SUNDAY POST UPDATE FOR SEPT. 19TH CANNONBALL FINAL WEEK

INDIAN RIDES AGAIN ACCORDING TO QUICK THROTTLE MAGAZINE–
Indian motorcycles were manufactured from 1901 to 1953 by a company in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, initially known as the Hendee Manufacturing Company, but which was renamed the Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company in 1928. During the 1910s Indian became the largest manufacturer of motorcycles in the world. Indian’s most popular models were the Scout, made from 1920 to 1946, and the Chief, made from 1922 to 1953.

The Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company went bankrupt in 1953. A number of successor organizations have perpetuated the name in subsequent years. In 1999 Indian was reborn in Gilroy, California and built bikes until late 2003 when it too filed bankruptcy.
In 2004 the remnants of the Indian Motorcycle company were purchased by Stellican Ltd. Production of the new generation of Indian motorcycles resumed in a new, state of the art plant in Kings Mountain, S.C. where the newly-formed Indian Motorcycle Company restarted the Indian motorcycle brand. On July 20, 2006, they began manufacturing Indian Chief motorcycles in limited numbers, with a focus on exclusivity rather than numbers, like a ‘luxury’ watch.

In July ’08 we brought you an article about the rebirth of the Indian Motorcycle. Our Northwest Editor likened it to a Phoenix, rising from the ashes. A couple of years and a few bank failures later, is the Indian Motorcycle once again going to be a vital piece of American history?
–From Quick Throttle Magazine

http://www.quickthrottle.com/Editions/SW/2008/July2008/Indian_Rides_Again.html 

ROLAND SANDS’ Café Sportster Product —The RSD line of Café Sportstser parts easily converts a late model Sportster into an aggressive yet comfortable café racer.

The new Café Gauge and Headlight Re-locator lowers your headlight and gauges to a more sleek position from the top handlebar clamp down to the front of the top triple clamp and lowers the stock headlight 2 inches. This allows for the use of any aftermarket risers or complete elimination of risers for use of the RSD Café 39mm Clip-Ons. Keep your warning/indicator light functionality with a LED unit sold separately.

The RSD Clip-Ons mount to the front forks, below the top triple clamp, for a low handlebar position. They utilize all stock wiring, so there is no cutting or soldering. The aluminum bars are dimple milled to allow for stock wiring to cleanly exit your stock switch housings.

The Coil Ignition Re-locator bolts directly to the cylinder heads of the bike and moves the stock ignition coil and ignition switch from under the neck of the bike to between the V of the engine on the left hand side. This allows for complete removal of stock plastic wire caddy and exposes the frame of your bike above the front cylinder.

These components are the easiest way to get the Café look out of your Sporty while retaining all the function and reliability of the OEM wiring, headlight, speedometer, coil and ignition.

For part numbers and additional product information, please contact your nearest Drag Specialties Dealer. For media information and high-resolution images, please contact summer@rolandsands.com .

AUSTRALIAN Gang legislation could be tested in 2010– Legislation in the Australian state of New South Wales, the country’s biggest state, targeting alleged criminal groups such as motorcycle clubs and their members could be tested by the High Court before the end of the year pending the outcome of a South Australian case. Using new laws introduced by NSW Parliament in 2009, the state’s police commissioner has applied to the NSW Supreme Court to declare the Hells Angels motorcycle club a criminal organisation.

The declaration would prevent the 46 members of the NSW chapter of the club from contacting each other by any means.

A breach would result in two years prison, a second breach extending the term to five years. In response to the move, Hells Angel member Derek Wainohu filed a writ in the High Court outlining 15 claims, including that the declaration is “invalid” and is “outside the legislative powers” of the state. When the matter first reached the Supreme Court in July, Justice Peter McClellan said he may be “wasting” his time pending the High Court outcome and adjourned the matter until September 27.

In the High Court in Sydney on Wednesday, Wainohu’s lawyer Mark Robinson sought that a date be set for a special one day hearing. “It would be preferable that at least a hearing date be allocated by this court so we can say to Justice McClellan that we now have a date in the High Court,” Mr Robinson said. “If there is a date his honour Justice McClellan might simply stay the proceedings. That would certainly be the application we would put before him in a couple of days when we are back before him.”

However, High Court Justice Dyson Heydon declined to set a date for the hearing, instead deciding to wait for judgement to be handed down in the High Court matter of Totani and the state of South Australia. Sandro Totani is one of eight members of the Finks Motorcycle Club in South Australia to have a control order imposed, effectively banning them from seeing each other. Totani has challenged the order in the High Court, arguing the orders are unconstitutional. The full bench of the High Court is currently reserved for judgment in the Totani matter.

“Until Totani is handed down it seems difficult for us to really say what’s going to happen in relation to these proceedings,” Solicitor General for NSW Michael Sexton, SC, said in Sydney’s High Court on Wednesday. The matter has been adjourned until October 7 for further directions.

“I’m not in a position to fix the matter for hearing but I think I can say that … if the State of South Australia versus Totani is handed down by December, these proceedings will be heard in December, that’s to say there is space available for them to be heard in December,” Justice Heydon said.

In the meantime, both parties agreed that 48 hours notice during working days must be served by the police commissioner of an intention to impose an interim control order on any one of the Hells Angels 46 NSW members.
–from Doc Robinson
Heavy Duty Magazine

INDONESIAN CAPITAL LIMITS MOTORCYCLE TRAFFIC–
City officials in Jakarta are mulling over schemes to limit the number of motorcycles allowed in certain areas during peak hours to help unsnarl the city’s acute traffic jams. The Indonesian Motorcycle Industry Association estimates there are about 35 million motorcycles in usable condition in the country, and in the capital city of 8.5 million people there are nearly one motorcycle for every person and growing by nearly a thousand new bikes every day.

This extraordinarily high number of motorcycles has exacerbated the city’s already awful traffic, especially during rush hour, and plans are in place to begin banning bikes from a number of main thoroughfares in this mostly Muslim nation after the holy holiday of Ramadan, requiring riders to continue their journeys by public transportation.

Motorcycle numbers have been increasing for six years throughout the country, driven by affluence and affordable credit schemes. Today, a new motorcycle can be purchased with an initial down payment of Rp 500,000 (US$50).

WEIRD NUDES–
An 18-year U.S. Marine Corps veteran and his female passenger were thrown from a motorcycle when they veered off the road near Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. According to newspaper reports, both sustained painful injuries due to total lack of safety gear; no helmet, no gloves, no boots…and no clothes!

The naked riders landed in a ditch, and the Marine was knocked unconscious and awoke to charges of DUI, reckless driving, driving without a license, license revoked, expired inspection, no insurance and no helmet. His passenger walked nearly a mile for help despite a broken arm and leg, but was only ticketed for failure to wear a helmet.

Apparently, riding in the buff is not a traffic offence in Onslow County as neither were charged with exhibitionism or failure to exhibit common sense.

The above reports came from the Coast to Coast Legislative Update from Bill Bish and AIM.

SEMA REPORT–Sema has kicked off a Power Sports Advisory Council, which includes Motorcycles. SEMA is all about their show in Vegas in October, which Bikernet may attend. The show is the second largest annual convention in Vegas. It’s a massive dealer show with attendance over 100,000. Here’s the ad for the Power Sports training sessions.

PLEASE DON’T PEE ON MY LEG AND TELL ME IT’S RAINING.” Absolutely No Profiling! Pause a moment, reflect back, and take the following multiple choice test. These events are actual events from history.. They really happened! Do you remember?

HERE’S THE TEST

1. 1968 Bobby Kennedy was shot and killed by:
a.. Superman
b. Jay Leno
c. Harry Potter
d. A Muslim male extremist between the ages of
17 and 40

2. In 1972 at the Munich Olympics, athletes were kidnapped and
massacred by :
a. Olga Corbett
b. Sitting Bull
c. Arnold Schwarzenegger
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

3. In 1979, the US embassy in Iran was taken over by:
a. Lost Norwegians
b. Elvis
c. A tour bus full of
80-year-old women
d . Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

4. During the 1980’s a number of Americans were kidnapped in
Lebanon by:
a. John Dillinger
b. The King of Sweden
c. The Boy
Scouts
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

5. In 1983, the US Marine barracks in Beirut was blown up by:
a. A pizza delivery boy
b. Pee Wee Herman
c. Geraldo
Rivera
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

6. In 1985 the cruise ship Achille Lauro was hijacked and a 70 year
old American passenger was murdered and thrown overboard in his
wheelchair by:
a. The Smurfs
b. Davey Jones
c. The Little Mermaid
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

7. In 1985 TWA flight 847 was hijacked at Athens , and a US Navy
diver trying to rescue passengers was murdered by:
a. Captain Kidd
b. Charles Lindberg
c. Mother Teresa
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

8. In 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed by:
a. Scooby Doo
b. The Tooth Fairy
c. The Sundance Kid
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

9. In 1993 the World Trade Center was bombed the first time by:
a. Richard Simmons
b. Grandma Moses
c. Michael Jordan
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

10. In 1998, the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed by:
a. Mr. Rogers
b. Hillary Clinton, to distract attention from
Wild Bill’s women problems
c. The World Wrestling Federation
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

11. On 9/11/01, four airliners were hijacked; two were used as
missiles to take out the World Trade Centers and of the remaining two,
one crashed into the US Pentagon and the other was diverted and crashed
by the passengers.
Thousands of people were killed by:
a. Bugs Bunny, Wiley E. Coyote, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd
b. The Supreme Court of Florida
c. Mr Bean
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

12. In 2002 the United States fought a war in Afghanistan against:
a. Enron
b. The Lutheran Church
c. The NFL
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

13. In 2002 reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by:
a. Bonnie and Clyde
b. Captain Kangaroo
c. Billy Graham
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

No, I really don’t see a pattern here to justify profiling, do you? So, to ensure we Americans never offend anyone, particularly fanatics intent on killing us, airport security screeners will no longer be
allowed to profile certain people. They must conduct random searches of 80-year-old women, little kids, airline pilots with proper identification, secret service agents who are members of the President’s security detail, 85-year old Congressmen with metal hips, and Medal of Honor winner and former Governor Joe Foss, but leave Muslim Males between the ages 17 and 40 alone lest they be guilty of profiling.

Foot note: Fort Hood Texas ……another Muslim 39 years old killed 13 people and wounded 30 some odd others… Does this fit the profile!

NOW OUR COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF IS TELLING EVERYONE THAT THE YOUNG MUSLIM THAT ATTEMPTED TO BLOW UP A NORTHWEST/DELTA JET AS IT APPROACHED DETROIT ON CHRISTMAS DAY WAS (QUOTE) “AN ISOLATED INCIDENT”.

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING

“PLEASE DON’T PEE ON MY LEG

AND TELL ME IT’S RAINING.”

NORWEGIAN SHOP CONNECTION–I saw this bike partially complete when I was in Norway July before last. Friends and I were riding around the country and stayed the night at the Boneshakers MC clubhouse on the west coast of Norway. It was awesome then.

You got see it now

www.berserker.no

–Rebel

MEMO FROM THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS–…does it look to you like I know anything about Fu&%!*# Hondas?!

Ride Free Forever,

Andreas
Midnight Express Motorcycle Co

SATURDAY NIGHT REPORT FROM THE MOTORCYCLE CANNONBALL–We still have 43 riders left..Matt Olsen and Bill Campbell are the only two who have dropped out. As we spoke to Bill Campbell from the side of the road, he said his engine had seized and he was done. Several of the guys have rebuilt their motors while on this trip. Who would have thought it was possible?

Hot Springs was the perfect place for a day off. Weather was humid and in the high 80s, but locals told us there was a cooling trend, since last week saw the temps in the triple digits.

Spirits are high as we stare down the next 2000 miles. A third of the way to California. Home for some of us. Half way home for some. Long way to go for many.

–Felicia Morgan
Cannonball Official and Official Photographer

SCOOTER SALES STILL DROPPING, BUT NOT AS LOW AS ANTICIPATED–An early spring had dealers hoping for a rebound in the scooter market, but it appears that the good weather merely slowed the rate of decline, according to research conducted by Power Products Marketing, a Minneapolis-based market research firm (download the full report here).

The industry is well through the scooter season and it’s becoming abundantly clear that 2010 is going to be a disappointing year for retail sales, at least for certain OEMs and distributors.

Sales for MIC-reporting brands were off 12 percent through June, although there are reports that sales picked up slightly through the summer. Distributor sales of non-traditional brands are off 20 percent. Sales in the early part of the year were being driven by rebates and special financing, and many leading distributors were forced to reduce MSRPs.

The hoped for rise in gas prices, at least if you were a scooter dealer, didn’t happen: Gas prices have hovered nearer to $3 than the $4 needed to spark a scooter-buying frenzy. Piaggio recently announced that its sales were down 75 percent in the first half of 2010, after overtaking Honda for second place in the scooter market in 2009.

The problem of non-current inventory for the non-traditional brands has worsened since the start of the 2009 season. Back then, distributors had over 100,000 units on hand, around 30 percent of 2008 sales. As we entered the 2010 season, distributors had an estimated 67,000 units, 37 percent of 2009 sales, in their warehouses. Three-thousand SYM scooters in the warehouse destroyed in the Carter Brothers fire may be an extreme example of the scale of the problem.

Still, scooter import numbers are significantly down from a year ago because few distributors need, or can afford, much new product. The issue is compounded by the failing of many dealerships and the unsold units either being returned to the distributor or liquidated at vast discounts.

Indeed, in 2009 it was difficult for distributors to get their imports through customs — but 2010 has been even more challenging. It seems an order to crack down on Chinese imports in particular has come from the highest levels in government and the result has been a rise in the number of issues with the increased enforcement of regulations by U.S. Customs and the Environmental Protection Agency. While it is good for the scooter market as a whole to force the disreputable out and ensure that only decent operations can flourish, it seems that most Chinese and even Taiwanese distributors are getting tarred by the same brush.

The 2009 year was an effective one for reducing the number of distributors involved in the market, and 2010 seems set to continue the trend. The market appears to be in the midst of a shakeout where those distributors who have OEM backing or sole rights to distribution are more likely to survive and the distributors who shop around each year for the best deals but can’t support their product are dwindling.

The days of small-scale operations — importing a couple of containers and retailing them at flea markets or by the side of the road — are being consigned to history; the scooter market is maturing. Parts support has been an important issue for Chinese and Taiwanese makes, and in these times when consumers are careful with their hard-earned dollars, the ability to receive service and parts support could mean the difference between a getting a sale or not.

In another year it’s going to be interesting to see how things have developed. Will Kawasaki enter the market by sourcing from KYMCO as they’re doing with ATVs and UTVs? How many of the current Chinese and Taiwanese distributors will have survived and grown stronger as their competition falls by the wayside? Will electrics finally have lived up to the hype and been embraced by consumers?

But for 2010 it seems that sales will still continue the downward trend of 2009, albeit in a less severe fashion. We can only hope that 2011 provides a turnaround for the scooter market when the U.S. economy begins to recover and gas prices inevitably rise again.

By: Matthew Camp
Published courtesy of DealerNews: www.dealernews.com

SPEAKING OF CHINESE IMPORTS, THIS JUST IN–Sin Wu crept into my office just minutes ago with a anonymous letter from a Grand Rapids, Michigan reader, who reported the following on a small slip of paper: I’m a worker in manufacturing and think this industry is very important to this country. I found out that Harley-Davidson is going to replace their American made hydraulic valve lifters with inferior Chinese lifters. This would be a huge mistake, since the V-Twin American Made Harley engine is the cornerstone of the company. If they incorporate Chinese components they can no longer call themselves American Made.–Anonymous

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN– for the 2011 Dealer Expo, to be held Friday, Feb. 18 through Sunday, Feb. 20 in the newly expanded Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. Dealer Expo 2011 is making your buying experience easy — with 13 unique Product and Lifestyle Marketplaces featuring the hottest brands guaranteed to drive traffic to your dealership and sales through the roof. Get hundreds of dollars in educational value at our Enhanced Dealer Education Program, designed to increase the efficiency of your retail operation. Make the connections you need to move your business forward at our many networking and social activities. It’s Time to Register Today! Visit www.dealerexpo.com

WASHINGTON STATE PATROL BUSTS ALLEGED CHOP SHOP–The Washington State Patrol raided a Spokane auto repair business that authorities say was a chop shop selling trucks and motorcycles stolen from Montana.

At least one manager at Autoworks Northwest was allegedly dealing in drugs and stolen property. Detectives told KXLY TV the business was a front for illegal activity, but was tough to crack because auto parts are not immediately suspicious at an auto business, which is now accused of receiving stolen vehicles from thieves in Great Falls, Mont.

Investigators say detectives saw a stolen motorcycle at Autoworks, bought the racing bike back in a sting operation and arrested the man handling the transaction.

Brian Rapp, an Autoworks manager, allegedly took in a hot truck for its engine and transmission.Spokane Police were also involved in Wednesday’s raid and arrested Rapp for selling methamphetamine out of the garage.

Posted by Holly Wagner

REPORT FROM BIKERNET INSURANCE –

Department of Transportation (DOT) & National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data very encouraging.

Department of Transportation data indicates that highway traffic deaths fell to 33,808 for the year 2009.  That’s a 9.7% decline from the 37,423 deaths in 2008.

Drunk drivers still a menace.

One third of these fatalities involved people driving drunk —– unbelievable that 11,269 individuals gave it all up for driving under the influence.   The good news here – – Alcohol related deaths declined by 7.4% to 10,839 in 2009 compared to 11,711 reported in 2008. It appears that the anti-drunk driving enforcement actions are having an effect on “life” and we believe, people are simply behaving more responsibly than years past when it comes to driving and riding.  

Overall trends heading in the right direction.

The facts show 1.13 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2009 compared to 1.26 deaths for 2008. Forty-one states had reductions in traffic fatalities.  Florida lead the way with 422 fewer fatalities and Texas had 405 fatalities. 

Accident Injuries are also down.

The number of people injured in motor vehicle accidents declined in 2009 for the tenth year in a row, down about 5.5% from 2008 per NHTSA data. Data shows near 2.2 million people were injured in 2009 compared to an estimated 2.3 million in 2008.

Motorcycle fatalities down as well.

The real good news, motorcycle fatalities fell by 850 deaths in 2009 compared to 2008.  This is after an 11-year cycle of annual increases. 

Botton-line, these are encouraging statistics that are heading in the right direction.

Call toll free anytime:  888-467-8703

For fastest response email:  
clientservice@bikernet-insurance.com        

MEAD COUNTY LOOKING FOR A PIECE OF THE STURGIS REVENUE– Sturgis has long had a reputation as a rally-friendly city. Now as local governments look to expand revenue to make up tax shortfalls, Meade County is considering fees to get its cut of Sturgis rally profits.

The city of Sturgis and the state of South Dakota benefit from tax revenue the annual rally generates.

Resident Gene McPherson has asked the Meade County Commission to impose a temporary 1 percent sales tax increase for three weeks a year, according to the Rapid City Journal. The tax would be collected within a 5-mile area near Interstate 90 and S.D. Highway 34 to the Belle Fourche River.

The county can’t impose a sales tax without the blessing of the state Legislature. A more local alternative would be to start collecting a $1 per night camping fee, but some on the commission are concerned about the logistics of collecting campground fees.

Posted by Holly Wagner
Published Courtesy of DealerNews: www.dealernews.com

IT’S TIME FOR A BREAK, BEFORE THE WEEK SCRAMBLES–I’ve got three writers working on a story for this Girl of Bikernet. If you have a good story line send it to me, and we’ll make it sing. The Bonneville final report is rolling through the final editing phase before we launch it next week.
We are working with S&S, Zipper’s, Bub Exhaust, and Performance Machine on new techs. Plus we are meeting with Mike Pullin, a Bikernet correspondent from North Carolina. We are about to rebuild all of our classified areas. Our goal this year was to enhance the services we provide Bikernet readers, including rebuilding Bikernet, adding features, adding the insurance component, enhancing all over our classified areas, fixing the shop, and ultimately rebuilding the Bikernet Studios. We look forward to your input and suggestions. Don’t hesitate to run to the free contest area, in our free departments and drop us a line.
I know I’ve forgetting something, but what the hell, it’s a beautiful Sunday and I need to go for a ride.

Ride Forever,

–Bandit