This is one of those mornings. Our code is romance and motorcycles. I just had surgery, can’t chase women or ride. Just getting around is a pain, so what gives?
On the other side of the coin are looming deadlines runs and projects. They don’t go away, and I’m glad they don’t. The next King tech for American Rider is due in less than a week. Even though I’m popping pain pills and shots of whiskey I needed to haul my ass to the Long Beach Cycle Show and swapmeet for something ridiculously simple, two reflectors. I cut the horse shoe tab off the rear of the King strap that holds the license plate. We plan to mount the plate to the fender. We decided, after the cuts, to install a couple of orange reflectors to the ends. I needed those puppies. Let’s get to the news, then I’ll complete my bullshit tale of pain vs. getting into gear. I can’t stand sitting on my ass:
The Enthusiast By David Uhl
Chicks Rule, Woman Rider, I Ride My Own, Women and Harley-Davidsons. David Uhl contemplates his latest project for Harley-Davidson’s 100th Anniversary and suddenly he is overcome with angst. Realizing that this must be a monumental painting, the pressure mounts as his deepest desire is to be able to say, “I saved the best for last.” A solitary image is stuck in his mind and that is of a woman sitting on her bike reading Enthusiast magazine. The photo came from Harley-Davidson’s archives. Thus the original concept is born.
The harrowing part is constructing the image from the ground up. All the pieces of the puzzle must fit. Out for a cruise on a spectacular day, she stops by the Post Office to pick up the latest edition of the Enthusiast and decides to kick-back for a bit. “Part of what the painting is saying is that Harley-Davidsons and sunshine are like two peas in pod. The good feeling is indescribable,” Uhl states. “People who ride tend to prefer the sunny side of life.” At this point we notice the date on the magazine, 1953, which happens to be Harley-Davidson’s 50th Anniversary. Our eyes begin to explore the rest of the scene.
The beauty of this painting is in capturing all the significant details in the foreground with light. Illumination accentuates the main subjects and frames the focus of the painting. The technique is called “Classic Light and Shadow”. Although the background is significant to the story, Uhl portrays it subtly or as a suggestion while colors dance in the shadows and bleed into atmospheric shapes.
Uhl says, “I’m very pleased that the painting came off as good as it did; every brushstroke was a major challenge. Knowing that all of the artists associated with the 100th Anniversary raised the bar to the highest level, I felt this painting had to reach that peak. The jury may be out but I feel I gave it my all.” David Uhl continues to connect us with what Harley-Davidson is and has always been about. I think every enthusiast will relate on some level with this painting and realize that we’ve got a pretty good thing going on.
–Ron Copple
800-999-1297
Cantina’s Looking For A Few Good Girls
We will continue to build the Babe section of the Cantina with more babes until you’ll have a new babe twice a day. You could help by sending shots of your girl to Sinwu@Bikernet.com. If she represents your shop or business we’ll slip your banner into the section along with the shot for ever-more.
Tara, above would like to be featured in a magazine and we’re trying to steer her in the right direction. Watch for her in coming months.
Thought You Would Enjoy This!
It is a Great photo of an Air Force training squadron flying in a never-done-before “USA” formation over the control tower “Taj Mahal” (HQ building) of Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.
Pray for all our young men and women serving our country and going into danger that we might preserve our Freedom. And pray for wisdom for our leaders.
–from Buckshot
Daytona Tease
This 60-inch hot rod with 45 cases and Sportster top end will finish off under 350 pounds. Some really bitchen pieces are on the Brown truck heading this way. It will be in Daytona.
Here’s Sawsall, chuck (from RC components), and myself with the progress we made in the last little while. Right foot bake and almost left foot shift for now
–Hackasaw
CrazyHorse Painter’s Report
I just completed my yearly killer show bike paint job. I usually spend one week on it; this year three weeks and 210 hours. It’s fricking great. I was hoping it would be. It just gets harder and harder to come up with the ideas it takes to win shows. It’s already flipping people out. But I didn’t have time for anything other than that bike for the past 3 weeks. I’m not posting any pics until it’s shot. The design would be copied by other painters too fast. There’s nothing like it out there.
I’m still slammed but at least I can take the time to brush my teeth and hug my hubby. I got to get a few more jobs out before Tahiti. Cos I’m going to Tahiti, I’m skipping Daytona. There’s just too much work on my plate and if we go to war, it may be like the last time 10 years ago, paintwork dried up faster than you can imagine. I ended up closing my shop and working the graveyard shift in a diner by the interstate. I was an awful waitress, kept dropping things, breaking dishes, ect. So I’m taking all the work I can get and trying to do it all and build up a reserve. Plus I need funds so Jim and I can make the most out of our honeymoon trip.
This will be the first Daytona I have missed in 10 years. But hey I ain’t never been to a real tropical island. Key West don’t count. The prez of the bike club I belong to is meeting me during my layover in LA. We’re having lunch in Marina Del Ray at the Cheesecake Factory. I get in at 4:30pm. Jim and me even got our passports.
BTW, I love my Bikernet sweatshirt. It’s so comfy. I’m wearing it right now. It has quicky become my favorite.
–JoAnn
Crazy Horse Painting
Budget Cuts Motorcycle Education Program
The current situation in Utah called us all to attention.–Rogue
The following from Chris Bojanower; Utah: ” On Tuesday, Feb. 18th, the Utah Executive Appropriations Committee moved to take funds from the account reserved for Motorcycle Rider Education and spend it on the state’s budget. This move could end affordable Motorcycle Rider Education in Utah.
“This is a program that was created by motorcylists, for motorcyclists and has never cost the non-motorcyclist citizens of Utah one cent in its 10 years of operation. It has trained well over 3000 new motorcyclists in Utah and many motorcyclists attribute the declining motorcycle death rate in Utah to this program. “At last night’s Executive Appropriations meeting Sen. Buttars (R-Salt Lake) was quoted as saying he had “TAKEN THE MOTORCYCLE TRAINING MONEY” and “I IMPLORE YOU TO IGNORE ANY CALLS FROM THE BIKERS, IT’S JUST A LITTLE TRAINING PROGRAM.”
–Karen Bolin kbolin53@attbi.com WRRA
Daytona Could Be Down This Year
A weakened economy and the threat of war apparently put a damper on this year’s Speed Week, among the area’s hotel industry.
And that may have just been the tip of the iceberg, some tourism leaders say as they tinker with their minimum-stay requirements. Bookings for Bike Week, which normally attracts about 360,000 over a 10-day period, according to a University of Central Florida study, are down at a time when the area is getting increased competition from Orlando for the event.
After years of imposing a five- or seven-night minimum stay for guests here for Speed Week, hotelier Gary Brown was forced to drop down to a three-night stay this year.
“We (finally) filled up, but it took us right down to the wire and it was nip and tuck,” Brown said Thursday.
The owner of the Sun Viking Lodge in Daytona Beach Shores said he was not the only area hotelier on edge during the event, which leads off the area’s Special Event season and attracts about 500,000 visitors.
“Area hotels were definitely light during Speed Week,” Brown said earlier this week at the bimonthly meeting of the Halifax Area Advertising Authority. The 11-member board uses bed-tax dollars collected at area hotels to promote the area to tourists.
Several authority board members and others in the industry are forecasting a lighter than usual turnout for Bike Week, scheduled March 1-9. They blamed the recession, the crackdown on businesses during last year’s Biketoberfest and war fears.
Reports of the crackdown have been widely circulated in biker circles and now some are deciding to take their business elsewhere, Davis said.
“We don’t want to go where we are not wanted. That is the biker’s motto,” he said.
What some one should tell these people is that the less than friendly attitude of the city is helping to lower room bookings. People are staying out of town because of lower room rates and NO MINIMUM stay requirements.
Orlando is looking to hurt Daytona also. More and more people are booking out of the Daytona Beach area and Day Tripping in to see the events they want and then getting out to a more friendly enviroment.
–ROGUE
TRIPLE THREAT By Scott Jacobs
Over the last couple of years artist Scott Jacobs has produced, on canvas, some truly spectacular images of Harley-Davidson racing legends. Titles include: “Ultimate Champion” (S. Parker) “No Looking Back” (Springer and W. Davis) “Springer Slide” and “Parker Slide”. This series has been extremely popular with HD dealers and race fans cross the country.
Given that Scott is always on the look-out for “the ultimate shot”, he was made aware that a photo existed depicting one of the most exciting finishes in all of racing: the 1998 Springfield Mile with Parker, Springer and Carr all crossing the line in unison. The original photograph was taken by amateur photographer and huge flat-track fan Ray Stockus. Ron Copple, sales director of Segal Fine Art, tracked Ray down and obtained the original photo for Scott to use as research for Triple Threat. Copple had originally seen the image on the cover of the Springfield Mile program from 1999.
Jacobs now had everything he needed to proceed with the painting. Jacobs fretted about the background and how to create the illusion of speed; a most difficult aspect to project on canvas. Eventually he figured it out and after about 3 weeks and 150+ hours, the painting was completed. If ever there was a painting classified as an instant classic; this is the one. We hope you like it.
— Ron Copple Hang On Danni Ashe Is Back Yep, we ran Danni’s banners in the Laugh Room for the first couple of years of operation. Now she’s the only connection for sexy goodies on the site and only in the Cantina, LawLess area. We didn’t think much of the last sight but knew you guys needed a good, reliable connection. I knew Danni as only a friendly reliable model, when I was at Easyriders. She has alway run a tight business and rocked the internet world. So this is a site you can depend on. No rip-offs or bullshit. Let us know what you think. The Bikernet Blonde Connection A blonde pushes her BMW into a gas station. She tells the mechanic it died. After he works on it for a few minutes, it is idling smoothly. She says, “What’s the story?” He replies, “Just crap in the carburetor.” She asks, “How often do I have to do that?” –from Rev CarlR Hot New Billy Lane Custom This is a tease, a scoop, as few will see this light, hot rod before it is revealed at the VQ Bikers Ball in Daytona and auctioned off to the highest bidder. As usual Billy Lane creates something entirely different and innovative (check the exhaust). The Bikers Ball was designed to help the kids of the Boys and Girls Club of Southern Florida (Broward County). If you want to spend some intimate time with the top builders in the industry, have a helluva feast and get in on a very special auction, that will include this bike, don’t miss the VQ Bikers Ball in Daytona. Call (818) 889-8740 for more information. Oh, shit, I forgot. We’ll feature this bike next week. Don’t miss it. Time To Kick Back–It’s Sunday and the swapmeet run was a breeze. Less that 50 feet past the gate was a booth packed with trinkets, license plate rings, dice valve stem covers and reflectors. For three bucks my mission was accomplished. I was moving at a snail’s pace, but couldn’t bail. We moseyed up and down a couple of aisles, bought a 5-Ball key chain and discovered Popeye on a cast iron motorcycle. Did you know that a woman on the Bikernet staff is directly related to Popeye? That’s a story for the Digital Discovery department. We’ll work on it. In the meantime I’m after another shot of Jack, a handful of pain killers and the energy to hit the garage to mount the reflectors. Have some fun goddamnit.–Bandit
800-999-1297 
