A Note From Sin—
As I sit here at my computer trying to put together some sort of news for you, my mind drifts between fantasy and reality as I know many people do daily. Just from talking to different Bikernet readers, many wonder what?s real and what?s bullshit on this site. Well, I believe we would all love to have a little fantasy occasionally and add some spice to our otherwise normal routine. That?s our goal here at Bikernet, to add that spice.
A lot of us go through life with somber reality. Our days are orchestrated and we function as if walking in our sleep. Get up, get ready for work, drive to work, etc. Then at the end of the day we go home and deal with the house, kids, trying to find time for ourselves and so on.
From time to time we see something that makes us smile. If we?re lucky we get a good belly laugh or we read something that makes our chests swell with pride, passion or even anger. Sometimes we feel the need to write to the source of the emotion and express ourselves as many of you do in ?Your Shot.? We appreciate this feedback and thank you for it.
Bikernet has many contributors who take a few minutes out of their daily routine to shoot us an image, a joke, a fictional story or even a real life event, and because of them, we?re able to give a fantasy, a smile and a laugh– the spice of life. We have the coolest readers any Web site could ask for, always adding their two cents and keeping us in check, and we have our much-appreciated sponsors that make it possible.
The purpose of all this drivel is to THANK YOU ? for taking the time to help us with our goal.
Sin Wu
And Now For Some Bullshit, Heeerrreeesss Bandit!
Not much to report from sea this week. Last weekend I partied with Larry McCullough, a Hamster prospect from Baltimore, and his partners, Eric, Don, Rob and the girls, Debbie, Tina, Christina and Giovanna, a girl with a lot of heart who was building another bike after her last one took her leg. Larry’s a young builder who owns ProPaint in Baltimore. If this kid was in L.A. and had the promotional opportunities of Jesse James, he’d be the guy with Penthouse articles. He’s a talented fabricator.
The ship had a welding fire in hold No. 2 in Japan, which destroyed two freshly built Taiwanese yachts. The captain made arrangements for the remaining 200 tons of lead to be hoisted out and the hold powerwashed. At 6 p.m. Sunday, departure time, he inspected the hold and didn’t care for the progress. That delayed departure six hours — to well past midnight — until a tug tugged us away from the dock and the pilot came aboard for the 12-hour trek out of the Chesapeake Bay, which was a traffic jam of war ships, including the carrier Enterprise. Maybe the President went for a cruise.
I gotta tell you that this is sorta like riding an out-of-balance rigid. Vibration is a key element as we motor from port. Originally it was explained to me that fighting currents for speed in shallow waters was causing excessive vibration, but we’re now in the Gulf Stream, a third of the way and two more time zones into the Atlantic, and it vibrates so bad that we broke a fuel line yesterday. With one storm on our ass and one dead ahead, we were forced to shut down and sit dead in the water. We fixed the leaking fuel line and we’re now cruising at 17.4 knots. Another thing that could be contributing to the vibration is that the ship is virtually empty heading back to Hamburg, Germany, and that single screw with fins 15 feet high may be splashing in the water behind the ship like a drunken dolphin.
We better get to the news before the swells toss Richard’s laptop against the bulkhead along with the rest of my gear. Day before yesterday a weather report told the captain that we were running dead into a force 8 and 9 violent storm. We hit nothing. Last night the same weather service recommended that we veer off course bearing north, which by all indications was directly into the storm we’re trying desperately to dodge. He went south and we’re still slapping the tail end of it.
Let?s get to the news:
Bandit took this shot the day before, while pulling out of Baltimore. Changing of the guards.
Excelsior-Henderson In The News Again
For Sale/Not for Sale, this is a question only the bankruptcy court in Florida will be able to determine. Just hours before the complete factory and holdings of Excelsior- Henderson were to go on the auction block, George Heaton, head of the Florida-based investment group that saved E-H from its first run-in with the bankruptcy courts, filed for protection under the Chapter 11 bankruptcy laws. This terminated the auction and will allow the investment group to hopefully restructure. Only time will tell what the courts will do.
The continued turmoil saddens even the most ardent backers of the company and its Super-X cruiser motorcycles. Dan Hanlon, who co-founded the company in 1993 and intended for it to be a competitor to Harley-Davidson, hasn’t been actively involved in its management since the firm emerged from bankruptcy in August 2000. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 1999 after burning through about $100 million in capital, much of it raised from Minnesota investors. Hanlon came to the auction Thursday seeking what he called “finality,” which never materialized. “Let [Excelsior-Henderson] have its peace,” Hanlon said. “There is nothing left to restart. Let’s be real about it.”
Bikernet Caribbean Report—
Like we said last week, we were in Phoenix at the new Bourget’s shop, and have included some photos of the new area.
It’s great to see companies in thiseconomy growing and being successful, and more so since all the othermotorcycle factories are flopping left and right. I guess if you have agood product and plan your growth during these turbulent times, it willbe easier.
Speaking of turbulence, I bet Bandit is having a little while crossing theAtlantic. Seems like the weather is not cooperating. We have received heavysurf and winds during this past week, and that means cold and heavyrollers up by the shipping lanes. I hope the USS Rust Bucket is doingfine. The two BBW exps are ready; I will post the photos next week (as soonas we can roll ’em outside) and will be shooting them for the Horse in anupcoming issue. Now we go to the news……
We just read an article on Jesse James from this month’s Penthouse magazine(yep, the one with the nakkid gurlies). Also, his second TV program will air on theDiscovery Channel in January, check your local listings.
BBW has three new styles of exhaust that are available for Bourget’s owners(and soon to the general public). If you’re interested, call the factory or yourlocal dealer.
S&S carburetors now come with a bracket that will make those long 90 upthrottle cables fit. They still send the short bracket just in case youwant to keep doing it the old way, also for TC 88s.
Our local Toy Run will take place Dec. 16. The ride will go to thetown of A?asco (about 80 miles) to give all the toys to needychildren. This will be open for any brand of motorcycle, and all they needfrom those participating is a toy.
We heard that the new Sonny Barger book will be in bookstorespretty soon. They expect this book to do as well as the first one. Don’tworry, as soon as we find out when, so will you.
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