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THE TECH DILEMMA OF THE WEEK–Last weekend I struggled in the garage remaking my bracketry for my twin carbs on the 48 Pan. I fell into deep depression as I discovered that all my efforts were failing miserably. It was one of those frustrating days behind the grinding wheel. I reached out for help and was finally successful as you can see above.Here’s what Krash Gregory suggested. “I found you’re fax number. I think you need support for both the aircleaner and the carbs. By the way the “Mikunis” attach to head spigots. Otherwise vibration could cause them to fall/come off. I have had this problem running spigot-mount “Edelbrock” carbs without a support on Evo Sportsters. By your pictures, the carbs seem to be moving around and they are not staying level. These sketches are just a rough idea, since I don’t have any thing on hand to make measurements.”
Krash was right. The backing plate to the aircleaner actually holds the carb in place. I knew that, but my first bracket, the failed on only held them up but not in alignment. I’ll tell the whole story in a tech next week. Thanks Krash.
BIKERNET POLICE REPORT–[San Jose Mercury News]: An unidentified man, using a shotgun like aclub to break a former girlfriend’s windshield, accidentally shot himselfto death when the gun discharged, blowing a hole in his gut.
–from Miss Kris
BADLANDS FEATURED IN AMERICAN RIDER–This mag was one of the most conservative bike mags in the industry until recently. It’s found some soul and the editoral slant is backing its play with some techs with heart and they are even featuring a segment of the Badlands book on their pages.
Rumor has it that Motorbooks International will publish the book about veteran outlaws in 2004. The book will be written by K.Randall Ball and the photography will come predominately from Mike Lichter although a couple of outlaws were photographed by famous tattoo photographer Billy Tinney.
We may start to run segments in the Cantina before too long. Watch for American Rider on your Newsstands.
BIKE TO THE RESCUE–We covered this several months ago, but I recently saw this mentioned in a Florida Newspaper. It brought up an important aspect of overall motorcycle safety–image. The short blurb went something like this, “Rescue workers are hoping a motorcycle fleet will help them save lives on Florida’s highways.
“Under a proposed program, Miami-Dade County firefighters would respond to emergencies on specially designed motorcycles, navigation through gridlock to accidents before other emergency vehicles arrive.”
Imagine if someday soon motorcycles are viewed as flexible, athletic vehicles that can get to any emergency on time, from fires to domestic alerts. Would life on two wheels change?
LOVE RIDE MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDER–Below are excerpts from a letter to the industry from Oliver Shokouh, the Love Ride Founder and Chairman. “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 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 as stake.
“For those of you who attend 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 for those of you who chose not to attend because of concerns about the 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.”
MONGOLS TAKE AD IN HOT BIKE–The Mongols Motorcycle Club address the above mentioned violence in Laughlin, Nevada in the most recent issue of Hot Bike that’s on the newsstands right now. Check it out.
LAS VEGAS GUGGENHEIM GONE– The Guggenheim Las Vegas museum, the scene of the motorcycle history display, closed its doors Jan. 5 after a 15-month run. Our economy is stated to be the reason. They just can’t afford to operate the way things are right now. It’s a shame. And none of the riders in our Oregon AIM office — me, Sam Hochberg or Jeanne — WE didn’t get to SEE it yet! Damn. Oh well. Y’snooze, y’lose.
The rest of the Gunny Sack legislative news sponsored by AIM will be featured in the Bikernet Rights department tomorrow. Don’t miss it.
BIKERNET ELECTRICITY SHUT OFF–Dear Electric Customer, Just a little note to let you know we understand youranger in the recent price hike. But it should be noted that youhave no choice. We are a big company and you will pay what we tell you.
You have no choice. We have the power, you need the power. So sad, too bad. Sucks to be you. We have enclosed a littlepicture to help outline our response. Have a nice day and keep those checks coming, loser! Your Local Power Company
–from Chris T.
TURN YOUR SHOVEL INTO A KNUCKLE REPORT– It looks like this project just might work with products from Flathead Power. With a little help from Perry Kime at Flometrics, and if I can get Jim Leinweber to set me up with a hotter version of his L3S cam to make up for the difference in rocker ratio this will be an awesome motor. Yes I have a terminal case of tinkeritis.
–from Mike Ball
Crystallball7@aol.com
BIKERNET CARIBBEAN REPORT–This week I’m going to do some different stuff, and be forewarned, somemight not like what I’m going to be saying below…again and as always,it’s my opinion, as simple as that.
But first the news:
I received my first letter from an inmate, I use to read about those inmagazines some time ago. It’s still kind of strange (not on a bad way).I’m amazed that our work has reached the secluded walls of a prison that’sall.All Roy from Yuma is asking for are some photos of bikes with a tropicalbackdrop so he can draw them, again the complexity of simplicity.The letter was received in a very simple but crafty loose leaf envelope,funny how the mind works but what really caught my attention is that hewasted one stamp (used two) and I imagine a stamp has some value to abrother behind walls.One thing is for sure, I will send some photos and I will add a stamp justfor his troubles…I know this is not a news worthy item, but it is to me.
Discovery has changed the dates for the second Biker Build-off betweenBilly Lane and Dave Perewitz. The filming will take place sometime inMarch, I’ll keep you posted as the show unveils.
The Myrtle Beach boycott seems to be full steam ahead, I’ve seen the memoin several boards thru the internet. I’m glad that motorcycle people canget together and make things happen…Let’s show them and anyone else, it’sour time and money and we take it to any place the fuck we want,or not.
My new Chopper is in the almost complete mock up stage, all I’m missing isthe rear wheel to complete the welding, it’s looking pretty good (to me),but I will let everyone here be the judge of that. Well, maybe you’ll haveto be in Daytona to see the complete bike…Let’s see..
We finally got the Road Kill done, here’s some shots, the works seems verysimple and that’s what we intended for, anyway no one will ever guess itscraped several yards down the pavement, upside down ! Hey Bandit…checkit out !
Speaking of The Horse..Caribbean Custom Cycles, Chopper’s Inc and The Horsewill be at a booth in Daytona Bike Week this March, look for us at theGalaxy Buick lot in Beach street…Even if it’s just to come by and sayJose sucks…
The new Horse issue will be at newstands (and my shop) Jan 21, take a lookat Chica’s creations, plus the usual mayhem…Those bikes are somethingelse.
We have just finished a pretty big Chopper report for the new Puerto Ricomotorcycle magazine Biker Spot, it’s a Choppers issue, an interview ofBilly Lane, your’s trully and several Chopper features (including or bikesfor Daytona).I’ll try to post some of the articles at later dates… They will updatethe issue while in Daytona…Seems pretty interesting to me…
And I think that’s about it for this week news…..Yeap, I will rant and rave as always, but I thought of leaving the best forlast, so here we go…With all the things going on I don’t even have time left to think, but oncein a while some ideas cloud my brain, and I have to write them down so I canremember to post them here at every Thursday. It might be things thatslightly bother me and I look for a WHY or just some things that you canplainly see. This week’s turn is for the grandiose motor company, andyou know who I’m talking about, right ?
I was wondering when these people who were on the edge of losing it alldecided to become a money grubbing corporate machine. With the smokecurtain of pretending to be the company for the American people they haveamassed a scary quantity of moola Yep, nothing wrong with that, theAmerican way some might say, but yes it’s wrong in this case. It’s very wrong when younail, screw amd forget the people that brought you back to life, the simplefolk, the ” believers”So let’s put it this way, you are celebrating your birthday, let’s pretendit’s your 100th year. If you are throwing the mack daddy party of them all(which you fucking should if you get to live that long) would you chargeobsene amounts of money to your ” family” and ” friends” to be able to joinyour celebration. So let’s say your friends are in the hundred thousandrange (yeah you are very,very popular). Would you block off the nearbyhotels so you can get a kickback on every room your attendees will take? Ido assume it will be a BYOB thing or at least the chow will be on thehouse….So, if you get the damn clown, cotton candy machine and smelly ponyyou would charge your guests for every performance or ride? Nope, I didnot think so……
I guess this goes along the lines of extreme merchandising, dealer chromeshit enhancements, and take it, like it or not…
How come the new Twinkie crappy engine was bumped to a whopping 88 cubes,when it could have been easily done a 95? Oh, because you will surelly wantthose extra cubes. More is better, and even more, more is betteryet…Yep, it’s all about money. But when everything is about money weloose perspective, we loose a part of being human, and more so we loosethat mystique. that ” We becomeprofit megalomaniacs, we suck.
But what the hell I’m talking about… A company like “the company” willnever do that. It’s the American pride machine, built for the middle class,for the hardcore, the saving nickel and dime kind. For the mere Joe’s ofthis social structure. We are not in Kansas anymore Toto !It’s really a shame, and part of the fault that this “lifestyle” hasbecome a flash.
To top it off and finish this weeks “editorial”, I remember when the mottowas “The eagle soars alone”. Too bad, now the eagle pulls down his pantsand allows the EPA an any other threatening agency give them a good ol’poke in the ass.Just in case, can you say TC 88, EFI, V Rod ? And the big jump on the bigbuck computer crap. Economics suck, more so when the game is played withyour hard earned money, not some fake colored bills from the monopolygame. I was just wondering where the good old timeshad gone.
And that’s it for this week
–Jose, Caribbean Bikernet reporter
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