Hey,
You’ll see in the news, the SEMA show has been cancelled. That’s a major hit to SEMA, the aftermarket car industry and to Las Vegas. I watched a guy stand up and threaten the town of Shasta, California to open the town or get out of the way.
Life is nuts. You need to read Bill Bish’s NCOM report. According to Cycle World, motorcycle sales are up for 2020, although the economy is down, and unemployment is up. The NCOM convention is still in full swing and so is the Meeting of the Minds.
Laconia is forcing riders to wear masks. Strange times. Other than the control freaks who want to, well you know, the greatest minds in the world are trying to figure this puppy out. They will get there, but we need to hold our mud until this passes or they get a handle on it.
The Bikernet Weekly News is sponsored in part by companies who also dig Freedom including: Cycle Source Magazine, the MRF, Las Vegas Bikefest, Iron Trader News, ChopperTown, BorntoRide.com and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum. Most recently Quick Throttle Magazine came on board.
LATEST CLASSICS FROM PAUGHCO– Paughco Shovelhead Straight Cut Drag Pipes for 70 thru 84 FL Models
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• Works with kick or electric start
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• Fully polished high-quality chrome-plating
• Give that custom handbuilt look to any Big Twin
• Each set includes a chrome mounting bracket
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Can’t sell these puppies in California.–Bandit
SEMA cancelled–The Diamond Bar, California based Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) announced August 5 that due to COVID-19 and concerns that event facilities and services will be unavailable, the SEMA Show will not be taking place in 2020.
“While both event organizers and industry members have been working tirelessly to deliver an outstanding SEMA Show in November, mounting uncertainty has rendered continuing with the event inadvisable. SEMA expects the decision will bring much needed clarity to an uncertain picture and will help exhibitors, attendees and partners plan accordingly.”
Recent SEMA Show survey results are said to have indicated interest in a possible virtual trade show with related live elements. SEMA will be working with industry members to determine interest levels on specific alternatives.
“The SEMA Show is committed to furthering businesses in the automotive specialty equipment market, and to providing manufacturers and buyers with the best opportunity to connect, promote new products and discover new trends,” said Chris Kersting, SEMA President and CEO.
–Posted by DealerWorld
Why not have the SEMA show outdoors like Sturgis? Too bad. –Bandit
INVESTIGATION OF THE WEEK FROM THE NMA–Members of Congress Demand Answers About California DMV $50M Personal Data Sale.
When news broke about Facebook collaborating with data mining companies during the runup to the 2016 presidential election, it may have broken the damn. Now almost four years later, more citizens are raising concerns about their data and who’s sharing it.
Several members of California’s delegation to the United States Congress, including Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-13), who is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, are demanding information from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). They say the DMV has been selling California drivers’ personal data.
According to Motherboard, a tech publication that’s part of the Vice network, the DMV generates about $50 million a year from selling drivers’ data.
“We’re troubled by press reports about the California DMV’s disclosure of vast quantities of data which could enable invasive biometric policing and be a symptom of a deeper privacy malady. The California DMV receives more than $50 million annually from selling the personal information of Californians, according to press reports. The individuals whose data are being sold are reportedly not informed of this practice or given the opportunity to opt-out.
What information is being sold, to whom it is sold, and what guardrails are associated with the sale remain unclear,” said the letter addressed to Steve Gordon, Director, California Department of Motor Vehicles. Eleven U.S. Representatives from California signed the letter. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12) and Hon. David S. Kim, Secretary, California State Transportation Agency.
The letter also addressed concerns about data possibly being shared with federal agencies such as Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the FBI. Since California allows undocumented immigrants to gain driver’s licenses, their personal data may be used by ICE to track and deport people in the country illegally.
“What types of organizations has the DMV disclosed drivers’ data to in the past three years? In particular, has the DMV sold or otherwise disclosed data to debt collection agencies, private investigators, data brokers, or law enforcement agencies?” the letter inquired. How about spammers?
According to a statement responding to the letter, the DMV says the money generated from the data sale helps offset some of the agency’s operating costs.
The practice is not only confined to California. Both Virginia and Wisconsin DMVs also sell driver personal data. The practice is sanctioned under the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA), which was passed in the 1990s.
“In this day and age, unfortunately, government entities don’t resist the lure of selling Americans’ personal information for private exploitation. This problem will only get worse as cities, trying to be ‘smart,’ collect more information about what we do and where we go,” said Lee Tien, senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, in an e-mail to Motherboard.
–By Manny Otiko
California Black Media
Keanu Reeves Talks Filming The Matrix 4 In Berlin With Safety Protocols In Place
Film productions came to a halt following the global pandemic but recently some films in some places have been able to get back to work, and that includes the production of the fourth Matrix movie, which was in the process of moving its production from San Francisco to Germany when everything shut down. Filming in Berlin has now begun, though with a variety of new safety procedures in place.
Keanu Reeves doesn’t go into detail regarding how production has changed compared to how things might have been handled previously, but he does tell AP that the changes aren’t having a noticeable impact on the production in any way. It sounds like things are going about as smoothly as they would if there were no new protocols at all, but that seems to be because there’s been real thought put into how safety is being handled. According to Reeves…
There’s really thoughtful, effective protocols in place, and the rhythm of filmmaking has been not really impacted or interrupted. I think everyone loves the project. If you’re ever going to get into any kind of situation that needs to be figured out or, ‘How do we do this,’ show business people are the best. We’re scrappy, we know how to get stuff done, we’re inventive, think on our feet… It goes back to like, ‘Let’s put on a show’… And that spirit is definitely alive and well in The Matrix.
Keanu Reeves says that show-business people are versatile and used to having to come up with solutions to problems, and that is an incredibly valuable skill right now. Coming up with new safety protocols so that all the people on the film set are as safe as possible is one thing, but considering how variable work can be from day to day on a film set, especially for a movie like The Matrix, which we can expect will be giving us some pretty visually intense action, those safety protocols are likely being put through their paces. How to keep everybody safe in a simple dialogue scene isn’t going to be the same for a motorcycle stunt or something that has Keanu Reeves hanging from wires.
However, while safety might sometimes be more complicated on the set, Keanu Reeves says that it’s all being handled well and the creative problem solving that might be necessary on a production with no money is being used just as well to figure out how to get the necessary work done, but in a way that doesn’t put people unnecessarily at risk.
Originally set to release in May of 2021, The Matrix 4, which one assumes will get a subtitle at some point, is now set to release in April of 2022 due to the production delay as well as the need to shuffle other movies around. Godzilla Vs. Kong will now open on the film’s previous May date.
–Dirk Libbey
Cinemablend.com
Keanu Reeves is the principal behind ARCH motorcycles, and I hope to see one of Gard’s creations tearing up the screen in the next Matrix movie. Never did understand those movies…–Bandit
MEETING OF THE MINDS UPDATE–We’ve gotten a lot of questions of late following continued shutdown of some events, while others continue to operate in some capacity or other.
Indeed, some events have only very recently been cancelled, but we continue to share updates concerning registration for Meeting of the Minds, because Meeting of the Minds is not just a gathering of motorcyclists from around the Country (and sometimes the world) – it’s the Legislative Agenda setting meeting to determine on what our organization focuses and prioritizes for the next year as well as an information sharing event that regularly sparks prevention and action in our shared movement towards that lofty goal of FREEDOM.
With the state of social issues and unrest in our country, those very freedoms are being challenged daily. While now may or may not be the time for action, it’s always the time for vigilance.
While we fully realize that all of you are individuals, with your own specific concerns related to what’s going on with the Pandemic and would never second guess a personal decision (especially one related to your own health and wellbeing), I wanted to share with you a response that Fred Harrell, the Meeting of the Minds Conference Coordinator, just shared in response to a question about the state of the event. Please forward the attached email to your SSMRO leadership and membership in the hope that it may make them feel more confident or at least informed.
–Doc
Thank you for your question regarding the Meeting of the Minds Conference.
Unless there is a shutdown of events in Indiana, the 2020 Meeting of the Minds is still scheduled to take place on September 24-27, 2020.
However, with direction from the CDC, State of Indiana, Marion County, Indiana, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, ABATE of Indiana and the Waterfront Hotel will take every precaution to ensure that face masks and hand sanitizer are readily available for Meeting of the Minds Conference attendees. Additionally, workshop areas will be sanitized between each workshop session.
We understand that these are trying and uncertain times. However, I wrote the COVID-19 compliance policy for my employer – Red Rock Harley-Davidson, I have reviewed the State of Indiana’s COVID-19 guidelines, discussed safety procedures with ABATE of Indiana and the Waterfront Hotel and feel confident that we are taking the safety and wellbeing of MOTM 2020 attendees seriously.
Beyond our efforts to be pro-active, I will not make promises that I cannot keep. I will assure you that mask/facial coverings will be available for all attendees. I cannot tell you that everyone will wear them anymore than I can tell you that everyone will use the hand sanitizer we make available to attendees. Neither can I tell you that the wearing of face masks will be mandatory. Currently, wearing of face masks is an individual choice in Indiana.
I hope I have answered your question. If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you and I hope to see you at the Meeting of the Minds Conference.
–Fredric Harrell
Director, Conferences & Events
Motorcycle Riders Foundation
The Countdown is on for the Milwaukee Rally 2020!—
Another Rally is on…Here’s the agenda.
Milwaukee Harley-Davidson
DAY 1 – THURSDAY, SEPT 3RD
4:00 PM – BARS OPEN
4:00 PM – FANTASTIC EATS
7:00 PM – TAKE IT EASY (EAGLES TRIBUTE)
DAY 2 – FRIDAY, SEPT 4TH
LIVE MUSIC ALL DAY
11:00 AM – SHUT THE FRONT
DOOR
3:00 PM – SMART MOUTH
7:00 PM – THE NOW
DAY 3 – SATURDAY, SEPT 5TH
LIVE MUSIC ALL DAY
11:00 AM – SWEET DIEZEL
JENKINS
3:00 PM – BOOMER NATION
7:00 PM – JASMINE CAIN
DAY 4 – SUNDAY, SEPT 6TH
LIVE MUSIC ALL DAY
9:00 AM – DEALERSHIP OPENS
11:00 AM – MORNING DANCE
PARTY
5:00 PM – VINTAGE VEGAS
FT. BOBBY WAY
WEST BEND HARLEY-DAVIDSON
DAY 1 – THURSDAY, SEPT 3RD
5:00 PM – BARS OPEN
5:00 PM – FANTASTIC EATS
5:00 PM – TEN FEET TALL – ROCK
DAY 2 – FRIDAY, SEPT 4TH
LIVE MUSIC ALL DAY
10:00 AM – RICKY ORTA JR
1:00 PM – BOOMER NATION
5:00 PM – JASMINE CAIN
DAY 3 – SATURDAY, SEPT 5TH
LIVE MUSIC ALL DAY
11:00 AM – THE ITCH
3:00 PM – SIX PACK SAMMY
7:00 PM – GIMME SKYNYRD
DAY 4 – SUNDAY, SEPT 6TH
LIVE MUSIC ALL DAY
9:00 AM – DEALERSHIP OPENS
9:00 AM – MORNING DANCE PARTY
3:00 PM – KILROY
BE THERE, BE THERE, BE THERE
No ticket purchase necessary for live music. Come out and have some fun!
Fox River Harley-Davidson® | (630) 584-8000 | FoxRiverHD.com
INDIAN MOTORCYCLE RETURNS TO THE HILL WITH FTR750 FOR AMA PRO HILLCLIMB SERIES–
After More Than 80 Years Away From the Sport, Indian Motorcycle Returns to its Hill-Climbing Roots;
Enlists 10-Time AMA Pro Hillclimb Champion John Koester to Pilot FTR750 Hillclimb Race Bike
Indian Motorcycle, America’s First Motorcycle Company, today announced its participation in the upcoming AMA Pro Hillclimb Racing series, marking a return to a sport it once dominated more than 80 years ago.
Indian Motorcycle enters the 2020 series’ new Twins class armed with a modified Indian FTR750 hill climber, piloted by the company’s newest factory rider and 10-time AMA Pro Hillclimb Champion John “Flying” Koester. Regarded as one of the sport’s top riders, Koester was the first U.S. racer to win all three National AMA Pro Hillclimb titles in a single season.
“It’s an absolute honor to represent Indian Motorcycle as it makes its dramatic return to hillclimb racing on the same machine that literally changed the game for flat-track racing over the past four years,” said Koester. “We’re excited to unleash the FTR750 on the hill, with our minds firmly fixed on the ultimate goal of capturing a championship.”
Koester, along with his father and crew chief Gordy Koester, spearheaded the dramatic transformation of the FTR750 from a flat track race bike to a full-fledged hill shredder. Modifications include an extended swingarm, knobby tires, redesigned rear tail, and an upgraded Rekluse clutch to account for the increased clutch use demanded by hillclimb racing. The team also worked with S&S to design an exhaust system specific to Koester and his riding position.
“When we created the new Twins class, our intention was to attract leading OEMs like Indian Motorcycle to return to this uniquely challenging and exciting form of racing, and we couldn’t be more excited to now welcome Indian Motorcycle back to the hill for the first time in more than 80 years,” said Rob Redmann, Director of AMA Pro Hillclimb. “There is nothing like Hillclimb racing – fast, quick and exciting. We believe brands such as Indian Motorcycle will dramatically impact our ability to draw more fans and help grow this incredible sport.”
Since 1901, racing has been a part of the Indian Motorcycle DNA. Founders George Hendee and Oscar Hedstrom met at a bicycle race, and maintained their passion for speed and competition when developing the brand in its infancy. Today, Indian Motorcycle has honored its forefathers by continuing the brand’s racing prowess through various forms of racing, including flat track, landspeed, bagger racing at the upcoming, inaugural MotoAmerica King of the Baggers event, and now hillclimb.
“We are always looking for exciting and unique opportunities not only to compete, but to also demonstrate the prowess of our engineering and design teams and the capabilities of the incredible motorcycles we develop,” said Gary Gray, Vice President Racing, Service and Technology for Indian Motorcycle. “We’re not only fans of hillclimb racing, but with our brand’s history in the sport, it was a no-brainer that we’d make our return after all these years.”
QUICK, OPEN THE BANDIT’S CANTINA BAD JOKE LIBRARY— “Mr. Smith, I have reviewed this case very carefully,” the divorce court judge said, “and I’ve decided to give your wife $350 a week.”
“That’s very fair, your honor,” the now divorced husband said. “And every now and then I’ll try to send her a few bucks myself.”
–Sam Burns
Official Librarian
Bandit’s Cantina
Bad Joke Library
WORLD RIDER TV REPORT–
How are you feeling? I hope that things are starting to look a little more normal. Let me know. I continue to connect with people all over the world on my weekly Journeys Webcast. This Monday, August 17th, I bring Michnus & Elsebie Olivier to the Livestream. From South Africa, they’ve been traveling the world for the last ten years on a pair of Suzuki motorcycles. But for the last five months, they’ve been stuck in the colonial city of Sucre Bolivia.
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Our conversation will cover topics such as lessons from the road, how a six-month trip turned into a ten-year adventure, and the importance of slowing down and taking time to experience new places and people.
The webcast is free and will Livestream on Monday, August 17th, at 3 PM PST/6 PM EST. Nothing for sale. Just a great conversation and connection that gives us all a break from the insanity of news, protests, doomsday scenarios, and fear. To be sure, this journey is about hope, kindness, possibilities, and finding reasons to smile and laugh! If you haven’t watched any of my webcasts live, you’ll need to register to get a link for the room. It’s easy, just go here: register.journeyswebcast.com
I started the Journeys Webcast in April while under quarantine, sequestered, and locked down as a way to connect with people I’ve met all over the world. This week is a special episode as Steve Farber, who is a friend and fellow keynote speaker, will be streaming live with us from San Diego. We live only 20 miles apart, but in these strange times, we’ll be sharing a glass of wine and our conversation remotely instead of face to face.
REGISTER NOW, IT’S FREE: http://register.journeyswebcast.com
My idea started as a whim. Simply do a weekly live stream event where travelers, entrepreneurs, vintners, chefs, musicians, authors, speakers, and ordinary people living extraordinary lives come together for an hour of storytelling, inspiration, idea-sharing, and connection.
This is our 17th Livestream of the Journeys Webcast—they keep getting better. If you haven’t attended one yet, tune in tomorrow afternoon and see what everyone is talking about. Attendees interact with my guests via a live chat and ask questions of my guest and each other. This interaction with those watching our Livestream, adds to the fun and color of each episode. So please join us tomorrow. I would love to see you!
The first fifteen episodes of JOURNEYS brought guests from South Africa, Ecuador, Uruguay, Turkey, Mexico, Croatia, Romania, LA, Georgia, and Greece. And if you missed either of them, here are links to the YouTube replays. They’re entertaining, and you’ll enjoy watching. Be sure to like and comment if you can.
#1 Ronnie Borragerio—100 Countries. 100,000 Miles—South Africa
#2 Jeremy Kroeker & Elle West—Stuck & Quarantined In Uruguay
#3 Dr. Jeff Salz—Finding Adventure In Everything You Do—Ecuador
#4 Ryan Pyle—Future Realities for Travelers & Adventurers—Turkey
#5 Jerry D’Alessandro—From Rockstar to Holly TV & Travel Producer—Mexico
#6 Ashley Colburn—Emmy Winning TV Host & Croatian Singing Star—Croatia
#7 Oliver Bauer—They Thought He Was Crazy Moving From Germany to Romania—Romania
#8 Leon Logothetis (Kindness Diaries)—The Kindness Activist—Los Angeles
#9 Panos Kyriazis—A Greek Love Story. A Tiny Village to The Best Wine Bar—Greece
#10 Andro Barnovi—From Minister of Defense, Chief of Staff, Governor to Winemaker—Georgia
#11 Rudy Maxa—Future of Travel & Tourism Spinning Out of Control—USA
#12 Jo Rust—Beating Depression & Anxiety—The First Woman To Motorcycle Africa Solo
#13 Jack Maxwell—Booze Traveler Host On Cancer, Cannabis and Journey From Shining Shoes to World Traveling TV Host
#14 Sigtyggur Baldursson—Sugarcubes Drummer on Fishballs, Music, Iceland, and Calypso
#15 You Are My Guest — Stuck In Brazil, A Garden In Peru, Short Ribs in a Hurricane
#16 Steve Farber — Why Love Is Just Damn Good Business
In the meantime, I wish you, your family, and your close friends a safe journey through these challenging times. There is light, and there is hope, and together we can enjoy the journey. Please share this link with friends who you think would enjoy receiving updates on our weekly webcasts.
–Allan Karl
Host of Journeys Webcast & WorldRider.tv
May I ask you a favor? Please subscribe to my YouTube Channel. I’m on a “Journey” to get 1,000 subscribers, so YouTube recognizes me as a partner and will highlight my channel more often.
www.journeyswebcast.com where the replays are all available.
NAMZ WIRING EXTENSIONS--We are the Industry Standard!
When it comes to wiring extensions, NAMZ is the number #1 source in the world! That’s right, NAMZ produces about 95% of all wiring extensions sold across the globe. We also private label manufacture all types of specialized handlebar wiring extensions in all sorts of customer specified configurations. How did we dot it? It’s simple, we work really hard, have a terrific bunch of employees and own the very best, high volume harness process machines produced.
“The key is the processing equipment. We only invest in the very best, Swiss, German and American made, military-spec equipment so we can be as consistent as possible”, says NAMZ President and Founder, Jeff Zielinski. “We reduce as much of the human error elements as physically possible to prevent mistakes and reduce the pressure on our employees.
We offer speedometer extensions for all models dating back to the mid-90’s to current. Making installation simple, we install the terminals on both ends of our extensions making your life easier. And soon, we will be releasing 100% plug-n-play speedometer extensions, with an OEM female connector installed and a custom made, mating male connector! That’s right, we tooled up and made the male mating connector with wire seal and custom designed crimp terminals. No matter what you chose, NAMZ has the extensions you’ll ever need!
Find our ALL of our Extensions right here!
NEWS FROM THE HAWAIIAN CHOPPER RALLY— Built from Scratch
Checkout the Jack Daniel’s Chopper Bicycle fabricated by 808 Kustom Cycles, LLC Designed by Javen. These Kustom Chopper BIKE’s are a design build. Now taking orders, if you would like a Kustom Chopper Bicycle of your own visit www.hawaiimotorcyclerally.com.
TEXAS WEATHER REPORT— Went for a pre 9:00 am “online still” church ride, turned into 188.8 miles, so I guess I rode to Austin kinda, sorta.
I went down FM 1227 were the old abandoned Navasota drag strip is, I discovered it a few years ago back when I had the Roadglide. Not much left now, I couldn’t see the tower for the trees, I met the owner the first trip, nice guy.
Bitch neighbor complained about the noise. One of the Texas prisons is also off the same road, so anytime I go down it, I try to do it at speeds that can be heard!
Thankful I’ve never been in one, and it’s not my place to judge those who are. I also got to wondering how many miles I’ve ridden in my life, since I began legally in ‘75 and decided the answer is…not enough!
Then playing on some twisty turns I pondered on the number of folks that I’ve ridden or would ride handlebar to handlebar with? That’s a select few I have that type of trust in. Especially when you’re doing them turns!
Realized also that fancy metal thing over the air cleaner is reducing the air flow, so either it’s going away or I’ll put the one from the Road Glide on it? RG was back to all OEM components before we parted ways. So I’ve got an almost new V&H black Pro Pipe (they replaced the first one, excellent customer service) and a set of smoked add on stop/run/turn bag lights and the V&H straights that we’re on the Dyna. I need another 2015 Road Glide?
We’re already in the “feels like” 111 degrees, thankfully should cool down some after today to just regular Texas heat.
–RFR
[page break]
IT AIN’T STURGIS, BUT–
I went out to take a look. Nothing else to do around here. It ain’t Sturgis or anywhere near the rally, but a freeway ride and a cruze to California Harley-Davidson works for now.
They had a party and a bike wash. I took care of some business and was out of there before the crowd arrived. Here are a couple of photos they sent me of the Belle, a couple of shop vixens and I.
You folks be safe coming back from Sturgis. Your un-official correspondent in South Bay California.
–Gearhead
Unofficial, Official Correspondent
Bikernet.com™
NEWS FROM THE CONTROL FREAK STATE--California says its climate policies are needed to prevent heat-related illness and death.
But by trying to rely on unreliable renewables, and by shutting down both natural gas and nuclear plants, California yesterday had to cut off power — and thus air conditioning — for millions of people during a heatwave, thereby risking an increase in heat-related illness and death.
Below is my latest column for Forbes — please share!
–Michael
Why California’s Climate Policies Are Causing Electricity BlackoutsFires, Gov. Newsom, and Covid patient
Millions of Californians were denied electrical power and thus air conditioning during a heatwave, raising the risk of heatstroke and death, particularly among the elderly and sick.
The blackouts come at a time when people, particularly the elderly, are forced to remain indoors due to Covid-19.
At first, the state’s electrical grid operator last night asked customers to voluntarily reduce electricity use. But after power reserves fell to dangerous levels it declared a “Stage 3 emergency” cutting off power to people across the state at 6:30 pm.
The immediate reason for the black-outs was the failure of a 500-megawatt power plant and an out-of-service 750-megawatt unit not being available. “There is nothing nefarious going on here,” said a spokeswoman for California Independent System Operator (CAISO). “We are just trying to run the grid.”
But the underlying reasons that California is experiencing rolling black-outs for the second time in less than a year stem from the state’s climate policies, which California policymakers have justified as necessary to prevent deaths from heatwaves.
In October, Pacific Gas and Electric cut off power to homes across California to avoid starting forest fires. The utility and California’s leaders had over the previous decade diverted billions meant for grid maintenance to renewables.
And yesterday, California had to impose rolling blackouts because it had failed to maintain sufficient reliable power from natural gas and nuclear plants, or pay in advance for enough guaranteed electricity imports from other states.
It may be that California’s utilities and their regulator, the California Public Utilities Commission, which is also controlled by Gov. Newsom, didn’t want to spend the extra money to guarantee the additional electricity out of fears of raising California’s electricity prices even more than they had already raised them.
California saw its electricity prices rise six times more than the rest of the United States from 2011 to 2019, due to its huge expansion of renewables. Republicans in the U.S. Congress have pointed to that massive increase to challenge justifications by Democrats to spend $2 trillion on renewables in the name of climate change.
Even though the cost of solar panels declined dramatically between 2011 and 2019, their unreliable and weather-dependent nature meant that they imposed large new costs in the form of storage and transmission to keep electricity as reliable. California’s solar panels and farms were all turning off as the blackouts began, with no help available from the states to the East already in nightfall.
Electricity from solar goes away at the very moment when the demand for electricity rises. “The peak demand was steady in late hours,” said the spokesperson for CAISO, which is controlled by Gov. Gavin Newsom, “and we had thousands of megawatts of solar reducing their output as the sunset.”
The two blackouts in less than a year are thus strong evidence that the tens of billions that Californians have spent on renewables come with high human, economic, and environmental costs.
California’s anti-nuclear policies also contributed to the blackouts. In 2013, Gov. Jerry Brown forced a nuclear power plant, San Onofre, in southern California to close. Had that plant still been operating, there almost certainly would not have been blackouts on Friday as the reserve margin would have been significantly larger. The capacity of San Onofre was double that of the lost generation capacity that triggered the blackout.
California’s current and former large nuclear plants are located on the coast, which allows for their electricity to travel shorter distances, and through less-constrained transmission lines than the state’s industrial solar farms, to get to the coastal cities where electricity is in highest demand.
There has been very little electricity from wind during the summer heatwave in California and the broader western U.S., further driving up demand. In fact, the same weather pattern, a stable high-pressure bubble, is the cause of heatwaves, since it brought very low wind for days on end along with very high temperatures.
Things won’t be any better, and may be worse, in the winter, which produces far less solar electricity than the summer. Solar plus storage, an expensive attempt to fix problems like what led to this blackout, cannot help through long winters of low output.
California’s electricity prices will continue to rise if it continues to add more renewables to its grid, and goes forward with plans to shut down its last nuclear plant, Diablo Canyon, in 2025.
To manage the increasingly unreliable grid, California will either need to keep its nuclear plant operating, build more natural gas plants, or pay ever more money annually to reserve emergency electricity supplies from its neighbors.
After the blackouts last October, Gov. Newsom attacked PG&E Corp. for “greed and mismanagement” and named a top aide, Ana Matosantos, to be his “energy czar.”
“This is not the new normal, and this does not take 10 years to solve,” Newsom said. “The entire system needs to be reimagined.”
Michael Shellenberger is a Time Magazine “Hero of the Environment,” and president of Environmental Progress, an independent research and policy organization. He is the author of Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All. Follow him on Twitter @ShellenbergerMD.
Michael Shellenberger
President, Environmental Progress
2569 Telegraph Avenue,
Berkeley, CA 94704
BANDIT’S CANTINA BAD JOKE LIBRARY IS WIDE OPEN– HARD WORK…
Every morning, the CEO of a large bank in Manhattan walks to the corner where a shoe-shine is always located.
He sits on the couch, examines the Wall Street Journal, and the shoe-shine gives his shoes a shiny, excellent look.
One morning the shoeshine asks the Executive Director:
– What do you think about the situation in the stock market?
The Director asks in turn arrogantly:
– Why are you so interested in that – that topic?
“I have a million dollars in your bank,” the shoeshine says, “and I’m considering investing some of the money in the capital market.”
– What’s your name? –Asks the Director.
– John Smith H.
The Director arrives at the bank and asks the Manager of the Customer Department:
– Do we have a client named John Smith H.?
– Certainly –answers the Customer Service Manager–, he is a highly esteemed customer. He has a million dollars in his account.
The Director comes out, approaches the shoeshine, and says:
– Mr. Smith, I ask you this coming Monday to be the guest of honor at our board meeting and tell us the story of your life. I am sure we will have something to learn from you.
At the board meeting, the Executive Director introduces him to the board members:
– We all know Mr. Smith, who makes our shoes shine in the corner; But Mr. Smith is also our esteemed customer with a million dollars in his account. I invited him to tell us the story of his life. I am sure we can learn from him.
Mr. Smith began his story:
– I came to this country fifty years ago as a young immigrant from Europe with an unpronounceable name. I got off the ship without a penny. The first thing I did was change my name to Smith. I was hungry and exhausted. I started wandering around looking for a job but to no avail. Suddenly I found a coin on the sidewalk. I bought an apple. I had two options: eat the apple and quench my hunger or start a business. I sold the apple for two dollars and bought two apples with the money. I also sold them and continued in business. When I started accumulating dollars, I was able to buy a set of used brushes and shoe polish and started polishing shoes. I didn’t spend a penny on entertainment or clothing, I just bought bread and some cheese to survive. I saved penny by penny and after a while, I bought a new set of shoe brushes and ointments in different shades and expanded my clientele.
I lived like a monk and saved penny by penny. After a while I was able to buy an armchair so that my clients could sit comfortably while cleaning their shoes, and that brought me more clients. I did not spend a penny on the joys of life. I kept saving every penny.
A few years ago, when the previous shoe-shine on the corner decided to retire, I had already saved enough money to buy his shoeshine location at this great place.
Finally, three months ago, my sister, who was a whore in Chicago, passed away and left me a million dollars.
–from El Waggs
BIKERNET UNIVERSITY ENGLISH DEPARTMENT VOCABULARY LESSON OF THE WEEK–
vicarious
[ vahy-kair-ee-uhs, vi- ]
Adjective
WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF VICARIOUS?
The adjective vicarious comes from the Latin adjective and noun vicarius “substituting, taking the place of another; one who takes over for or from another, a replacement or successor.”
Vicarius is formed from the noun vicis (a genitive singular—the nominative singular does not occur) “a recurring occasion, a turn; an interchange or alternation,” and the adjective suffix –arius, completely naturalized in English as –ary. Vicarius regularly becomes vicaire, vicar(e) in Old French, and vicar(e), vicair(e) in Middle English, with many meanings, including “one delegated with apostolic authority, such as a priest or the pope; a priest appointed to a parish in place of the regular priest or parson.” Vicarious entered English in the 17th century.
HOW IS VICARIOUS USED?
Laying a sleeping bag on the hard metal floor of a rail car as it rumbles down the tracks is not for those accustomed to creature comforts. Yet his photographs of this life-on-the-edge experience illicit a vicarious thrill.
ALEXA KEEFE, “NOT YOUR TYPICAL TRAVELOGUE: A PHOTOGRAPHER’S TRAIN-HOPPING ADVENTURES,” NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, SEPTEMBER 28, 2015
Track and field are some of the most exciting events in the Olympic Games, but after the weeks of hype, the events themselves are so short … that it seems like they’re over before a casual fan has time to get a vicarious adrenaline rush.
ELSPETH REEVE, “GET TO KNOW THE U.S. OLYMPIC TRACK AND FIELD TEAM THROUGH GIFS,” THE ATLANTIC, JULY 24, 2012
felt or enjoyed through imagined participation in the experience of others: a vicarious thrill.
LIFESTYLE CYCLES DEAL OF THE WEEK–2017 Harley-Davidson FXDLS – Low Rider S for $18,995.00
See it here: https://www.lifestylecycles.com/default.asp?page=xPreOwnedInventoryDetail&id=9230479
This bike is a great looking Dyna with low miles the Magnum Gold rims set off the Brown seat
ONLY 5851.00 Miles !!!!!
2017 Vivid Black Harley-Davidson DYNA LOW RIDER (S) Screaming Eagle Twin Cam 110
Some of the features/Add-on’s on this bike
* Screaming Eagle® Twin Cam 110
* 6-speed
* Blacked-out, Shotgun 2-1-2 collector exhaust with dual mufflers
* Front brakes: Single disc. ABS, 4-piston fixed.
Rear brakes : Single disc. ABS, 2-piston torque-free floating
* Speedo and tachometer mounted in a wrinkle black console mounted on the tank with a black trim ring,
High beam, directional light bar, neutral, low oil pressure, engine diagnostics, turn signals, security system(optional), 6-speed, low fuel warnings
* Wheels: Magnum Gold, Split 5-Spoke Cast Aluminum Front tire:100/90-B19
Rear tire: 160/70-B17
This bike has passed Lifestyle Cycles rigorous 101 point safety and mechanical inspection. Whether your looking to commute to work, ride the coast or take that dream vacation, this bike is ready to go!!!
*******************90 day/1000 mile in house limited warranty!****************************************
EZ FINANCING-SHIPPING AVAILABLE!!!
Fill out an online application and ride today!!!
**Open 7 days a week**
***90 day/1000 mile in house limited warranty!
Just $18,995.00 at Lifestyle Cycles (714) 490-0155
THERE ARE STILL SOME CLASS MAGAZINES AROUND-– TRJ #84: A First Look
This summer has been a whirlwind. As the global pandemic continues, we are excited to announce that Rodder’s Journal #84 is at the printer in the final stages of production. Of all the issues we’ve published, this one is without question one of our favorites.
Our feature cars span the traditional hot rod and custom spectrum, ranging from Norm Grabowski’s restored “Kookie Kar” to Barry Lobeck’s flamed ’40 Ford coupe wearing its original lacquer from the “Street is Neat” era.
There’s the Panella Trucking Willys Gasser and a hot rod F-100 pickup built by a talented high schooler. In addition to the cars, we have our first-ever custom upholstery scrapbook that showcases veteran Texas trimmer Vernon McKean, a Missouri hot rodding retrospective with Bob Rothenberg, a tour of Mercury Charlie’s shop, and a colorful profile on surf artist Eddy Y. It’s a carefully curated mix, and we’d like to think it’s a great escape from all that’s happening in the world today.
We’ll have a more detailed look down the line, but we figured we would kick off the week with a glimpse inside TRJ #84. To subscribe or renew, click here, or give us a call at (800) 750-9550 in North America or (804) 496-6906 internationally.
Cheers!
Your Friends at The Rodder’s Journal
YOUR VOICE, YOUR CHOICE: Our Nation’s Leadership is Counting on You to Register to Vote!
Campaign season has taken on a unique look this year. Not even the presidential election has been able to escape the winds of change. As the nation copes, those running for public office have been forced to connect with voters remotely by holding virtual events instead of traditional in-person appearances. What began with more than a dozen candidates has been narrowed to two: incumbent President Donald Trump, the Republican, and former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee. Not only will Americans choose the nation’s next president, but voters will also elect all 435 members of the U.S. House, 35 U.S. senators, 13 governors and thousands of state and local leaders too. With the finish line on the horizon, there is no better time to prepare for and fulfill our civic duty as Americans.
Voter Information
Election day will be here quickly. Regardless of circumstances impacting the polls on November 3, options are available to vote early or by absentee ballot. The Voter Information tool at semaSAN.com/SEMAvotes provides you with information on your state’s voting dates and deadlines. In advance, find out if your state and federal representatives are affiliated with the hobby-friendly, SAN-supported caucuses at semaSAN.com/StateCaucus and semaSAN.com/FederalCaucus. Locate your elected officials under the “Legislators” tab at semaSAN.com.
Why wait? Take action today by planning to vote! On behalf of our beloved hobby, take part in our democracy and make your voice heard in November’s election.
NEWS FROM THE TWISTED ROAD– So you’ve booked that beautiful Panigale for a week on the West Coast, your airplane ticket is paid for, and now you just need to get your gear from wherever here is, to there. This takes some simple planning, and—unless you want checked bag fees—a willingness to play pack mule.
I have both the pleasure and the pain of a nine-to-five that requires very frequent travel, usually domestically, and sometimes abroad. The pleasure part usually involves turning my free time on these business trips into motorcycle adventures.
I’ve ridden a ZX-6R down the PCH, been a hooligan through parts of Chicago I shouldn’t have on a Scrambler 803, experienced the worst rain ever in Manchester, UK on a Street Triple RS, and ridden coast to coast twice in Scotland on BMWs. For each of these trips, I’ve utilized the same method of getting my gear to and fro, and truth be told it’s not too challenging.
My first recommendation is to invest in a good duffel, preferably one designed to take a beating. I opted for the ritzy Velomacchi Speedway Duffel and haven’t regretted it, but there are a lot of options out there; peruse the luggage section of any motorcycle gear website. For shorter trips you may be able to get away with a larger backpack.
If you’re bringing a duffel, make sure you have a way to tie it down to a bike, and test it at home first. Don’t wait until you’re picking up the bike to figure it out. (Trust me, you’ll thank yourself for that!) Now, you can pack all your clothes and essentials in a roller if you want, but make sure you’ve already arranged for bike pickup and drop-off that doesn’t require strapping the thing to the bike.
What you’ll likely discover as you’re packing your gear is not all of it will fit in just your duffel or backpack, or even a duffel and backpack. Helmets take up a lot of space, as do jackets. Airlines will allow you to carry your helmet onboard as a second bag, and sometimes they’ll let it go as a third. Flight attendants and gate agents seem to understand this is not a thing you want to risk checking. Most airline policies regarding this state only two carry-ons. I do not endorse breaking this policy, do so at your own risk; I can only speak to my experiences.
Consider wearing your jacket to save space in the bags, and store it in the overhead bin. Take the armor out of your jacket and pants to consolidate space in the bags. Moto-specific pants don’t take up too much more space than normal pants, and gloves are small and easily accommodated.
Last thing to consider is the weather at your destination; I’ve worn a 3-season suit through Heathrow because I was going to be gone for 10 days and underestimated my luggage space. It wasn’t comfortable, but it is allowed. Just be prepared to answer a lot of questions and get a lot of stares.
This is clearly not exhaustive, but it should provide a good starter guide. No two people pack the same, you’ll find what works for you, and what doesn’t.
–from the Twisted Road Team
KEEP THE BANDIT’S CANTINA BAD JOKE LIBRARY OPEN AND MASK FREE-– Good-bye Grandpa
A father put his 3-year old daughter to bed, told her a story and listened to her prayers which ended by saying, “God bless Mommy, God bless Daddy, God bless Grandma and good-bye Grandpa.”
The father asked, ‘Why did you say good-bye Grandpa?’
The little girl said, “I don’t know daddy, it just seemed like the thing to do.”
The next day grandpa died. The father thought it was a strange coincidence.
A few months later the father put the girl to bed and listened to her prayers which went like this, “God bless Mommy, God Bless Daddy and good-bye Grandma.”
The next day the grandmother died.
“Holy crap” thought the father, “this kid is in contact with the other side.”
Several weeks later when the girl was going to bed the dad heard her say, “God bless Mommy and good-bye Daddy.”
He practically went into shock. He couldn’t sleep all night and got up at the crack of dawn to go to his office. He was nervous as a cat all day, had lunch and watched the clock. He figured if he could get by until midnight he would be okay. He felt safe in the office, so instead of going home at the end of the day he stayed there, drinking coffee, looking at his watch and jumping at every sound. Finally midnight arrived; he breathed a sigh of relief and went home.
When he got home his wife said, “I’ve never seen you work so late. What’s the matter?”
He said, “I don’t want to talk about it, I’ve just spent the worst day of my life.”
She said, “You think you had a bad day, you’ll never believe what happened to me. This morning my golf pro dropped dead in the middle of my lesson!”
–EL WAGGS
Senior Joke Investigator
Bandit’s Cantina
Bad Joke Library
URGENT: TELL THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR TO SPEND MONEY APPROPRIATED BY CONGRESS TO SAVE THE BONNEVILLE SALT FLATS
DON’T DELAY! Please urge the Secretary of the Interior to allocate the Restore Bonneville program funds as directed by Congress:
Overview: The U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the Utah Department of Natural Resources agreed in April 2020 to create a “Restore Bonneville” program. The U.S. Congress has appropriated money in the BLM’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget to start the program. However, the U.S. Department of the Interior has not released the funds which are subject to a Sept. 30, 2020 deadline. Please urge the Secretary of the Interior to allocate the Restore Bonneville funds as directed by Congress.
The once 13-mile racetrack at Bonneville is now less than 8 miles due to salt erosion. The Restore Bonneville program will help protect the historic venue by increasing the volume of salt being pumped onto Bonneville to over 1 million tons a year. This will be accomplished by upgrading the infrastructure currently used to pump around 300,000 tons a year. The land-speed racing community has worked with lawmakers, regulators, and the potash mine owner to create the program.
MORE PIPE OPTIONS FROM PAUGHCO– BUILD YOUR OWN PIPE SETS
$270.95
Starting at $24/mo with Affirm. Prequalify now
Build Your Own Pipe Sets
The ‘Build Your Own Pipe’ program features comprehensive kits that include everything you need to fabricate your own 1¾”-diameter custom exhaust system. Drawing on their many years of experience, the guys in the Paughco pipe bending shop came up with these combinations of tubing sections for each engine type. The Shovelhead kit includes weld-on flanges for stock HD heads, and weld-on 3-bolt flanges for S.T.D. aftermarket cylinder heads. Evolution Big Twin and Sportster engines and Twin Cams.
NEWS FROM THE MASTER OF LIGHT–Artist David Uhl
We are home from Sturgis and are happy to report that we had a very successful trip. Many thanks to those who stopped in and supported David’s program!
We will begin shipping Sturgis commemorative pieces in the next week or so.
You can see those pieces on our website here:
https://www.uhlstudios.com/fine-art/collections/sturgis-commemorative/
We had a great time in Deadwood, reconnecting with many friends and adding several others to that list. The weather was beautiful and it was great to see so many smiling, happy faces!
Thanks again and have a great week!
–Greg Rhodes
International Sales Director
Uhl Studios
15801 W. Colfax Avenue
Golden, CO 80401
303-913-4840
IT’S NUTS I TELL YA—Life is crazy and the Covid hasn’t helped. This country has been through a great deal throughout history, and it will continue to survive and flourish. We may need to kick some ass along the way.
A brother contacted me about a typewriter for his daughter. She wants to write music. WTF? But of course, I’ll help.
We have a Girl of Bikernet coming shortly from Barry Green. Kaytie works for a dealership and bartends at a local bar. She’s all about riding and the lifestyle. Hang on!
I’m working with Danial James on some art for our Chinese whorehouse in Deadwood. It took into the 1980s before the control freaks shut down the last brothel in Deadwood.
Bill Wall made me this fantastic vest, while I still worked at Easyriders. After I left, I didn’t feel it would be cool to wear it. But now, it has a place of honor and history in the Deadwood joint.
Here’s the gang who helped haul the Peashooter into the Deadwood living room. That’s Dr. Hamster, Commander Edge and George, the boss.
Around the Corner Danial James touched up Adrian’s Softail. He might sell it, since we got him a beautiful 2015 Chieftain.
Jerry’s brother-in-law makes these used tire clocks. Jerry did the tile work in Deadwood and got me one for the shop. Tread is a tad low.
Never dull around here. We worked hard on republishing my first book, Prize Possession. I received my first batch of copies this week. Hopefully, they will be for sale shortly in the shop.
Hang on and continue to ride free, goddammit.
–Bandit
