Hey,
Interesting chilly day in the shop. I’m trying to honor the dharma, but the back of the shop is open to allow the dogs access and the sun in, so if a fly lands on my computer, he or she is toast. I can’t help my violent self.
I went out with a beautiful buxom Italian last night. I was still buzzing from a road trip with a 1916 Reading Standard, and a 1916 Excelsior four to Port Lavaca, Texas and back. The return trip included 1,505 miles and a 22 hour straight run back to Los Angeles, plus lots of trail mix.
For the first time since I started to mess with my Spitfire Girder, it is working like a champ with a new Ikon shock and a 250-pound rated spring. Yesterday I was tempted to peel for the desert run in Laughlin, but we just experienced rare rain and the following low turns the desert into a massive, wind-swept, sand blaster. Besides I want to put a few more miles on my new system.
I’ve broke down in the desert before. Don’t need to break down in a windstorm. Let’s hit the news and then I’ll attempt to outline the activities for the week.
MIKE LICHTER PARTY IN STURGIS AT THE CHIP– How is life treating you out there? Coming to Sturgis this year? The party is Sunday August 3, if you are starting to make plans.
— Michael
Email mike@lichterphoto.com
Studio tel# 303 449-3906
Web www.lichterphoto.com
LOW TUNNEL MUSTANG TANKS–These three uniquely Paughco Mustang tanks are fabricated with a low tunnel for a distinctive Old School chopper look that’s perfect for contemporary customs with stretched top tubes.
Available in three capacities, 4, 4.2 and 4.5 gallon, the tanks feature a stock style screw in filler and vent. Petcock fittings on the left side are 22mm externally threaded and accept OEM and aftermarket petcocks.
Each tank comes with threaded hose line fitting for the vent line. As fitments vary widely make check out the dimension chart with centerline hole dimensions at www.paughco.com.
MYSTERY REPORT FROM THE SHERIFF–Life is good and Mr. Slim will now be visable by radar!!!
–SHERIFF MEDIA GROUP
S-36030 LAMMHULT
SWEDEN
46-70 5678 666
http://instagram.com/sheriffmediagroup/
http://www.youtube.com/sheriffmediagroup
ILLINOIS HARLEY-DAVIDSON PRE-OWNED BIKE OF THE WEEK–2004 Softail Deuce
Manager’s Special $8,995
Call Rick at 708.387.8750 and make this bike yours today!
Contact Us:
Illinois Harley-Davidson
9950 Joliet Rd.
Countryside, IL 60525
708.387.8750
BIKERNET FREEDOM ALERT–For the first time in American history, one man is going to spend $50 million to buy Congress and PURCHASE YOUR FREEDOM.
Michael Bloomberg thinks he can write a check and purchase the same freedom that countless brave Americans purchased with their LIVES.
Bloomberg hides behind a wall of ARMED security, but he thinks his bank account entitles him to invade your home, take your guns, and leave you and your family defenseless.
Bloomberg doesn’t care about gun safety.
All Michael Bloomberg cares about is his personal, selfish, and DANGEROUS political agenda—and he will stop at NOTHING to achieve it.
I need you to show Bloomberg that your passion for freedom … your determination to fight … and your willingness to sacrifice for the Second Amendment is worth more than his dirty money.
WITH YOUR HELP we can show Bloomberg that our fundamental right to self-defense is worth more than his tyrannical whims!
So please step forward with me today, look Bloomberg in the eye, and FIGHT with NRA for your freedom.
Please hurry. I need your help now more than ever before. Thank you.
–Wayne LaPierre
Executive Vice President
National Rifle Association
FXR PROJECT FROM SAN DIEGO CUSTOMS– Nice. I Like it so far.
–Pablo
HELMET LAW PROPOSAL passes Missouri House– legislation moves to the state
Senate
By Rudy Harper, Reporter –
Legislation allowing motorcycle riders 21 and older to no longer wear a helmet has passed its first hurdle in Missouri. The legislation passed the Missouri House 93 to 56.
The legislation now moves to the state Senate.
Four wheels move the body, two wheels move the
soul.
That saying is true to Noah Whitehead a rider, and sales associate at Powersports of Joplin.
“I love it. It’s just the feel of the air going past and, to me, you actually get a better view with the helmet off also,” said Whitehead.
He believes the choice to wear a helmet should be up to the rider, not lawmakers.
“When you’re on the bike there’s a risk involved anyway it’s just a greater risk of course,” said Whitehead.
However Kyle Aldridge is not in the same lane, he disagrees.
“I will always wear a helmet I don’t care what the law does,” said Aldridge.
Aldridge speaks from experience.
“I’ve been in some car accidents, I’ve been down on a bike before. I can tell you my face would be really screwed up if I hadn’t had a helmet on,”
said Aldridge.
The current law in Missouri requires motorcyclists of all ages to wear a helmet, or face a fine up to a $25 for each offense.
A bill endorsed this week by the house would allow motorcyclists over the age of 21 to ride without helmets.
Mercy Hospital Emergency Room Doctor Jim Riscoe says if you want to arrive alive, wear a helmet.
“Regardless how you feel about freedom of the road you only have one brain and you only have one life,” said Riscoe.
Missouri Highway Patrol statistics show in 2012, 104 people were killed in motorcycle crashes and more than 2,400 were injured.
“Your chances of surviving unimpaired after a motorcycle accident is slim to none,” said Riscoe.
The bill needs one more vote from the house before moving to the senate.
NASTY New Bikernet Reader Comment!– Daytona 2014 — Wet and Wild Photo Gallery
http://www.bikernet.com/pages/story_detail.aspx?id=11575
If you have seen one ass, you’ve seen them all. They sure are great to look at though.
–Tom Clark
Medford, MA
I don’t believe your first comment is true, but they are also wonderful to touch.–Bandit
Five years ago, Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway offered a high-interest loan to the storied motorcycle manufacturer to keep its financing operations afloat. It all paid off in the end.
By Elizabeth G. Olson
FORTUNE — The occasional doubts that crop up over Warren Buffett’s investment prowess were laid to rest this week — again — by, of all companies, Harley-Davidson, Inc. (HOG), the iconic Milwaukee motorcycle maker.
A business deal struck five years ago between the two renowned Midwestern entities — Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA), in Omaha, and Harley-Davidson — infused $303 million into the motorcycle maker to help keep loans available to purchasers and dealers as credit markets sank along with the economy. The interest rate: 15%.
Harley-Davidson paid back the loan in February, said chief financial officer John Olin during a conference call this week announcing its first-quarter earnings.
The company took the high-interest loan, Olin said, to help finance buyers and keep its production lines and dealerships operating. It was the only way, he said. This way, the company — which was founded in Wisconsin just after the turn of the 20th century — could borrow money and, at the same time, keep its ownership intact.
“It was the bridge we needed to get us through a rough time,” Olin said. Between 2007 and 2009, sales of Harley’s classic motorcycles — celebrated for their heavyweight, outlaw biker image — plummeted, down as much as 50% in the United States, as people had far less disposable income for purchases, or even for gasoline.
As the company began to climb back from the near-abyss, it wanted to repay its high-interest loan ahead of schedule, but Berkshire Hathaway struck a harder bargain, sticking with the handsome five-year loan terms, according to Harley-Davidson. No wonder, as the loan earned millions for Buffett, who already had chalked up a stellar windfall by investing a whopping $5 billion in shares of Goldman Sachs (GS) as the financial system teetered in the fall of 2008.
That loan had a 10% interest rate, and, like the Harley loan, came at a key time for the investment bank, which repaid the loan in 2011 — after paying about $500 million in interest.
While the loan to Harley-Davidson was also highly lucrative for Berkshire Hathaway, it drew much less attention than the one issued to Goldman Sachs, which became part of a key insider trading trial in which prosecutors accused former Goldman board member Rajat Gupta of helping hedge fund founder Raj Rajaratnam make $1 million by tipping him off to the Berkshire infusion before it became public.
Berkshire Hathaway — which has taken stakes in other noted American brands like Coca-Cola (KO), and always on good repayment terms — invested $300 million in the troubled chopper manufacturer in 2009. At the same time, Davis Selected Advisers LP, Harley-Davidson’s biggest shareholder, also sank $300 million in unsecured loans into the company.
Despite twists and economic downturns as far back as the Great Depression of the 1930s, and then the onslaught from Japanese motorcycle makers in the 1970s and 1980s, Harley-Davidson celebrated its 110th anniversary last year — on the upswing.
Its iconic status seems to be intact. A 2013 Harley-Davidson given to Pope Francis last year by a grandson of the company’s founder to mark the company’s anniversary was sold recently for $327,000 at a Paris auction. Its regular price tag: around $16,000.
In its most recent earnings report, Harley said that it sold 57,415 motorcycles worldwide during the first quarter of 2014, a 5.8% increase over the same quarter last year. This boosted total company revenue by 10%, with earnings up by 22%.
Much of the growth came from international sales, which increased 10.9% over the prior year. Sales in the United States grew by 3% as the company, accustomed to marketing to middle-aged men, made inroads among women, African-American, and Hispanic consumers.
The company also won over buyers by releasing new models that dovetail with its reputation for retro styling. After a five-year hiatus, it brought back the Low Rider — a remake of the original first introduced in 1977 — and other models for urban riding and long-distance touring.
–Fortune
Legend now offers the first of a complete lineup of coil suspension components for Harley-Davidson motorcycles and others.
All New REVO coil suspensions utilize Legends Touring spring rates to produce superior ride quality and performance specifically for all Harley-Davidson FLH touring models. Legends unique spring rates manufactured in extended lengths provide a wider “sweet spot” with minimal pre-load adjustment.
Packing a passenger or changing between different rider weights and loads could not be easier. Rider weights can increase or decrease by 50% or more without requiring additional pre-load adjustments, while offering a superior, all surface ride. Pre-load adjustment is made by hand, no special tools required.
Legend REVO components are machined from 6061 Series aluminum then hard coat anodized, guaranteed to last a lifetime. Internals are tuned via Deflective Disc Valve Damping on top of Legend Airs new high flow piston and low friction seals. This combination reacts immediately to chanking road conditions with improved fluid control, while self-adjusting to road conditions ensuring controlled performance without losing the plush ride quality, or traction.
–Buck Lovell /Senior Editor Bikernetbaggers.com
Lovell Photography & Design
Senior Editorial Contributor: American Iron Magazine, Easyriders Magazine, Hot Bike Magazine, Hot Bike Baggers Magazine, Motorcycle Baggers Magazine, Road Iron Magazine, and Street Chopper Magazine.
B.L.A.B.B. (Buck Lovell’s American Biker Blog)
www.lovellphoto.com / bucklovell@gmail.com / bucklovellsblog@gmail.com
P.O. Box 276
Sturgis, SD 57785
Brian Darwas Hosts a Free Screening of his latest film “This is Long Beach”.
One week from today (Wednesday, April 30th) Cine Meccanica will be hosting a free screening of Brian Darwas’ latest film “This is Long Beach” at Lady Jay’s, 633 Grand St., Brooklyn, NY 11211 (show starts at 8:00pm)
Brian will be there to answer any questions anyone has about any of his movies.
There will also be plenty of parking for your hot rod, custom, bike, etc. . . so come on out and enjoy the nice weather.
The Film’s Synopsis: “Hot rod historian Brian Darwas shadows three generations of custom car & hot rod aficionados, The Long Beach Cavaliers in his latest documentary film, This Is Long Beach. Each generation, from the 1940’s to present, recounts detailed memories and pays homage to the cars that bonded them in a lifelong brotherhood all while chopping and customizing a 1947 Ford in Brad Masterson’s Kustom’s shop in historic Lynwood, California.”
Direct links to selected scenes:
Promo Clip # 1 – http://youtu.be/HbTHhCFiUKc
Promo Clip # 2 – http://youtu.be/H72LZjWX-Xw
Filmmaker’s bio – http://youtu.be/kfBbonV5cts
BRAND New Bikernet Reader Comment!– The Endless Highway – Part Three
http://www.bikernet.com/pages/story_detail.aspx?id=11663
Always enjoy reading your stories Scotty, I hope to run into you this summer at one of the rallies somewhere,
–Houston Weasel Thad Cranford
Clinton, LA
Within the mud and rock enclave, a waterfall, clear and spumescent , cascades forcefully down one side.
The usually gentle waterfall, clearly visible in the moonlight and icily shimmering, had been transformed into a phenomenal spumescent cascade that was magnificent yet uncanny in its magnitude.
— Barbara Taylor Bradford, A Woman of Substance , 1979
ENGINE SCORE OF THE WEEKEND–Only Four X132 Hellcats Remain…
With only 99 examples ever being produced, just four examples remain available.
Don’t let this unique opportunity pass you by.
CALL NOW TO RESERVE YOURS
(205) 460-5855
(First Come First Served)
WEEKEND GUN NUT QUIZ–I’m sure you are an NRA member and a firearms expert.
Can you answer the question?
Are these .44’s caliber or .45’s?
–Bob Clark
An older couple were lying in bed one night. The husband was falling asleep but the wife was in a romantic mood and wanted to talk.
She said: “You used to hold my hand when we were courting.”
Wearily he reached across, held her hand for a second and tried to get back to sleep.
A few moments later she said: “Then you used to kiss me.”
Mildly irritated, he reached across, gave her a peck on the cheek and settled down to sleep.
Thirty seconds later she said: “Then you used to bite my Neck.”
Angrily, he threw back the bed clothes and got out of bed.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“To get my teeth!”
DOWN AT THE RETIREMENT CENTRE
80-year old Bessie bursts into the rec room at the retirement home. She holds Her clenched fist in the air and announces, “Anyone who can guess what’s in My hand can have sex with me tonight!”
An elderly gentleman in the rear shouts out, “An elephant?”
Bessie thinks a minute and says, “Close enough.”
Two elderly ladies had been friends for many decades. Over the years, they had shared all kinds of activities and adventures. Lately, their activities had been limited to meeting a few times a week to play cards.
One day, they were playing cards when one looked at the other and said, “Now don’t get mad at me… I know we’ve been friends for a long time but I just can’t think of your name. I’ve thought and thought, but I can’t remember it. Please tell me what your name is.”
Her friend glared at her. For at least three minutes she just stared and glared at her. Finally she said,
“How soon do you need to Know?”
As a senior citizen was driving down the motorway, his car phone rang. Answering, he heard his wife’s voice urgently warning him, “Vernon, I just heard on the news that there’s a car going the wrong way on M25. Please be careful!”
“Hell,” said Vernon, “It’s not just one car. It’s hundreds of them!”
A little old lady who had lost her marbles was running up and down the halls in a nursing home.
As she ran, she would flip up the hem of her nightgown and say “Supersex.”
She ran up to an elderly man in a wheelchair, flipping her gown at him, she said, “Supersex.”
He sat silently for a moment or two and finally answered, “I’ll take the soup.”
Two elderly women were out driving in a large car – both could barely see over the dashboard. As they were cruising along, they came to major crossroad. The stop light was red, but they just went on through.
The woman in the passenger seat thought to herself “I must be losing it. I could have sworn we just went through a red light.” After a few more minutes, they came to another major junction and the light was red again. Again, they went right through. The woman in the passenger seat was almost sure that the light had been red but was really concerned that she was losing it. She was getting nervous.
At the next junction, sure enough, the light was red and they went on through. So, she turned to the other woman and said, “Mildred, did you know that we just ran through three red lights in a row? You could have killed us both!”
Mildred turned to her and said, “Oh! Am I driving?”
Ridewright Wheels Announces New Forged Line…El Camino Wheels–
Ridewright Wheels, known the world over for their incredible spoke wheels introduces a new line of forged wheels called El Camino Wheels. They’re manufactured to the highest standards utilizing aircraft quality 6061 T-6 billet aluminum.
Strong, beautiful, balanced and complete with a full lifetime structural Ridewright backing, these forged billet wheels are available in polished, chrome or painted to your liking…or can be “Personalized” in a highly customized fashion to work with your ride. No other manufacturer can offer the hundreds of options that Ridewright Wheels offers their customers!
Choose from 19 different designs, all with matching rotors and pulleys available. Worried about scratching a new wheel when mounting a tire? Order a set direct from Ridewright Wheels with your favorite tires mounted and computer balanced.
For more information on Ridewright Wheels, call 714-632-8297; email them at sales@ridewrightwheels.com or visit www.ridewrightwheels.com.
BIKERS INSIDE THE BELTWAY–The Most Important Day to Bikers on the Federal level.
Thursday, May 15, 2014 – Bikers Inside the Beltway
The Schedule is as follows:
Parking: 3rd Street between Madison Drive NW and Jefferson Drive SW directly in front of the Capitol building.
Arrival & Registration: 9:00 am to 11:00 am Attendees will receive lobbying materials and general instructions to help with their day.
The MRF encourages you to schedule appointments with your Representative and Senator’s offices.
Plan your appointments according to your arrival time. If you plan to arrive promptly at 9:00 am, you can schedule meetings anytime from 9:45 am on. If you plan on arriving at 11:00 am at the latest then you can schedule meetings from 11:30 am until 1:15 pm or after the Congressional Program. Should you be unable to get an appointment, plan on dropping by as many offices from your State as you can during that time. Feel free to contact the MRF office with any questions about scheduling or otherwise.
Debrief – Strategy Session
Time to be announced – We will gather to discuss the events of the day and collect information from attendees to move forward with the MRF Legislative agenda.
Friday, May 16th, 2014
Motorcycle Riders Foundation Grass-Roots day, Follow Up, Follow Through session has been cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause.
We do encourage all attendees of our Lobby day, Bikers Inside the Beltway, to visit the new MRF office location and continue any additional lobbying efforts with the help of Jeff Hennie. Jeff will be available to go to Congressional Offices with you on Friday if you so desire. Please contact Jeff to schedule times.
I was in an elevator when the lady (above) got in.
I was staring at her boobs, when she said, “Would you please press 1 for me?”
So I did.
I don’t remember much afterwards….
–Pablo
Childline Rocks Tour 2014, GREAT EVENT!– For the past 4 years Kamloops Harley-Davidson and Kamloops EagleRider have partnered with Childline Rocks, a charitable organization that raises funds through live music performances and other shenanigans for a British charity for children. Kamloops EagleRider is the exclusive Harley-Davidson rental company for this charity and without Kamloops EagleRiders help this ride would not have started 4 years ago.
This spring, if you are in the deep south of the USA, you can expect to see a large group of interesting characters riding Kamloops EagleRider Harley-Davidson motorcycles from Nashville to New Orleans and up to Clarksdale Mississippi, via the historic Blues Music Trail for 8 days. Much effort has been put forth into this project and if all goes as planned, expect to see this tour turned into a television series that will debut in North America in the near future.
Supplying the Harley-Davidson motorcycles, is none other than Al Perrett; owner of Kamloops Harley-Davidson & Kamloops EagleRider Rentals. He is the president of the “Sons of Royalty Canada” and has recently been nominated for the “Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame”. Being 75 years old, he can also boast about being a multiple time and the oldest winner of the Baja 1000 in the past two decades. Als presence during this ride and his business connection is hugely valued to Childline and “The Sons Of Royalty”.
In the past 3 years this ride has been about building awareness of the “Childline” Charity, riding Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and getting the “The Sons of Royalty” together for unbelievable journeys in America. Childline Rocks is the only musical volunteer board for two of the UK’s largest children charities, Childline and the NSPCC (National Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Children)
Since this ride consists of extremely talented people, it only makes sense that “The Sons Of Royalty” play as a band once a year during this ride. The characters that have committed are:
Danny Bowes: Front man of the British rock band “Thunder”,
Peter Shoulder: Front man of the British rock band “The Union”. 1 of only 3 Brits ever to win a WC Handy award from the Blues Foundation of America, the other 2 being Peter Green & Eric Clapton,
Papa George: British Blues Legend who has played with Freddy Mercury, John Lord, Iain Paice, Micky Moody and many more,
Susie Webb: Does vocals for The Who, Queen and the Fabba Girls,
Bobby Tench: Guitar and vocals for Streetwalkers, Van Morrison, Humble Pie (for 3 years the biggest band in the world) and the Jeff Beck Group,
Pete Rees: Longest serving bass player for Gary Moore,
Luke Morley: Does guitar and vocals for “Thunder” and “The Union”,
Chris Childs: Guitar player for “Thunder”, “The Union” and the Ultimate Eagles,
Dave Mcluskey: Drums for “The Union”,
Tim Hinkley: Keyboards and vocals for Elkie Brooks, Sonny Boy Williamson & Ben E. King,
Special thanks to Belt Drive Betty for supplying us the information on this great event.
http://www.beltdrivebetty.com/
–Kevin Chow
BANDIT MISSING! — NO REWARD OFFERED THURSDAY NEWS for April 24, 2014
http://www.bikernet.com/pages/story_detail.aspx?id=11672
Call all the Casinos and Brothels in Laughlin
–Jeff Craig
Myrtle Beach, SC
RIDE BACK—I spoke to Scooter Tramp Scotty the other day. “More and more guys want to live on the road,” Scotty said.
It makes sense. As our society gets more and more restrictive and complicated guys and women will be looking for an escape route. We enjoy working with Scotty, and over the years we have always supported and promoted the roving vagabond.
So, here’s what’s slipping onto the to-do list for this coming week. We are going to battle with the VA. I went to see about bumping up my disability status because I’m riddled with arthritis. Bacteria has been discovered to exasaberate arthritis levels, and I encountered severe infections while aboard the USS St. Paul off the coast of Vietnam. I almost lost a foot twice. So the VA tells me to go after my ship medical records, which I did to some national records center. I received a letter from them, “The VA has your records we don’t.”
What bullshit. Why should I be forced to chase records when they have them.
I’m cruising along with my little Italian and turned down the blues station playing in the Bikernet Van so I can hear her soft voice. At the next stop, I discovered that my brakes are shot. Holy shit, turn the music back up, or get the brakes fixed.
I need to finish my second Chance book. I’ve asked for some help with editing from a best selling author, but I’m not sure that will be forthcoming. I need to crawl out of the sack at the crack of dawn for a few day and scramble through chapter after chapter.
I need to write a feature for American Iron on a local builder we recently discovered through an old High School buddy of mine, Larry St. Marie. And I also need to write a feature for Saddlemen and Hot Bike.
I had a long conversation with Kent Weeks, regarding our streamlined trike project. There is some progress, and I’m planning another run to Texas to pick up the monster in June. Hang on. We are hoping to bring you another report real soon.
Ride Free Forever,
