Hey,
I want to hit on a couple of items quick. I survived Cincy, and it was a helluva show. Just goes to demonstrate how vibrant our small industry is. We’re cooking. On the legislative and EPA side the MRF has been working with the EPA for four years and instituted the 1-bike a lifetime custom completely unhampered by EPA regs for the individual and the 24-show bike exclusion for shops. The V-Twin group with the MIC has worked for 2 years to insure that EPA compatible engine packages will be available in the near future. Plus Senator John Brueggeman from Montana is introducing a bill to allow us to build replica bikes without EPA restrictions. That means that if you buy a new Panhead engine is will note 1948 on the cases and you’ll be able to build a bike under non-existant ’48 regs. That’s a state by state effort and will take the hard work of state rights organizations all across the country to pass. Also, this is another reason to join your local motorcycle rights organization. Many states are still not enforcing many EPA regs. You’re local guys will know and help you in the process of registering any bike.
That’s all good news, plus there’s an effort to insure the strength of our aftermarket through SEMA, the aftermarket Hot Rod association, which will add punch to our efforts, and SEMA will support state rights organizations. It’s all good, plus Bikernet is working to better our relationships with communities through our noise study. In the near future we’ll make our study available to the public. We need to be respectful about motorcycle noise in communities, but the public needs to know that in a very strong sense, loud pipes do save lives. Let’s hit the news:
MC ADVANTAGES FIRST DISTRIBUTOR FOR ROGER GOLDHAMMER–With the introduction of a 2007 catalog, MC Advantages is the first distributor to offer parts from World Champion Roger Goldammer of Goldammer Cycle Works. The first part to be offered is the distinctive Air Time Air Cleaner. This polished stainless steel breather helps to define the Goldammer look that can complement any style of bike. The Air Time is designed for 40mm CV carbs and Delphi? EFI units. It can also bolt onto S&S? and Mikuni? carbs with an adapter from MC Advantages. See your local MC Advantages dealer or log on to http://www.MCAdvantages.com today.
MC Advantages is a distributor of high-performance V-Twin parts based in Grimes, Iowa, serving dealers in the U.S. and abroad. MC Advantages distributes many brands including: S&S? Cycle, Martin Bros.?, Spyke?, Stampede, Prowler?, Bulletpr?f, D&M Custom Cycle, Jims?, Dynatek?, Dakota Digital, Wire Plus, Hooker? and many more.
BETSY’S BIGGEST BACKROAD RIDE YET-MOUNT EVEREST!– All around adventurer and world traveler, “Motorcycle Woman” Betsy Huelskamp, who writes a monthly column on the E-zine www.womenridersnow.com called “Backroads with Betsy” has just signed on to climb her biggest back road yet, Mount Everest. Betsy has just been accepted as the newest member of Discovery Channels 2007 spring Everest Expedition team, led by world- renowned expedition leader Russell Brice.
Last years expedition was an enormously popular 6 part docu-series entitled, “Everest: Beyond the Limit”. It featured ex Hells Angel Tim Medvetz, who missed his summit dream by just 100 meters, when he was forced to turn back due to an oxygen tank that was nearing empty. There were lost lives, lost fingers and toes, and some lost dreams while other realized their dreams. But some dreams were just put on hold. This season Tim will be returning for a second attempt, and will be joined by Russell, and a new team, including Betsy. But each climber has another mountain to hurdle before Everest, and that is raising the $42,000 plus expenses that it takes to put just one man (or woman) on top of the tallest mountain on the face of the earth. It is quite possibly the most difficult challenge a person could risk, physically mentally, and spiritually. But Betsy’s motto has always been, “if you are not living life on the edge, you are missing the view!”
So she is actively in need of sponsors, donations, advertising, gear, ideas, and suggestions!
Best known on her rusted, chopped out old Harley, Betsy has been featured in Motorcycle documentaries on the Discovery Channel, TLC, National Geographic, and the Travel Channel. If you would like to sponsor Betsy, make donations, supply gear, or have suggestions, you can E-mail her at calamitybz@aol.com. A paypal account is now set up on her E-mail address, or you can call her at 818-679-6686. If you would like to speak with Russell Brice about the expedition, he may be contacted at info@himex.com. This expedition leaves April 1st, so we are short on time!!!!! All help will be greatly appreciated!!!!!
— Betsy & friends
BIKERNET’S LANE SPLITTING EXAMINATION–We wanted to know about the laws since we live in California and it’s legal here. We spoke to the President of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, Kirk Willard: “Several years back the then State Cooridnator of ABATE of CA saidit was more important to them to keep that in place than was the helmet lawissue. He claimed it saved untold lives to keep bikes moving and not besitting targets in CA traffic jams
“Interesting, in Europe it is called filtering and many countries allow it asbeing a positive safety tactic.
“I actually did it on a V-Rod in several European countries two summers agoand I thought it was quite useful. Over there carsactually pulled over a few feet as they saw bikes approaching. It did appear thatdrivers were very aware and concerned about bike.”
PATRIOT MOTOR CORPORATION ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT WITH CAMPELL U.S.A., INC.–This is a company that can’t afford to pay their employees, freelance people, dealers or for advertising on Bikernet.
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., Feb. 7, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) (PRIMEZONE) — Patriot Motor Corporation (Pink Sheets:PMCY), parent company of Patriot Motorcycle Corporation, today announced the signing of a Letter of Intent with Campell U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Chinese ATV manufacturer, Jiangxi Campell Co., Ltd., located in Nanchang, China. The Letter of Intent provides for Patriot Motor Corporation, after an initial six-month evaluation period, to have the exclusive right to be the sole distributor in the United States of Patriot Off-Road(tm) all-terrain vehicles manufactured by Jiangxi Campell.Initial ATV and UTV offerings will include the 250cc (4×2) ATV, the 650cc (4×4) ATV and a pair of 650cc UTV’s (2-Seater and 5-Seater). These products are the first Chinese off-road vehicles to incorporate AMT transmissions, a true automotive style transmission that provides for better torque output and rider control. A complete line of accessories is currently available as well from Jiangxi through Patriot, including winches, trailers, plows and alloy chrome wheels. Jiangxi Campell Co., Ltd., backed by the Chinese government, is also committed to working in concert with Patriot to design and manufacture a complete line of sport and utility off-road products to be introduced this month. Under the Agreement, Campell agrees to provide products to Patriot that meets all government (Federal, state and local) compliance requirements.
All four products are scheduled to be introduced at the “DealerNews” Dealer Expo 2007 in Indianapolis, Indiana in mid-February, where representatives from both Patriot and Campell will be available for dealer and sales inquires For more information visit http://www.patriotmotorcycles.com and http://www.steeldreams.tv.The Patriot Motor Corporation logo is available at http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=2159
R-MAX TRIES TO RESURECT PRODUCT CHAIN–Jimmy Lee, President of R-Max, went back to Korea and physically moved the transmission facilities. He said that he did not know how the rumors had started that the company is out of business. Jimmy will be back in his office this Friday and his number is 1-866-762-9872.
-Jeff Najar
THE BIKERNET TIMELINE INVESTIGATION–Scenario: Bandit and Chris get into a fist fight after school.1964 – Crowd gathers. Chris wins, Bandit and Chris shake hands and end up best friends. Nobody goes to jail, nobody arrested, nobody expelled.
2007 – Police called, SWAT team arrives, arrests Bandit and Chris. Charge them with assault, both expelled, even though Bandit started it.
–from Chris T.
STEALTH BIKE SHOP INVESTIGATION–Man it has been cold around the Charlotte area and I for one am counting the days until Spring arrives. I am not a winter person!
Here at STEALTH BIKE WORKS the weather has pretty much frozen traffic in and out of the store. I keep telling people this is the time to do whatever needs to be done to their bikes. but I think that has fallen on deaf ears. Oh well spring is getting close.
You know something has been eating at me this past week. Somethings I always try to be and hold in high regard. I am talking about is being loyal. It seems that there is very little of that left nowadays. You do everything you can for people but no loyalty is ever shown. I see this everyday at the shop. People will sell you out for a dollar. If it is 50 cents cheaper down the road, then that is where they’re going, no matter how much anyone we’ve done for them. That’s part of this business that I really do not like.
This is a true story. A guy comes in, has me look a couple of parts up this week and I give him the price. I have written the part numbers down. When I give him the price he says, “I will look around and check prices.” I tore the number slip and throw it away.
“What did you do that for?” He said. I took the time to look the part numbers up, then prices and you tell me you will look somewhere else? My buddy, Lee Clemens, told the same story at the Easyriders bike show a couple of weeks earlier. He did the same thing. Thanks Lee for the lesson!
I really try to go beyond helping people at SBW but you have to draw a line. As every shop owner knows, you have to pay bills. It gets frustrating sometimes that people do not understand this.
STEALTH BIKE WORKS is an honest shop and we are just trying to make a living like everyone else. We are not a boutique, we are a get-down to business shop and maybe that does not appeal to some people, but that’s what we are about. No matter what price you give some people, it’s too high. With that being said, they will drive down the road and spend an extra $20/ hr. to have their bike worked on cheaply. I guess they like to spend that money.
This is a tough business and you earn every penny you get. Hey, be loyal to your local bike shop. He is there for you. If you think about it, he probably does a lot of little things that you don’t think about or put much value on. Like his home number or cell number in case of an emergency or break down. Like picking your bike up and delivering it for either no charge or a very small charge to cover gas expenses.
Most of us who run our own shops never opened them with the idea of getting rich, we did it because it is what we love to do, nothing more. Sometimes it gets real hard to keep the faith.
Until next week, RIDE!
–STEALTHMAN
NEW BIKERNET OFFICE WORDS FOR 2007–Essential vocabulary additions for the workplace (and elsewhere)!
1. BLAMESTORMING: Sitting around in a group, discussing why a deadline was missed or a project failed, and who was responsible.
2. SEAGULL MANAGER: A manager, who flies in, makes a lot of noise, craps on everything, and then leaves.
3. ASSMOSIS: The process by which some people seem to absorb success and advancement by kissing up to the boss rather than working hard
4. SALMON DAY: The experience of spending an entire day swimming upstream only to get screwed and die in the end.
5. CUBE FARM: An office filled with cubicles.
6. PRAIRIE DOGGING: When someone yells or drops something loudly in a cube farm, and people’s heads pop up over the walls to see what’s going on.
7. MOUSE POTATO: The on-line, wired generation’s answer to the couch potato.
8. SITCOMs: Single Income, Two Children, Oppressive Mortgage. What Yuppies get into when they have children and one of them stops working to stay home with the kids.
9. STRESS PUPPY: A person who seems to thrive on being stressed out and whiny.
10. SWIPEOUT: An ATM or credit card that has been rendered useless because magnetic strip is worn away from extensive use.
11. XEROX SUBSIDY: Euphemism for swiping free photocopies from one’s workplace.
12. IRRITAINMENT: Entertainment and media spectacles that are Annoying but you find yourself unable to stop watching them.
13. PERCUSSIVE MAINTENANCE: The fine art of whacking the crap out of an electronic device to get it to work again. Often feel like doing this to my computer——
14. ADMINISPHERE: The rarefied organizational layers beginning just above the rank and file. Decisions that fall from the adminisphere are often profoundly inappropriate or irrelevant to the problems they were designed to solve.
15. 404: Someone who’s clueless. From the World Wide Web error Message “404 Not Found,” meaning that the requested site could not be located.
16. GENERICA: Features of the American landscapes that are exactly the same no matter where one is, such as fast food joints, strip malls, and subdivisions.
17. OHNOSECOND: That minuscule fraction of time in which you realize that you’ve just made a BIG mistake. (Like after hitting send on an email by mistake).
18. WOOFS: Well-Off Older Folks.
19. CROP DUSTING: Surreptitiously passing gas while passing through a Cube Farm.
– Author Unknown
–from Joe Lankau
OLD BRIDGE TOWNSHIP RACEWAY PARK’S KRAWIEC HIRED AS SECOND RIDER FOR SCREAMIN’ EAGLE RACING– MILWAUKEE (Feb. 8, 2007) – Eddie Krawiec has been named as the second rider on the Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson factory supported NHRA team, it was announced today.
Krawiec, 30, will join Andrew Hines, 23, on the team that is coming off a third consecutive NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Motorcycle championship-winning season.
“This is something I’ve been after for a long time,” Krawiec said. “It has taken a day or two to realize that it’s actually happening. I’ve been around drag racing for a long time and I hope my past experience is going to help make the transition smooth.”
Krawiec, a former AMA Prostar series racer, has been a full-time employee of Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J., since 1999 and has been the drag strip manager since 2001. He has made eight appearances at NHRA national events but has yet to qualify for final eliminations. He’s hoping that changes in a few weeks when the NHRA’s season opener for Pro Stock Motorcycle takes place at Gainesville Raceway, March 15-18.
“I didn’t have the benefit of the knowledge and equipment the Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines team has until now,” Krawiec said. “I think that is going to make all the difference and I can’t wait to get to the first event and be part of this championship-winning team.”
Harley-Davidson Racing Manager Anne Paluso said adding any new teammate can present its challenges, but it won’t be anything the crew isn’t prepared for.
“The team sees a lot of potential in bringing a relative unknown into the sport,” Paluso said. “Andrew has three championships, (crew chief) Matt Hines has three championships and (team owners) Terry Vance and Byron Hines bring decades of experience to the team. All of that is going to help Eddie become a more competitive rider. He has a big learning curve to attack, but we have the best team possible in place to make sure we have a solid two-bike team.”
Krawiec earned nine victories in 23 final rounds of AMA Prostar competition. His career-best E.T. in NHRA competition is a 7.254-second pass in Reading 2004 and his best speed is a 186.02 mph from Reading in 2005.
THE RIGID FRAME DOCTRINE QUESTIONED– I was always want to read peoples’ thoughts on rigid frame over suspensionframes. Being that this generation is mostly high tech, people tend to go with the best in whatever theyare buying cars, boats,bikes, etc. They end up wanting the best available to them, from comfort creaturesand high tech dodads. But when most people end up building a chopper or custom bike, rigid is king.
I find that very interesting. I personally have a ’93 Fat Boy which was my first American bike. I am startinga rigid WCC CFL 2-up-1 out, 38 degree rake build this year(when money permits).
As I looked more and moreat rigid frames they just appealed to me more. I guess it is the clean simple lines and that tough stance theyhave that made me like them more. And maybe too much now, ’cause that is all I freakin’ think is building thatdamn bike!
Well that’s it. I would think it would make an interesting article. Love to see what other peoplesay about this subject. Keep up the great work!
— Eric Fertig
Ericshd@aol.com
I’ll try to keep this brief since it’s news day, but here’s my rigid two cents. First, you’re right. You can’t beat the styling and the stance. Regarding new tech and suspension, I prefer a rigid over a lowered Softail. A rigid can ride well and handles better than a Softail with a few elements. First a rigid is generally 150 pounds lighter and narrower by a couple of inches for better turning and ground clearance. With a sprung seat, rubber pegs and grips and vibration damping in the bars they will handle and have more seat suspension that a lowered Softail. That’s my line and I’m sticking with it. RFFR–Bandit
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