Hey,
It’s been raining here for a couple of days, sorta like Seattle. The Easyriders show came to Long Beach this weekend and we checked it out. Ben will write a report. It was good to see some of the old bros.
From time to time I publish something from a reader. Then, another reader points out that it’s bullshit. It has caused me to check more of these scurrilous items before I launch them. I received one today about tax increases and Obamacare. It was complete bullshit according to Snopes. So watch out.
I appreciate any response from readers and especially when we can correct errors or share additional info. Let’s hit the news:
1950 VINCENET SERIES C WHITE SHADOW SELLS FOR US$224,250—
Only 15 White Shadows were produced, which makes them the rarest version of the second most desirable motorcycle to collectors (Brough Superior is the most coveted marque).
It was therefore logical that this bike, which went to auction in Las Vegas last night, would join the other 14 Vincent V-twins in the top 100 motorcycles of all time.
By Mike Hanlon, gizmag.com
SPEAKING TO GOD ON SUNDAY—
When God made the arse, he didn’t say, ‘Hey, it’s just your basic hinge, let’s knock off early.’ He said, ‘Behold ye angels, I have created the arse. Throughout the ages to come, men and women shall grab hold of these, and shout my name!
–David Campbell
Earl’s Garage – Motorcycle, Hotrod, and Event Photography
www.earlsgarage.com www.facebook.com/garage_photos
SADDLEMEN SEATS OF THE WEEK—As of next Thursday we will publish the Saddlemen seat of the week for a month, before moving onto another Saddlemen product line.
But I needed to give Cantina members a head start. Here is the list of seat to be featured.
TTR PROFILER
TWO-UP SEATS FOR H-D 500 AND 750 MODELS
SADDLEMEN ROAD SOFAS LS
BW PROFILER
We will feature each seat in the Weekly News with all the data. –Wrench
TECH QUESTION OF THE WEEKEND—
Do you think this carburetor is to big for my SBF?
—Bob Clark
WEEKEND GUN NUT REPORT–Majority of States Support the NRA’s Request that the U.S. Supreme Court Overturn San Francisco’s Restriction on Self-Defense in the Home.
Fairfax, Va. – Twenty-five state attorneys general joined Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning in filing a brief supporting the National Rifle Association in Jackson v. San Francisco. This case challenges San Francisco’s ordinance requiring gun owners to lock or disable any firearm inside the home except when the home owner is actually carrying the firearm on his or her person — an ordinance that directly contradicts the U.S. Supreme Court’s holding in its landmark Heller decision.
The NRA and other plaintiffs are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the decision of a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which upheld San Francisco’s ordinance. In their brief, the state attorneys general note that they “have a profound interest in protecting the fundamental constitutional rights of their citizens” and, unless San Francisco’s law is invalidated, “responsible citizens will be unable to possess operable firearms in defense of hearth and home.”
The brief notes that San Francisco’s ordinance is exactly like that previously on the books in the District of Columbia and which was held unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in Heller. The Heller majority ruled that D.C.’s requirement that handguns be kept locked or disassembled “makes it impossible for citizens to use them for the core lawful purpose of self-defense and is hence unconstitutional.”
The NRA thanks Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning and his staff for their leadership on this brief and the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming for their support in this case and their steadfast defense of their citizens’ Second Amendment rights.
BIKERNET STAFFER PLAYED DRUMS FOR EMMYLOU HARRIS–Emmylou Harris, back where it all started– There’s a reason so many artists have signed on to take part in “The Life and Songs of Emmylou Harris: An All-Star Concert Celebration” on Saturday at Constitution Hall. Harris, 67, is so beloved in the roots-music industry for her generosity in singing on other people’s records and recording other people’s songs that Kris Kristofferson, Sheryl Crow, Mary Chapin Carpenter and many more will be on hand.
And there’s a reason the concert is taking place in Washington: It was in this city and its suburbs that Harris’s career twice took a decisive turn.
In December 1971, the Flying Burrito Brothers were booked for a couple nights at Cellar Door, the old brick-walled basement club in Georgetown. Gram Parsons had left the band more than a year earlier, but two other ex-Byrds, Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke, were still on hand. The new lead singer was Rick Roberts, a 21-year-old kid who had spent some time living in Washington. He knew the local club scene, and several of his old pals had told him about a female singer who was playing at Clyde’s, Emmylou Harris.
“Rick Roberts said, ‘There’s a girl singer down the street who’s very good. You should go see her,’” Hillman recalled in a 2003 interview. “So I did, and he was right; she was very good. At that time, she was more into that Joni Mitchell-Carolyn Hester folk thing. She had a real innocence about her and she had a really good voice. I told her, ‘You should really sing some country songs; they’re real emotional and would fit you real well.’ We got her up on stage to sing ‘It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels’ with us at the Cellar Door.”
Several months later, the phone rang at Harris’s parents’ house in Clarksville, Md. It was Parsons, whom she had vaguely heard of. He told her that Roberts and Hillman had spoken highly of her and he’d like to meet her. Why didn’t she drive to Baltimore, where he was playing a gig at UMBC, and pick him up? No, she wasn’t driving up to Baltimore to meet someone she didn’t even know; if Parsons was serious, he could come down to Washington and meet her there.
Amused by her gumption, Parsons took the train to D.C. and met Harris at Clyde’s. It was pouring rain, and only five people showed up for her gig, two of them being Gram and his wife, Gretchen. Gram was so enthused, however, that he joined Harris in the basement amid the beer kegs to sing Hank Williams’s “I Saw the Light.” They sang it onstage during the second set, and Harris’s voice wrapped around Parsons’s as if they had rehearsed it for hours.
“It was so important to have someone to sing with,” Harris told me in 2012. “That’s how I learned to become a singer. When you’re singing with someone else, you have to have some restraint so you fit with the other voice. But you can’t think about having restraint; you just have to go with the song. And you have to respect the melody in country music; you can’t go off on your own and do whatever you want. That’s another kind of restraint that’s helpful.”
After the show, the band and Parsons and his wife walked over to a nearby house, rented by friends of Harris’s boyfriend and bassist, Tom Guidera. In the kitchen, according to Parsons’s biographer, Ben Fong-Torres, Parsons tested Harris with one of the trickiest country duets he knew, George Jones and Gene Pitney’s “That’s All It Took.”
“She sang it like a bird,” Parsons told Fong-Torres, “and I said, ‘Well, that’s it.’ And I sang with her the rest of the night, and she just kept getting better and better.”
Harris had a major role on Parsons’s final two albums, 1973’s “GP” and 1974’s “Grievous Angel,” and on his legendary 1973 tour with the Fallen Angels. Between the releases of the two albums, however, Parsons died of a drug overdose at Joshua Tree National Monument on Sept. 19, 1973.
Harris mourned for a while, but she couldn’t mourn too long — she had rent to pay and a daughter to raise. It would seemed like a backward step to return to the solo folksinger routine, so she put together a country-rock band along the lines of the Fallen Angels. Guidera played bass; guitarist Bruce Archer, drummer Mark Cuff and steel guitarist Danny Pendleton filled out the quintet. The group landed a weekly gig in Bethesda at the Red Fox Inn, where Ricky Skaggs and members of the Seldom Scene often sat in.
“Once I started singing country music with Gram,” Harris said, “there was no turning back for me. Of course, Gram’s death was so tragic, it was like having your arm cut off. So I put together a country band and started playing the same clubs I had been playing folk music. But now I had a different sensibility.”
Mary Martin, Parsons’s A&R representative at Warner Bros., called Toronto producer Brian Ahern, already renowned for producing Anne Murray’s early hits, and asked if he might like to produce Harris. He did, and he had some tunes that might fit her from a young, unknown songwriter named Rodney Crowell.
“I heard Emmy for the first time at the Red Fox Inn in Maryland with Mary Martin,” Ahern told me in 2004. “I recorded four sets of Emmylou and her band with my portable Uher cassette machine. Besides being visually very appealing, Emmy took control of the band and the stage. That impressed me. I didn’t want some namby-pamby singer.”
Harris, Ahern and Crowell soon relocated to Beverly Hills, where they recorded and released two albums in 1975, “Pieces of the Sky” and “Elite Hotel,” that changed country music forever by building a bridge between Parsons’s experiments and mainstream country radio. They made the records in California, but the crucial connections were forged in Washington.
The Life and Songs of Emmylou Harris: An All-Star Concert Celebration
Saturday at Constitution Hall. Saturday at Constitution Hall, 1776 D St. NW. 202-628-1776. Show starts at 8 p.m. www.dar.org/constitution-hall. $73-$223.
Markus Cuff, the official Bikernet feature photographer, and a feature and tech photographer for most national bike magazines, was the drummer for Harris for a couple of years.–Bandit
BLONDE JOKE— Of all the blonde jokes, this one has to be one of the best — because it makes football make sense!
A guy took his blonde girlfriend to her first football game. They had great seats right behind their team’s bench. After the game, he asked her how she liked it.
“Oh, I really liked it,” she replied, “especially the tight pants and all the big muscles, but I just couldn’t understand why they were killing each other over 25 cents.”
Dumbfounded, her boyfriend asked, “What do you mean?”
“Well, they flipped a coin, one team got it and then for the rest of the game, all they kept screaming was…
‘Get the quarterback! Get the quarterback!’ I’m like…Helloooooo? It’s only 25 cents!!!!”
–from Buckshot, Barbara Merrill, and John Massey
MNGOP Rep. Steve Drazkowski introduces anti-motorcycle profiling bill—
by Aaron Rupar, (KMSP)
These days, when public officials talk about profiling, they’re usually referring to the racial sort.
But one of the first bills introduced during the 2015 legislative session aims at tackling a very different sort of profiling issue.
Rep. Steve Drazkowski (R-Mazeppa) has introduced legislation “establishing policies to address motorcycle profiling.”
“The legislature finds that the reality or public perception of motorcycle profiling alienates people from police, hinders community policing efforts, and causes law enforcement to lose credibility and trust among the people law enforcement is sworn to protect and serve,” the bill says. “No stop initiated by a peace officer should be made without a legitimate reason; the fact that someone rides a motorcycle or wears motorcycle paraphernalia is not a legitimate reason.”
“Law enforcement policies and training programs must emphasize the need to respect the balance between the rights of all persons to be free from unreasonable governmental intrusions and law enforcement’s need to enforce the law,” it continues.
Reached for comment today, Drazkowski says the impetus for the bill comes from constituents of his who are members of the motorcycle rights group ABATE. Inspiration also came from other states, such as Oregon, that have approved similar bills.
At core, Drazkowski says his goal is for state agencies like the Department of Public Safety and Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to create and enforce written anti-motorcycle profiling policies.
The idea is for state officials to “make a deliberate effort to have a discussion within their agencies and be certain that they are conscientious and in their work not allowing profiling to materialize and become part of their decision making,” Drazkowski says.
Asked if he’s a motorcyclist himself, Drazkowski replies, “I am not, but have two brothers who are very avid.”
“I keep it on all fours — that’s much safer,” he adds.
Drazkowski says he’s optimistic his bill will be approved by the House and believes there’s also support among DFLers, including some in the Senate.
On its website, ABATE lists “Curtail Profiling of Motorcyclists in Minnesota” as one of its 2015 legislative talking points and explains the problem as follows:
Motorcyclists are frequently stopped by police as they travel simply because they ride a motorcycle or are wearing motorcycle riding apparel. Often these pretext stops are accompanied with the explanation that a traffic infraction has occurred, which is not always the case. In some cases people have been told they are violating a law that does not exist. In other cases the violation cited simply has not occurred.
Motorcyclists come from all walks of life and most are law-abiding citizens. They have their travel interrupted on their way to work, family events, meetings, church and other places. Motorcyclists should not be treated differently from other members of the transportation mix. We urge you to pass legislation that assures chief law enforcement officers, at the state and local level, establish and enforce a written policy governing the conduct of peace officers engaged in stops of motorcycle riding citizens.
ABATE also lists no change for the current Minnesota adult motorcycle helmet law — it allows adult bikers to ride without one — no change to motorcycle insurance requirements, increased penalties for careless driving, and the creation of a motorcycle awareness license plate as other priorities this session.
NEW TECH FOR MOTORCYCLES–Visteon Develops Electronic Driving Features for Motorcyclists.
Viseton unveiled a concept for a new motorcycle cluster at this year’s CES trade show.
Modern-day automobiles are equipped with sophisticated dashboard systems that feature LCD touchscreens, hands-free calling, gesture control and access to digital music. Unfortunately, motorcycles have been largely left out of the equation when it comes to implementing these systems. Not for long! Visteon’s motorcycle cluster is set to offer motorcyclists the same benefits as their automobile-driving counterparts.
The concept will be integrated on the motorcycle cluster, as well as the driver’s helmet and smartphone (which can be mounted onto the bike). It will include navigation, access to the phone’s music library or live-streaming music and hands-free phone calls.
Drivers can utilize voice commands for the app through the helmet’s Bluetooth audio connection.
Stats for Motorcycle Cluster Concepts Trending: New & Average
Traction: 140 clicks in 21 hr
Interest: 0.6 minutes Concept: Motorcyle Cluster
Related: 46 examples / 35 photos
Segment: Males, 18-55 Comparison Set: 17 similar articles, including: wireless in-car smartphone docks, integrated phone multimedia dashboards, and intuitive chopper controllers.
–Vasiliki Marapas
STATS FOR THE WEEKEND–On average, an American man under 75 will have sex two to three times a week, where as a Japanese man the same age will have sex only one or two times a year.
This is very upsetting news to most of my friends, as they had no idea they were Japanese.
–from Rik Savenko
Photo from sneaky Marines came from Joe Teresi, Easyriders.
FIRST REPORT FROM LONG BEACH—
Today was big motorcycle show in Long Beach.
Lots of sharp custom motorcycles –
But raining outside
–Art Hall
Bikernet International Emperor Editor
And man of few words.
PITCH OF THE WEEK FROM BIKERNET TRIKES EDITOR—
As Bikernet Trikes editor we have access to a million sets of eyeballs a month and videos capture readers’ attention. I am producing a YouTube video motorcycle/trike travel series promoting your products. These travel segments will be published on YouTube, on all Bikernet sites, and in our blog. My first five-part travel series “Motorcycle Mysteries Las Vegas,” is a fun and entertaining, “Huell Howser on a motorcycle,” style video and will highlight unique stops along the way.
Each segment runs 3-5 minutes and sponsors will be mentioned verbally in the video, in the end credits and products can be incorporated into the segment when possible. Plus, we will create a written report containing all five YouTube segments, which will be archived on Bikernet for years to come.
It’s the perfect way to advertise, and who knows when one of these might go viral. A $250.00 sponsorship gets you in all 5 episodes (that’s only 50 bucks a pop). In this series I will visit the following locations on my trip through Nevada. We would love to see you in the show! Take a look one of my recent Motorcycle Mysteries book teasers.
The Wig Wam Motel
Rout 666 museum Barstow
ZZyZx
Valley of Fire
Red Rock Canyon
Mt Charleston.
Map of the Motorcycle Mysteries Vegas Lucky 4-Leaf Cloverleaf loop:
–Gary Koz Mraz
Editor BikernetTrikes
Cell 818-625-6540
V-TWIN EXPO NEWS EXCLUSIVE—
We do have some great, exciting news. We have been given exclusive rights to air “On Any Sunday, The Next Chapter” at our event.
We will air the just released movie Saturday night after the awards at the Industry Welcome Party. We will serve beer and munchies during the film. Attached please find artwork to share. Also, below are links to the official trailer and site:
Official Site – http://onanysundayfilm.com
We are thrilled to share this film with our attendees and exhibitors. I am sure you have seen the original On Any Sunday Keith, so I am betting you can understand how fun this will be.
–Darcy Betlach
Chrome Marketing, Inc
Mobile 612.940.6115
An old guy goes to his doctor for his physical and gets sent to the Urologist as a precaution. When he gets there, he discovers the Urologist is a very pretty female
doctor.
The female doctor says, “I’m going to check your prostate today, but this new procedure is probably a little different from what you are used to. I want you to lie on your right side, bend your knees, then while I check your prostate, take a deep breath and say, ’99’.
The old guy obeys and says, “99”.
The doctor says, “Great”, now turn over on your left side and again, while I repeat the check, take a deep breath and say, ’99”.
The old guy obeys and says, ’99’.”
The doctor said, “Very good”.
Now take a deep breath and say, ’99’.
The old guy begins,
“One…. two…. three…”
You don’t stop laughing because you grow old.
You grow old because you stop laughing!
SPOOL HUB FROM LOWBROW –Keep Rolling With Chopper & Flat Track Spool Hubs
The new Spool Hubs from Lowbrow Customs come polished and ready to lace up to your 40-spoke front rim. Available in two styles, Chopper (SKU 003895) or Flat Track (SKU 003896). Precision-machined 6061-T6 aluminum, with alloy bearing spacer tube and high-quality Japanese wheel bearings installed.
Available world-wide, 24/7 via www.lowbrowcustoms.com or call toll free 1-855-4LOWBROW.
2015 Drag Race Schedule
Feb. 5-8 NHRA H-D Race Series Auto Club Raceway (TF Only) Pomona, CA
Feb. 6-8 IHRA Nitro Jam SW International Raceway Tucson, AR
March 13-14 IHRA Nitro Jam San Antonio Raceway Marion, TX
March 20-22 NHRA H-D Race Series No Problem Raceway Belle Rose, LA
March 28-29 AMRA State Capital Raceway Baton Rouge, LA
April 10-12 NHRA H-D Race Series The Strip at Las Vegas (TF Only) Las Vegas, NV
April 10-12 IHRA Nitro Jam Bradenton Motorsports Park Bradenton, FL
April 10-12 Man Cup South Georgia Motorsports Park Valdosta, GA
April 17-19 NHRA H-D Race Series Montgomery Motorsports Park (non TF) Montgomery, AL
April 17-19 IHRA Nitro Jam Palm Beach International Raceway Jupiter, FL
April 24-25 NHRA H-D Race Series Virginia Motorsports Park (non TF) Dinwiddie, VA
April 24-26 IDBL Maryland International Raceway Budds Creek, MD
April 25-26 AMRA Beech Bend Raceway (No TF) Bowling Green, KY
April 25-26 PMRA Tulsa Raceway Park Tulsa, OK
May 15-17 NHRA H-D Race Series Summit Motorsports Park Norwalk, OH
May 22-24 NHRA H-D Race Series Heartland Park (TF Only) Topeka, KN
May 23-26 FIA/ FIM European Championships Round 1, Santa Pod Raceway England
May 29-30 IHRA Nitro Jam Cordova International Raceway Cordova, IL
May 29-31 AMRA Kilkare Raceway Xenia, OH
May 29-31 IDBL Maryland International Raceway Budds Creek, MD
June 5-7 NHRA H-D Race Series Route 66 Raceway Joliet, IL
June 12-14 NHRA H-D Race Series Osage Casino Tulsa Raceway Park Tulsa, OK
June 19-20 IHRA Nitro Jam Maryland International Raceway Budds Creek, MD
June 19-21 NHRA H-D Race Series Bandimere Speedway (Non TF) Denver, CO
June 19-21 NHRA H-D Race Series Bristol Dragway (TF Only) Bristol, TN
June 19-21 Man Cup Memphis International Dragway Millington, TN
June 26-28 IHRA Nitro Jam Grand Bend Motoplex Grand Bend, ON
June 27-28 AMRA Beech Bend Raceway Park(All Classes) Bowling Green, KY
July 3-6 FHRA Nitro Nationals Alastaro Finland
July 10-11 IHRA Nitro Jam Spokane County Raceway Airway Heights, WA
July 17-19 IHRA Nitro Jam Castrol Raceway Edmonton, AB
July 18 PMRA Tulsa Raceway Park Tulsa, OK
July 24-26 NHRA Sonoma Raceway Sonoma, CA
July 24-26 IDBL Maryland International Raceway Budds Creek, MD
July 25-26 AMRA U.S. 131 Motorsports Park Martin, MI
August 7-8 IHRA Nitro Jam U.S. 131 Motorsports Park Martin, MI
August 8-10 NitrOlympX Hockenheim Germany
August 14-16 44th Annual Truett and Osborn Kansas International Dragway Wichita, KS
August 21-23 NHRA H-D Race Series Pacific Raceways (NON-TF) Seattle, WA
August 22-23 Man Cup Rockingham Dragway Rockingham, NC
Sept. 4-7 FIA / FIM European Championship Finals Santa Pod Raceway England
Sept. 12 PMRA Tulsa Raceway Park Tulsa, OK
Sept. 11-12 IHRA Nitro Jam Dragway 42 West Salem, OH
Sept. 11-13 IDBL Atco Dragway Atco, NJ
Sept. 26-27 3rd Annual Tx Harley Racers “Gathering & Drags” Little River Dragway Holland, TX
Sept. 26-27 AMRA Beech Bend Raceway Park Bowling Green, KY
October 2-4 IBDL Maryland International Raceway Budds Creek, MD
Oct. 9-10 IHRA Nitro Jam Memphis International Raceway Millington, TN
Oct. 17-18 AMRA Rockingham Dragway Rockingham, NC
Oct. 24 PMRA Tulsa Raceway Park Tulsa, OK
Nov. 5-8 NHRA H-D Race Series The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas, NV
Nov. 13-15 Man Cup South Georgia Motorsports Park Valdosta, GA
www.RaceIDBL.com
International DragBike League
info@andra.com.au
Australian National Drag Race Assoc.
www.nhra.com
National Hot Rod Assc.
www.ihra.com
International Hot Rod Asso.
www.amraonline.com
American Motorcycle Assc.
www.pmra.com
Pro Motorcycle Race Assc.
www.manufacturerscup.info/
Manufactures Cup
www.fmra.com
FIM EUROPE DRAG BIKE CHAMPIONSHIPS
POLARIS EXPANDS–Polaris Industries Inc. Announces Expansion of Manufacturing Operations.
Addition of a new production facility will provide needed capacity and flexibility to support growth as well as close proximity to key customers
Polaris Industries Inc. (NYSE: PII) today announced plans to build a new production facility in Huntsville, Alabama to provide additional capacity and flexibility as the company continues to experience rapid growth. Located Southwest of Huntsville City Center, the 600,000 square-foot facility will focus on off-road vehicle production.
Polaris selected Huntsville due to its skilled workforce, history of technology and innovation, existing utility infrastructure, and strong local and state resources supporting economic development. The 453-acre Huntsville site offers Polaris close proximity to its key customer base in the Southeast U.S. and strong logistics network.
“This new facility will complement our already strong and growing North American manufacturing footprint by reducing pressure on our existing facilities and enable each to remain focused on their current product lines as we continue to meet the demand for our innovative, quality products.” said Ken Pucel, Executive Vice President of Operations, Engineering, and Lean, Polaris Industries Inc. “We are grateful to the city of Huntsville and the state of Alabama for their support as we invest in our shared future.”
Polaris will design and develop a lean and flexible facility to drive continuous improvement from the start. The new plant in Alabama will become part of our North American plant network and will reduce complexity within the existing plant network and enable logistics optimization. The facility will have multiple assembly lines providing flexibility to quickly replenish demand and support continued product innovations. Equipped with state-of-the-art technologies, the plant will support several core processes including, vehicle assembly, chassis and body painting, welding, fabrication and injection molding. At full capacity, the site will employ at least 1,700 people.
Polaris will break ground on the Huntsville facility in the first quarter of 2015 with completion slated for early in the second quarter of 2016. Production will begin shortly thereafter.
PAUL YAFFE’S BAGGER NATION 2015 $15,000 SWEEPSTAKES—In the near future, we will cover Paul’s new Bagger products. He’s sick and tired of spending Bank on paper catalogs, so he’s launching a state-of-the-art, super user-friendly, digital catalog.
To promote the new catalog and the digital learning process he’s going to give the money spent on paper catalogs to his customers in the form of a $15,000 Sweepstakes. Just go to Baggernation.com and fill out the form.
–Bandit
MEADE COUNTY NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT—
Would you like to experience less traffic congestion during the Sturgis Rally? This could become a reality if Meade County goes forward with its plan to build a 1.5-mile stretch of road connecting 131st Avenue with I-90 at Exit 37. If all goes to plan, the road might even be in place before record numbers of rally goers flock to the area for the 75th anniversary.
The 131st Connector will provide an overwhelming number of safety and economic benefits, but still a few vocal opponents are working hard to derail the county commission’s decision to move forward on this relatively minor yet hugely significant improvement.
If you’d like to help rally goers and residents alike have the safest and most enjoyable experience during the Sturgis Rally and throughout the year, show your support by liking the Meade County Community for the 131st Connector Facebook Page.
YOU CAN NAME THE ROAD, DEADLINE JAN. 15TH— Proposed names for the 131st Connector have been narrowed down to the final four, and you can have a say in which one Meade County chooses. By voting online, you’ll also help the county understand that this road is needed. The county will officially adopt the name that receives the most votes before the January 15 county commission meeting. So be sure to cast your vote online and have your voice heard!
BIKERNET BAD JOKE LIBRARY STILL OPEN–An air traffic control tower suddenly lost communications with a small twin engine aircraft. A moment later the tower land line rang and was answered by one of the employees. The passenger riding with the pilot, who lost communications, was on a cellular phone and yelled “Mayday, mayday!
The pilot had an instant and fatal heart attack. I grabbed his cell phone out of his pocket, and he had told me before we took off that he had the tower on his speed dial memory. I am flying upside down at 18,000 feet and traveling at 180 mph. Mayday, mayday! “The employee in the tower had put him on speakerphone
immediately.
“Calm down, we acknowledge you and we will guide you down after a few questions.
The first thing is not to panic, remain calm!”
He began his series of questions.Tower: “How do you know you are traveling at 18,000 feet?
Aircraft: “I can see that it reads 18,000 feet on the dials in front of me”.
Tower: “Okay, that is good, remain calm. How do you know you are traveling at 180 mph?
Aircraft: “I can see that it reads 180 mph on the dials in front of me”.
Tower: Okay that is good. How do you know you’re flying upside down?”
Aircraft: “Because the shit in my pants is sliding out of my collar.”
–from Jerry and Rogue
MOTORCYCLE RIDER FOUNDATION UPDATE— Bipartisan Senate Bill would Ban Federal Funding for Motorcycle-Only Checkpoints
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A bipartisan bill introduced today by U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Joe Manchin (D- W.Va.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) would prohibit the use of federal funds in establishing motorcycle-only checkpoints.
Specifically, the “Stop Motorcycle Checkpoint Funding Act” would restrict the Secretary of Transportation from granting funds to any government entity for a program to check helmet use or to create checkpoints for an operator of a motorcycle or a passenger on a motorcycle. The American Motorcyclist Association and the Motorcycle Riders Foundation fully support the bill.
“Motorcycle-only checkpoints are discriminatory, forcing riders and their passengers to do something not asked of other citizens, simply because we choose to travel on two wheels, or three, instead of four,” said Wayne Allard, AMA vice president for government relations. “The AMA believes the money used for these operations could be better spent supporting programs that conduct rider education, reduce distracted driving and encourage motorist awareness of motorcycles.”
“We are excited to work on this most important issue,” said Jeff Hennie, vice president of government relations and public affairs for the Motorcycle Riders Foundation. “It is imperative that we end the discriminatory act of motorcycle only checkpoints.”
Motorcycle riders already are subject to state registration, inspection, licensing and helmet laws and must stop at sobriety check points like all other motorists.
The MRF and AMA have fought motorcycle-only checkpoints since the state of New York announced plans to set up 15 of them in 2008 to stop riders on their way summer motorcycling events.
“Evidence suggests that motorcycle-only checkpoints do not effectively reduce motorcycle injuries or fatalities and do not address the factors that are the main contributors to motorcycle accidents,” the senators wrote in a press release about the bill. “Accordingly, NHTSA does not list the practice in its own 2013 Highway Safety Countermeasure Guide for State Highway Offices, which details policies and activities that the agency considers effective at reducing crash injuries and fatalities.”
States use funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to pay for the checkpoints, so federal legislation can halt the practice.
If passed, this federal bill will cut off NHTSA funding and ensure that riders across the country are safeguarded from these ineffective and discriminatory stops.
“Using motorcyclists tax dollars to discriminate and harass them with mandatory roadside checkpoints in the name of safety is offensive and just plain wrong. No one is more aware of the condition of the motorcycle than the person riding it,” Hennie said.
“If the NHTSA truly is interested in motorcyclists’ safety, it would fund proven programs that help prevent crashes, rather than these checkpoints,” Allard said.
California, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Illinois, New Hampshire and Virginia have passed legislation curbing motorcycle-only checkpoints.
SO WHAT’S IT GOING TO BE—I wish I knew. I ran into Micah McCloskey at the ER show with his brother. When folks ask me what’s happening I often respond, “Just a million things all at once.”
Micah complimented me on keeping projects in prospective, but I admitted to stumbling once in a while. Maybe it’s age, or maybe too many opportunities. I try to stay focused, but sometimes obstacles get in the way.
So, we have a new GOB for you, Amber from Jack McIntyre. I need to speak to Jack about his shipping business. And when you read Amber’s story, I need your input.
And you will see the McQuiston shop feature next week. It just ran in Cycle Source.
Keep after it and Freedom Forever,
–Bandit
