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30 HELD IN HELLS ANGELS RAID–Mark Henle/The Arizona RepublicOfficers gather outside the Phoenix Hells Angels clubhouse where a man was wounded Tuesday morning by Glendale SWAT police officers.Federal agents said they delivered a major blow to the Hells Angels outlaw biker gang in Arizona with predawn raids Tuesday that netted 30 arrests and left one suspect hospitalized with a bullet wound.
Virginia O’Brien, special agent in charge for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said the case blows away two claims made by Hells Angels leaders: that they are a benevolent organization and that they cannot be infiltrated by authorities.”The Hells Angels arrested by ATF today, they don’t contribute to Toys for Tots,” she said, referring to one of the club’s charity drives. “These are the guys who contribute to firearm and drug trafficking.”U.S. Attorney Paul Charlton said the suspects include 18 members and associates of the motorcycle club who were indicted on charges that include murder-for-hire, bombmaking and machine-gun sales. He said Tuesday’s raids, combined with last year’s drug conviction of leaders from the group’s Arizona Nomad chapter, is “the most significant investigation and prosecution of Hells Angels in the state.”
More than 500 peace officers took part in the operation, serving warrants on bikers and other organized-crime suspects from Kingman to Marana. The targets included the club’s Cave Creek, Tucson, Flagstaff and Chino Valley chapters.
The raids culminated a two-year investigation headed by two undercover ATF agents and a Phoenix police detective who managed to infiltrate the Hells Angels. Charlton said that the investigation is not over and suggested that superseding indictments may contain additional charges and suspects.
Club leaders could not be reached for comment, but Pat “Pooh Bear” Conley, chairman of the Arizona Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs and the president of the Sober Riders Motorcycle Club, said he is suspicious of the criminal case.”I think this is trumped up,” said Conley, whose organization counts the Hells Angels as a member group. “If anyone is guilty, they are as individuals. It has nothing to do with the club. They do not practice organized crime. If so, they don’t need to put on fund-raisers.”
Reach the reporter at dennis.wagner@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-8874.
–from Rogue
WOMEN & MOTORCYCLING EXHIBIT TO APPEAR AT STURGIS MUSEUM DURING 2003RALLY–PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum has announcedthat the traveling version of its acclaimed “Women & Motorcycling”exhibit will be on display at the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall ofFame during the 2003 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
The exhibit centers around colorful illustrated panels, packed withinformation about the role of women in American motorcycling. The panelsinclude timelines depicting milestones from the past century, quotesfrom notable women past and present, and the names of more than 1,500women who are currently active in various aspects of motorcycling.
The goal of the Women & Motorcycling exhibit is to show visitors thatmany women have contributed to the evolution and growth of motorcycling,from the sport’s earliest days. The traveling version of the MotorcycleHall of Fame Museum’s Women & Motorcycling exhibit has been installed in15 cities since 2000.
“After the Women & Motorcycling exhibit’s great success here at theMotorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, we were asked to show it at otherlocations around the U.S.,” said Mark Mederski, Executive Director ofthe Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum. “So we adapted it to travel, andwe’re pleased to loan it to the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall ofFame for the next twelve months.”
Formore information, call (614) 856-2222, or visit the Museum’s web site atwww.motorcyclemuseum.org.
BIKERNET SENIOR DEPARTMENT–A crusty old man walks into a bank and says to the woman at thetellerwindow “I want to open a damn checking account,”
The astonished woman replies, “I beg your pardon, sir. I musthavemisunderstood you. What did you say?”
“Damn it. I said I want to open a damn checking account now!”
“I’m very sorry sir, but that kind of language is not toleratedin thisbank.” The teller leaves the window and goes over to the bankmanager toinform him of her situation.
The manager agrees that the tellerdoes nothave to listen to that foul language. They both return to thewindow andthe manager asks the old geezer, “Sir, what seems to be theproblem here?”
“There is no damn problem,” the man says. “I just won 50million bucks inthe damn lottery and I want to open a damn checking account inthis damnbank.”
“I see,” says the manger, “and is this bitch giving you a hardtime?”
–from Bob T.
WORLD RENOWNED WIRING DIAGRAM FROM THE HORSE ARCHIVES–Here is the diagram for “burnt out headlights” in the “Your shot” section.
–from T.B.
We have a letters to the editor section called It’s Your Shot. If you need tech answers or just want to bitch about the site, we answer letters every goddamn day. Doesn’t mean you’ll get the answer you want, but you’ll get it fast.–Bandit
Deacon, master mechanic, from Oahu.
HAWAIIAN MECHANICAL CONNECTION–Did you ever wonder what was the acclaimed difference between Shovels and Evos? Have you had a lingering desire to make your Shovel rebuild last as long as an Evo’s? Well we strangled the answers to those question out of Deacon from Pro Street Cycle Shop in Hawaii.
The formula should be launched today if the Digital Gangster wakes up.
–Wrench
Piston comparison from Evo/Shovel tech.
LAUNCH YOUR OWN BIKE FEATURE–Tired of $75,000 bikes hogging the pages in all the mags? On Bikernet you can feature your own bike. You can tell your own story and not have it torn to piece by some bullshit editor, like me.
Buckshot just sent his bike in with his own story. It doesn’t matter if it’s cool, a Shovel, Pan or Knuckle. You post it and your tale of woe. Just go to the Reader’s Showcase section and do the job for the world to see. At least, if you fuck it up, you can’t blame it on me.
–Bandit
THAT’S IT, I THINK–I dropped in Cindy’s Century Motorcycle banner ’cause she’s always there when we need assistance. In this case, at 7:00 in the evening she poured the acid into our Goliath battery so I could trickle charge in on a Battery Tender all night. Watch for features on this bike in American Rider.
We get so buried in wrenches and parts we fail to mention the softer sex. I was clammoring thru the tool box like a mad scientist yesterday. We had a goal to build this scoot, once painted, in a week. We basically made it, if it wasn’t for the all the bullshit wiring. I was stressing yesterday, finishing final details, when a soft voice interrupted the grinder. “Would you like a sandwich or me for lunch,” Sin whispered in my ear.
I drug my grubby self into the head, washed my hands and unshaven face and ran to the bedroom. What a difference an hour in the sack makes to a overly stressful day. Ya gotta try it. Thank you, Sin.
I know there’s more to report, but we’ve got to hit the garage.
Ride forever,
–Bandit
