Hey,
It’s the Sunday before Thanksgiving 2010. Another year just slipped past in the blink of an eye. I’m starting on chapter 17 of my 1%er book, and hopefully today I will fix the 5-Ball factory racer once and for all time. I have a bleak confession to make on this week of giving thanks.
Yesterday, Dr. Hamster and I went on a couple of missions, first and predominately to pick up my Bud Ekins’ historic motorcycle trophies from my Peterson museum connection, and antique motorcycle guru, Don Whalen of Sierra Madre Motorcycle Company. On the way we swung past Chris Richardson’s LA Speed Shop, in Alhambra. His small shop was open in the rain and we got to hang with the classic custom master and his associate. Chris won the Artistry in Iron competition at Las Vegas Bikefest this year with the amazing custom seen hear. It will be shot for a feature next week by Peter Linney. We will make the photo shoot available to a magazine first, then you’ll see it here on Bikernet.
Then we wove through Alhambra, South Pasadena, Pasadena, Sierra Madre, and into Monrovia where we hooked up with Don for a Mexican food feast, vintage trophies, terrific stories and a chance to see his latest acquisition, a 1902 Walsh single, restored by Jeff Sabodian. What a magnificent motorcycle. It’s so interesting to see sharp production bikes that were rolling on the streets of America, before H-D opened their shed, like this jewel, or a Mitchell, that we featured in the Cantina recently. Don is associated with a collection of over 60 American motorcycles, on his way to the most extensive collection of American motorcycles anywhere. Supposedly, there were over 200 makes of American bikes manufactured at one time or another.
Let’s hit the news now, then I’ll tell you about our last Saturday stop and the amazing bikes we saw. I kick my ass for not taking a photo. I’m still kicking my ass.
BIKERNET READER IS SEARCH OF MOTORCYCLE ART– I am looking for an artist picture that you featured a few years ago. It is of a V twin motor overlaid on a woman’s back.. I would appreciate helping me finding it. I want to give a copy as a gift. Thanks for what ever you can do.
–Garth Norris
http://www.saraliberte.com/home/home.asp
Check her ‘Women and Machines’ series.
–Nyla
Bikenet CFO
VP of Bikernet Women
RENEGADE 26” LAREDO PHANTOM-CUT– So you want your scooter to make a statement. Well feast your eyes on this smokin’ new 26” LOREDO PHANTOM-CUT just introduced by Renegade. Aggressive Slingblade styling of the 9 intricately cut spokes and the way tall 26” height will be stopping them in their tracks.
As with all Phantom-Cut Renegade wheels the durable and high gloss black anodize finish is highlighted by hand polished features that are certain to make them a focal point on any scooter. Width for the new wheel is 3.75” and they are offered for a variety of replacement and custom applications. Other sizes available.
Call Renegade at 714-998-7241 or better yet visit their jaw dropping Web Site at www.renegadewheels.com.
Motorbooks, the world’s leading motorcycle book publisher (www.motorbooks.com ), is publishing two Motorcycle books this season:
BOOK #1 ● Advance Copies Available December 3rd ● Hits Stores January 3rd
365 Motorcycles You Must Ride by Dain Gingerelli, James Manning Michels and Charles Everitt, $21.99 US (officially licensed by Cycle World magazine)
Motorcycles have come a long way since Gottleib Daimler bolted an internal engine to a wooden-wheeled velocipede. Among the thousands of great, near-great, and downright awful motorcycles built since then, many stand out as icons, or as engineering or cultural landmarks.
BOOK #2
● Advance Copies Available December 15th ● Hits Stores January 15thMotorcycle Touring Bible by Fred Rau, $29.99 US
Touring on a motorcycle has never been more popular than it is today, but with more and more people hitting the open road, a growing number are doing so without the proper skills and information they need to survive the ordeal. Far too often the trip of a lifetime turns into an unmitigated disaster, leading to expensive breakdowns, arrests, lost wages, broken limbs, death, and even, on more than one occasion, divorce.
Most people who travel aboard motorcycles have learned these lessons the hard way, if they’ve survived long enough, but now readers of the Motorcycle Touring Bible can learn an easier way; they can learn from author Fred Rau’s mistakes rather than through the school of hard knocks.
For many of your readers, the long cold winter months are upon them and there is no better way to keep their passion alive for the 2-wheeled ride than by reading!
These books make the perfect companion when the motorcycle is in storage awaiting spring’s arrival. I look forward to your feedback and appreciate your consideration to help us spread the word.
— Nichole Schiele
Senior Marketing Manager
Motorbooks (Quayside Publishing Group)
nschiele@quaysidepub.com / nschiele@motorbooks.com
612-344-8161 phone
MORE GIFT NOTION FROM K AND G– Great Gifts for Christmas at K and G Cycles Online–Lawrence, Kansas (November 17, 2010) – The site that boasts over 150,000 motorcycle parts available online, K and G Cycles your one-stop motorcycle parts specialist, is making Holiday shopping a little easier this year. By offering an online Christmas Gift product category organized by price point, customers will be able to quickly and easily find and purchase every gift on their motorcycle enthusiast’s wish list.
Since 2006 www.kandgcycles.com has been an efficient and state-of-the-art vehicle for accessing the hundreds of thousands of parts available online through K and G Cycles. Their site’s unparalleled navigation bar has recently been updated to include a ‘Great Stuff for Christmas’ category located at http://www.kandgcycles.com/great-stuff-for-christmas.html . Once the category is highlighted, consumers will be able to check out an array of gifts organized by price point. Choose from under $10, under $25, under $50, or under $100. Combined with free shipping on orders over $350, there is no reason to shop anywhere else this Christmas season.
Holiday shopping has never been more enjoyable or effortless for V-Twin enthusiasts courtesy of K and G Cycles. With easy navigation, superior customer support and streamlined search functions, customers are not only able to browse the best selection of V-Twin merchandise online, they can also purchase and ship the perfect gift to all of the bikers on their Christmas list with the click of a mouse.
Let K and G Cycles take the work out of Christmas shopping this year by visiting them at www.kandgcycles.com . Proudly owned and operated by motorcyclists, Kyle and George Marakas, K and G Cycles is committed to bringing bikers the largest selection of quality parts at the best prices available by providing customers with a new kind and caliber of shopping experience. For more information about K and G Cycles, please call 888-50K-ANDG (5-2634) or visit them on the Web at www.kandgcycles.com .
MORE LEGISLATIVE NEWS FROM NCOM: VOTERS SEE RED–Fueled by discontent, record voter turnout nationwide not only gave the Republican Party the nod in local and national races, but they also saw red at the ballot box as Red Light Camera initiatives lost big on election day.
According to TheNewspaper.com, “Regardless of who you voted for, November 2nd represented a major win for everyone who opposes the use of red light cameras. In a handful of pockets across the nation, voters decided they were sick of the automated machines and by voting against the use of these devices, sent a message to law enforcement, as well as the companies that manufacture red light cameras.”
These cameras are often viewed as a revenue-generating scheme rather than safety devices, and many citizens feel that red light cameras even represent a violation of our constitutional rights. On election day, cities and districts across the nation decided to ban the use of these cameras, adding to a growing list of towns that have already voted to do so.
“The outcome of the voting is a major blow for American Traffic Solutions, the company that manufacturers a large number of the cameras,” reported Autoblog.com. “ATS tried hard to block these measures from even appearing on the ballot, but it was denied. The company was then forced to spend millions of dollars to attempt to sway the public to vote in favor of the cameras, to no avail.”
In Houston, Texas, which happens to be one of ATS’s most important accounts, a campaign was run against the camera company by brothers Paul and Randy Kubosh through their Citizens Against Red Light Cameras organization. ATS reportedly spent over $1.7 million, ten times more than the Kubosh brothers, yet ATS still lost the fight in Houston. Following Houston’s lead, red light cameras are now banned in Mukilteo, Washington; Anaheim, California; and Baytown, Texas.
I swear I will publish the remaining Coast to Coast Legislative update from Bill Bish this week. Hang on. –Bandit
MORE REASONS OUR GRANDPARENTS LIVED SO LONG–Mariani wine (1875) was the most famous Coca wine of it’s time. Pope Leo XIII used to carry one bottle with him all the time. He awarded Angelo Maria ni (the producer) with a Vatican gold medal.
Maltine. Produced by the Maltine Manufacturing Company of NewYork. It was suggested that you should take a full glass with or after every meal. Children should only take
half a glass.
A paper weight: A paper weight promoting C.F. Boehringer &Soehne (Mannheim , Germany). They were proud of being the biggest producers in the world of products containing Quinine and Cocaine.
Opium for Asthma: At 40% alcohol plus 3 grams of opium per tablet, it didn’t cure you …. but you didn’t care!
Cocaine Tablets (1900) All stage actors, singers, teachers and preachers had to have them for a maximum performance. Great to ‘smooth’ the voice.
Cocaine drops for toothache. Very popular for children in 1885. Not only did they relieve the pain, they made the children very happy!
Opium for newborns. I’m sure this would make them sleep well (not only the Opium, but also 46% alcohol)!
It’s no wonder they were called, ‘The Good Old
Days’!! From cradle to grave…Everyone Was
Stoned!!!
THE BULLSHIT FACTORY ANNOUNCEMENT FOR TODAY– Harley-Davidson rolls out women’s Valentine’s Day collection–Come January, Harley-Davidson’s new line of Valentine’s Day gifts will be available at H-D dealerships. The women’s collection includes 18 items, from apparel to jewelry. Highlights include:
• A short-sleeved, cotton/spandex v-neck tee with printed graphics and rhinestone embellishments ($40), available in sizes XS to 3W
• A cotton/spandex scoopneck embellished tank ($40), available in sizes XS to 3W
• The pink crystal heart necklace ($50), made of steel and zinc, featuring a sculpted and engraved heart studded with pink crystal stoned. A gift box is included.
Visit www.harley-davidson.com for more information.
Posted by Cynthia Furey
Published courtesy of Dealernews: www.dealernews.com
BIKERNET INSURANCE SUNDAY REPORT, Own a Bar or Tavern? Don’t get clobbered without Assault & Battery Insurance– Hey, all you watering hole owners out there. Sure, the odds of a fight in your establishment is lower than what we see on television but let’s face it. What happens if all hell breaks loose and you, as the owner of the bar, get sued big time?
Coverage Alert:
Most commercial general liability policies written for drinking establishments contain a complete “exclusion” for assault and battery. Especially for new businesses and businesses with prior assault and battery claims. We’ve seen some policies where only partial coverage is provided where the acts of patrons is covered but not the acts of your employees. Other policies put defence costs within the limit and this diminishes and erodes the insurance available to you for indemnity (the sum paid by A to B by way of compensation). There may also be sub-limits that make your assault and battery limits lower than your overall policy limits.
Always understand the insurance you are buying folks.
Bikernet Insurance offers a “free” coverage review service. No obligation. We would be happy to assist you in understanding your current insurance coverage no matter the insurance in question. We note that assault and battery coverage is often overlooked by many hospitality establishments. This type of coverage is essential not only for bars and nightclubs but also for restaurants, hotels and other hospitality businesses.
Go Ahead! Contact us for a free coverage review. Let’s make sure you are not paying any more than you have to for good insurance.
The Team at Bikernet Insurance.
Contact us toll free anytime: 888-467-8703
For fastest response mail us at: clientservice@bikernet-insurance.com
WILD V-ROD PIPES AND PROJECT COMING FROM STREET WALKER/ENVY CYCLES– I hate to start beating the drum about the V-Rod pipes, I haven’t put them into production yet and I’m just not ready to start filling orders. It’s kinda like showin a kid a bag of candy but not letting them have any.
I am working on a project that IS really fun. I’ve taken a 2005 Fuel injected Buell and I’ve de framed it and I’m putting it back together in a new frame using the body work that the old KR 750 short circuit Cal Rayborn and the Wrecking Crew bikes ran back in the day. I’m keeping the fuel injection and the perimeter brakes, mono shock, inverted front end and all the elements that make Buells cool but putting them into a package that looks like a period racer from the ’70s. Also scaling the whole thing so a 6- foot guy can ride it comfortably, unlike the Buell.
Its a really different concept and its different from anything I’ve done, so it’s easy to lose yourself in the project
OTTAWA, OHIO DEALERSHIP MUSEUM– H-D dealer in Ottawa, Ohio has cool museum — we should check it out when you come for V-Twin show — couple of hours north of Cincinnati
–Tom
VINTAGE KLASS HOLIDAY EVENT SCHEDULE — Hi Everyone! Here is where Vintage Klass will be through the rest of 2010 –
November 27 – Huffarama – Benefit for Bo Huff – Colton, CA
December 5 – Long Beach Cycle Swap
December 11 – Mooneyes Xmas Show and Drags – Irwindale, CA
December 12 – Dave Mann Chopperfest – Ventura, CA
Make sure you all check out our website – www.vintageklass.blogspot.com
from there you can become a facebook fan, follow us on twitter and see the newest items as we get them in! Happy Holidays – and thanks for the support!
Joel & Mary Klass,
Vintage Klass
Vintage Helmets and Leathers
949 355 8098
OXYTANE USER TESTIMONIAL– I have a 1975 Pontiac Trans Am that I rebuilt 7 years ago. It has a ’73 455 with heads from a 1969 cast #13 with a 510/312 cam. The compression is 11 to 1 which is a bit too high to run on pump gas. Unfortunately, she still bings under load on 91 octane.
Over the years I have tried fuel additives and racing fuel. I found expensive racing fuel worked best – using about 5 gallons per tank mix. However, a few months ago a friend turned me on to a product called “Oxytane.”
What a product! Two small bottles outperformed 5 gallons of expensive and hard to find racing fuel. With “Oxytane” she no longer bings, the performance is greatly improved, and “Oxytane” is much more convenient to obtain, store and use. I will be using this “throttle in a bottle” from now on. My car is faster and my life is easier. Great combination!
— Dave Mann
Alameda, Ca
BIKERNET COLLEGE SOCIAL DEPARTMENT DEFINITION OF A WOMAN–A real woman is a man’s best friend. She will never stand him up and never let him down. She will reassure him when he feels insecure and comfort him after a bad day.
She will inspire him to do things he never thought he could do; to live without fear and forget regret. She will enable him to express his deepest emotions and give in to his most intimate desires.
She will make sure he always feels as though he’s the most handsome man in the room and will enable him to be the most confident, sexy, seductive, and invincible. . .
No wait… Sorry… I’m thinking of beer.
That’s what beer does…
Never mind.
–Jim Waggaman
BIKERNET NEWS QUESTION ANSWERED– I know what that is…..It’s a Vise for a Saddle maker. They have these everywhere in the South. They were usually hand made vises and used for holding larger sections of leather for stitching.
The four sawhorse looking things in the front row are harness makers’ vises (also known as saddle maker’s vises when used for that purpose). The harness maker presses his right foot down on the lever and the jaws clamp the piece of leather, freeing up both hands so that he can sew or trim. Here’s an older one:
WILL MORGAN CARS USE H-D ENGINES?–The Morgan Motor Company located in Britain doesn’t change in a changing world. Not only is it still independent, but it also makes each car by hand. A base model is about $44,000, with some cars costing up to $300,000.
People wait for over a year to receive their exclusive hand-built cars with the shell made out of metal and much of the vehicle made out of wood. Working on the wood interior, workers use metal shears to individually shape a hood because each car has to be different.
Every year Morgan produces about 600 cars. The company will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2011. It has a long and interesting history, and is still run by the same family: the Morgans. Founded by Henry Frederick Stanley Morgan known as “HFS”, it was then run by his son Peter, and is now run by Charles, the son of Peter Morgan.
–from Harvinator
BIKERNET UNIVERSITY ENGLISH DEPARTMENT TARDY STUDENTS WORK ON SUNDAY– bamboozle bam-BOO-zuhl, verb:
1. To deceive or get the better of (someone) by trickery, flattery, or the like.
2. To perplex; mystify.
In his opening remarks he addressed the rumors that he was going to try to bamboozle them with a lot of technicalities and theatrics.
— Caleb Carr, The Angel of Darkness
Perhaps he used them as a blind for his real project, and used to bamboozle the learned with pretending to read them passages in which great learning seemed to be elaborately worked up, crabbed with Greek and Latin, as if the topic drew into itself, like a whirlpool, all that men thought and knew; plans to cultivate cobwebs on a large scale.
— Nathaniel Hawthorne, Doctor Grimshawe’s Secret
Bamboozle was originally a slang or cant word, perhaps Scottish from bombaze, “perplex,” related to bombast, or French. embabuiner, literally “to make a baboon of.”
RIVERA PRIMO SALUTES THANKSGIVING–Happy ‘T-Day’ from Rivera Primo On behalf of the management & staff, we would like to take a moment to wish you and your family a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday. This is a time for great food, good friends and lotsa beer and other things that make ya feel good!! Just remember to keep it safe..That means give the keys to your DD.
God Bless the U.S. of A!! And Then Back To Work! Rivera Primo Inc. will be closed Thursday, November 25th & the 26th in observance of Thanksgiving. Normal business hours will start again on Monday, November 29th, 2010.
It allows you to make your own custom cup of coffee, then take it on the run, if you like. They also offer several wild coffee flavors. We’re testing the system in the Bikernet R&D department. We will bring you our findings when we come down from the caffeine rush.
Sportster Tappet Cover & Pushrod Seal Kit– James’ Sportster tappet cover and pushrod tube seal kit fits all 2004 & later XL models. Each kit includes VITON o-rings to seal the pushrod tubes to the cylinder head for long life and a durable seal. The rubber-covered metal tappet cover gaskets are beaded on two sides providing a sure seal on all tappet covers regardless of finish. Suggested retail price is just $8.95. You can order from J&P, Dennis Kirk or call James at 775-246-2220 for a dealer near you.
Email to customerservice@jamesgaskets.com or catch them on line at www.jamesgaskets.com
HAPPY THANKSGIVING, GODDAMNIT–We all run at these holidays like mad starving dogs, then blast onto the next project. It’s tough to even stop for a moment to reflect on our lives, but we should and often. That’s one of my goals for next year, slow down and reflect, goddamnit.
Here’s an amazing example. So, we rolled out of Don’s driveway and down the block. The good Doctor Hamster said, “Yeah, the guy who cut the louvers in the ’53 Lincoln has a shop in the back of this building.” So we stopped. The tin sign hanging at the end of the long dark driveway said, “Open.”
The office was dark, but the door was open. It was cluttered with antiques and an ornate spiral staircase led to the attic above. We could see light emanating from the shop in the back, of what once was a Cadillac dealership. We hollered and walked into the shop. Eric Vaughn stepped out from his massive lathe buried in aluminum shavings 10 feet high like a shimmering metal cloud surrounding his workstation. He modifies custom and mag wheels for several wheel manufacturers.
He sold almost a dozen highly sought-after rare collectable motorcycles to buy this building 10 years ago, then he poured several hundred grand into restoring the brick dealership, and did a magnificent job, then he came face to face with divorce. Anyway, he moved some boxes and several custom wheel blank pieces and opened a set of restored wooden shop doors to reveal his Indian collection.
I didn’t think to pull my new slippery sleek cannon camera out of my pocket and take a photo of his Bonneville Indian scout racer with dual carbs and a partial fairing. It’s a magnificent motorcycle, and today, when I got my shit together I called Markus Cuff and got the Bike feature wheels rolling. You’ll see it here.
His amazing shop was an inspiration to me, regarding our building, and housed a fantastic collection of vintage Indians including an un restored 1939 Bonneville sports scout, which he plans to restore as soon as the divorce is behind him.
Okay, so stop for a moment and be thankful for all you have, for the opportunities we enjoy, for family members, for health, for creative endeavors, including custom paint, for the chance to know talented folks who never give up, and for any relationship that hasn’t ended in divorce. All the best.
Ride Forever,
–Bandit
