraft industries?to enroll up to 1,900 students by 2004.
PETRALI SCULPTURE UNVEILED–To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Harley-Davidson Motor Company and in celebration of the history of motorcycling in Daytona Beach, Mike Corbin has commissioned artist Jeffrey Decker to create a life size bronze sculpture for display downtown. The piece depicts famed motorcycle racer Joe Petrali astride the machine that set a land speed record on the sands of Daytona Brach in 1937. The piece will be on permanent display in front of the Corbin Building on Main Street in Daytona Beach.
–from Iron Works.com
ABATE OF WISCONSIN SETS UP CAMPGROUND FOR 100TH– ABATE of WI, Washington County & Jefferson County are hosting TWO campgrounds for the H-D 100th Anniversary. They can hold aprox.1000 people at each, and the deal is first come, first served.
All information and reservation forms are available on www.abatewis.org website and the link is http://www.abatewis.org/page.php?section=100thcampIf you have other questions, try 262-306-0606.
LOVE RIDE 19–The 2003 Love Ride, the 20th, November 9, 2003, will be a landmark event sure to exceed expectations and certain to maintain the image of the biker community as a group who cares. We’ll see you there. –ed.
Love Ride 19 is now a part of history and for all intents and purposes it was a resounding success. We had fabulous music from all our performers; we once again raised over $1 million for charity; and after four days of much needed rain the clouds parted to give us a perfect, absolutely picture perfect, day for motorcycling.
Things couldn’t have gone smoother the day of the event. But for me personally Love Ride 19 will go down as the event that almost didn’t happen.
Up until just a few days before the ride we had no insurance–a mandatory element in an event such as this. The major reason was the financial fall out from 9-11. Just about every insurance company got hammered in the wake of that tragedy, and their woes are being passed on to us. But I suspect that there was another factor at play. 2002 saw the unfortunate re-emergence of biker gang violence at a motorcycle rally–violence that received loud, nationwide publicity. The nasty old image of bikers was revived in the public consciousness–and this is something that hurts all of us.
I know for a fact that some people did not attend the Love Ride because of concerns about outlaw elements and the chance of a bad incident. This really bothers me, not only because they missed a terrific ride, but for the future of motorcycling. There is nothing much we as motorcyclists can do about international terrorists–but we can try to keep the terror element out of the biker community. No less than our freedom is at stake.
Another interesting fact on Love Ride 19 is that our average remittance per person was much lower than normal. We had a record crowd but not a record fund raising. This must be a reflection on the economy–which may also be attributed to all that went wrong with this world since 9-11.
For those of you who attended the Love Ride–I thank you. For those of you who helped organize and facilitate the Love Ride–which includes almost the entire chapter membership–I thank you especially. And those of you who chose not to attend because of concerns about violence I can only say that this is an attitude that let’s the terrorist and the bad guys win. The motorcycling community is ours and the only way to preserve it is to sustain it.
Keep riding and don’t let the bastards get you down.
I hope to see you at Love Ride 20. Believe me–it will be special.
Oliver Shokouh, Chairman
Love Ride Foundation
2003 BRAG SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED–Milwaukee, Wis. – Buell Riders Adventure Group (BRAG) is excited to announce their 2003 Adventure schedule, packed with numerous opportunities to attack twisty roads across the U.S.
The first national event will be the 2003 BRAG Northeast Curve-Carving Touring Adventure, June 7-13. The tour kicks off June 7 at Centennial Buell in Pataskala, Oh., just east of Columbus. Riders will weave through parts of Ohio, Wet Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont and New Hampshire before arriving at Big Moose Buell in Portland, Maine on June 13.
The fall event is the 2003 BRAG National Adventure; Taking on the Southwest Twisties, October 3-5. This event takes on the infamous “Devil’s Corridor,” an 89-mile stretch between Clifton and Alpine with a few thousand curves.
Additional details on the events can be found in the BRAF section of www.buell.com, or by calling 888-432-BRAG. Registration for the two national adventures starts January 21, 2003. Events are open to all Buell riders, but BRAF members receive a preferred membership rate.
MIKE LICHTER HOSTS PHOTO EXHIBIT AT JOURNEY MUSEUM–Mike promoted and produced another exhibit in Rapid City, South Dakota, Tuesday. He signed his new book Sturgis, from Motorbooks Int. which we recently review on Bikernet.
It’s a two-wheeled tribute, to the life and times, of the Black Hills Rally, is also a homage, to a man’s vast talents, with a camera. The hard-bound book is 10.25 by 10.25 inches and contains 168 pages, of heavy glossy stock, with a forward by Peter Fonda. Each image is handled, as if fine art, with grand white space to mat each photograph. Over a decade was dedicated to this odyssey, by Michael, to transform his art from the plentiful pages of Easyriders to an austere book devoted to Sturgis and his abilities with a Nikon Camera.
HANDMADE KNIFE MANUFACTURER MAKES “PEOPLE”–Hey gang, the July 21(?) issue of People Magazine has Snoop Dog with one of my canes. If anybody has a copy and can scan or send it to me, I’d love to have it. PO Box 869, Venice, CA 90294. (I know two of the people on this list work in libraries).
—Daniel,
Sverdlin@aol.com
AMERICAN RIDER LINK–We are working with American Rider and their staff. Watch for a new look and feel to American Rider.
BIKERNEW SUPPORTS ANTI-STD (SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES)–How is a woman like a condom?
Both spend more time in your wallet than on your pecker.
–Rogue
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