Hey,
We are scrambling to complete the News on a Wednesday night, ’cause I’m supposed to be shot for a role in a biker movie tomorrow at the crack of dawn. Plus, we’ve been close with our blog re-design three times. Each time it blows up and we start over, but we’re shooting for the extraordinary. The blog will be a precursor of changes to come to Bikernet. http://www.bikernet.com/blog
As far as I’m concerned, we’re not moving fast enough. We’re burnin’ daylight, but it’s all good. Let’s hit the news:
BUDGET BUILDS WITH STYLE AND PERFORMANCE — Once again Illusion has made it possible to get into a serious chopper that is as smokin? hot in appearance as it is a great daily or weekend ride. Simply by doing a little tweaking here and making careful choices there, they are able to offer class act scooters that won?t break the bank.
This particular build uses an Ultima motor, transmission, primary drive, and slightly modified Ultima frame. Illusion fit a DNA front end and wheels, modified HD tank, a custom seat from Danny Grey, a ?two eight? fender, Illusion MAC 10 exhaust, and mild but tasteful paint by Rock n? Roll.
The sanitary switching system is by Grip Ace and for safety purposes they stepped up to PM calipers front and rear. Looking at the bike you?d never know it wasn?t a high dollar piece, but the truth is Illusion has been building these one off, affordable scooters for nearly 30 years and they have proven more reliable than many of the freaked out high dollar customs.
For complete details and availability call 714-894-1942 or catch them on the Web at http://www.illusionmotorcycles.com
NEW FROM SUPERTRAPP TRUE DUALS FOR FLH MODELS– Supertrapp has been used by one of the world?s largest O.E.M.?s for years and has been the Champion of numerous magazine shootouts with a 10-12% horsepower gain. They are the King of bottom-mid range torque with its steady, tough and low rumble.
Constructed of steel, chrome plated shells, mild steel core and double walls help to keep it bluing-free. The race-proven baffle increases torque and horsepower and has a unique internal heat-shield design.
SE?S (Super Elites) are less than 3dB louder than stock pipes and are compatible with a variety of 14 end caps. All end caps also fit H-D? Performance II Mufflers and has a completely re-buildable core and packing.
For applications and specifications, visit www.Bikerschoice.com , or visit one of our many Biker?s Choice? dealers.
Happy Riding!!
–Carmen
THE ALLAH CODE OF THE WEST– An 18-year old suicide bomber blew himself up and appeared before Allah.
He said, “Oh, Allah, I did your bidding, I have a request. Since I’m only 18 and spent all my time in terrorist training school, I never was with a woman. So, instead of 72 virgins, who also won’t know what to do sexually, can I have 72 whores?”
Allah regarded him for a moment then replied, “Actually, the 72 virgins are here in heaven because assholes like you murdered them before they could experience the pleasure of sex.So, you’re here to service them. Since they’re virgins, they’re quite sexually ravenous; and, frankly, you’ll be on constant exhausting duty.”
“The bomber responded, “Well, I guess I can handle with that. How hard can itbe to keep 72 women satisfied for all eternity?”
And Allah replied, “Who said they were women??
–from Chopper Dave M.
Harley-Davidson Launches India Product Lineup at Delhi Auto Expo–On January 5, 2010, Harley-Davidson revealed its motorcycle model line-up for the India market at the Delhi Auto Expo. The company will offer 12 motorcycle models spanning all five families, ranging from the Sportster 883L to the CVO Electra Glide Ultra Classic. Advanced bookings begin in April 2010 for delivery in June 2010 when the first five dealerships are expected to open in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chandigarh. Along with product mix and dealer locations, Harley-Davidson also announced price points for the market in the range of 6.95 to 34.95 lakh rupees (approx. $15,000 to $75,000 USD) due, in part, to a strategic partnership between Harley-Davidson and ICICI Bank of India. ICICI will offer financing options to Indian customers for periods of up to five years.
The Harley-Davidson booth on the expo floor experienced overwhelming attendance numbers throughout the six-day show, with an estimated 2 million people attending the event. The highlight of the announcement was the unveiling of a special edition Fat Boy with custom paint colors of the Indian national flag, which drew cheers from the press corps and onlookers. The special edition Fat Boy will be auctioned off for charity at a later date.
BIKERNET BONNEVILLE PROGRAM EXPANDS FOR 2010–The Department was launched this week, Click Here for the Bonneville Department. I will launch several initial techs over the weekend. The Sponsor Department in now up. Click on the banner above to get involved and support our Bikernet effort.
Hang on for regular update on our progress or obstacles. What the hell. We’ll fight all the way to the salt.
–Bandit
Advanced Motorcycle Training School to Debut at Chicago International Motorcycle Show–
Midwest Police Motorcycle Training of Illinois, which focuses on enhancing the knowledge in advance traffic safety and motor-vehicle operations for both police and civilian motorcycle safety, will debut at the Chicago International Motorcycle Show, running from February 19 to 21. The school will be raffling free motorcycle training at this event.
Midwest Police Motorcycle Training of Illinois offers numerous motorcycling courses varying from the basic level of motorcycling to the most advanced motorcycle training in the country. The school is one of the few motorcycle training programs in the nation that utilize accident reconstruction to help establish field exercises for the courses.
It has been a point of riding educators and schools for some time that, once riders pass the basic motorcycle operators courses, they are put out on the streets without proper follow-up to maintain and build proper skills through motorist training, furthering coordination and physical skills. “Riding advanced cone patterns under slow riding conditions is absolutely critical for enhancing a rider’s skills, it enhances a rider’s confidence as well as muscle memory in emergency situations.”, says O’Connell, Illinois’s Head Instructor. “However as an example, far too often the same rider is not prepared to evade and or perform emergency controlled braking and or evasive operations at typical road speeds followed immediately by escape maneuvers.”
To accomplish this, Midwest Police Motorcycle Training is offering multiple unique courses based on real-life situational training in a controlled environment for the civilian rider. These courses have evolved over time through accident reconstruction analysis. In the end, these courses are focused on motorcycle safety. Historically, this type of training has only been available to police motorcycle officers.
During this Debut at the Chicago International Motorcycle Show, Midwest Police Motorcycle Training of Illinois will be raffling a free Primary Course, as well as having other giveaways during the show on February 19-21, 2010. Moreover, any student that has already signed up for the 2010 Illinois season and wins the raffle will have a credit applied. All motorcyclists interested in advancing their riding skills as well as safe road riding should stop by the Midwest Police Motorcycle Training booth at the show, visit the website at , http://www.midwestofillinois.com or call 630-589-6141.
– – C.S. Berg
Victory Motorcycle Introduces Victory Vegas LE–2010 Victory Vegas Limited Edition represents the leanest and meanest Victory ever offered.
MEDINA, MN (January 22, 2010 ) ? Victory Motorcycles introduces its quickest motorcycle ever produced. The 2010Victory Vegas Limited Edition motorcycle represents the leanest and meanest Victory ever offered. Featuring the Freedom106/6 with Stage 2 cams, The Vegas LE pumps out 97 Horsepower and 113 ft/lb of torque, and features a Bonneville SaltFlats inspired paint scheme to let everybody know how serious it is.
?We wanted to honor racers that have brought Victory Motorcycles to the Bonneville Salt Flats,? says Victory ProductManager Gary Gray. ?Bonneville is one of the most harsh racing environments on the planet, and racers such as GregorMoe, Laura Klock of Klock Works, Matt Waring of MBW and others have helped show the potential of our motorcycles tothe world. So we started with our lightest bike and our largest most powerful engine and added a Limited Edition paintscheme to create a unique motorcycle, plus we priced it aggressively.?
A particularly unique feature of the Vegas Limited Edition is that each owner will choose from one of four color schemesat the time of ordering. The order session will close in February and motorcycles will be delivered in March. A total of100 Victory Vegas LE motorcycles will be built, each one featuring a limited edition plate on the motor. A dedicatedwebsite has been created to order the Vegas LE ? www.victorymotorcycles.com/vegasLE/
The Victory Vegas LE features:
Limited Edition Salt Flats Inspired Paint SchemeVictory?s baddest Freedom 106/6 speed with Stage 2 camsEach of the 100 vehicles is numbered from the factoryBig 106 race plate graphic on the sidesColor Matched Frame and Swing ArmBlacked out forks, engine, and other bitsPassenger Seat and Pegs included (not shown in press images)
Customers choose from 4 different limited edition colors:
Fire Ball Red
Competition Yellow
Pearl White
Turbo Silver
MSRP – $15,999.00
Vegas history (model time line):
2003 Victory Vegas V92 5 Speed
2004 Arlen Ness Vegas V92 5 Speed
2005 Vegas 8-Ball V92 5 Speed
2006 Vegas V100 6 Speed, Vegas 8-Ball V100 5 Speed
2008 Vegas Low V100 6 Speed
2010 Vegas LE with 106/6 with Stage 2 Cams
Hot Bike World Championship special edition–Hot Bike Magazine’s annual World Championship of Custom Bike Building special will hit the newsstands on January 26th and will be on-sale for 90 days (to 27th April).
With an 85,000 print run that celebrates the bikes from last summer’s 6th annual World Championship at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, this is Hot Bike’s second annual World Champs special and, as Source Interlink Motorcycle Group publisher Sean Finley said, “it has immediately become a popular souvenir collectible that Harley riders will read over and over.
“We are proud to be the Official Media Partner to the World Championship of Custom Bike Building as it demonstrates exactly where the center of the Hot Bike brand has always been, right at the heart of the greatest and most exciting design and engineering that the custom motorcycle industry has to offer.”
Click here to subscribe.
If you don’t have access to a newsstand with stocks of the Hot Bike World Championship special, or for whatever reason cannot get hold of a copy, you can call 1-818-716-8000 to place individual orders, or order online at: www.primediabackissues.com. Issue Code is #HB09WC.
U.S. CHOPPERS, THE GOD OF THE BOARDTRACK FRAME STILL SWINGING–We shot this recent Board Track basket build, built by Rick Krost. A magazine recently turned it down, but it will be featured on Bikernet in the next couple of weeks. I dropped him a note recently. He’s currently developing a front end to go with his Board Track frames:
Wow, I have been buried- I keep meaning to call you. I got the package- haven’t had time to open it yet- but I assume it’s the voltage regulator. I am wrapping up the bike with the new front end right now… I’ll bring it over in the truck and we’ll get lunch, pay you for the parts, and talk about everything- and relax!
Hope all is well- very chaotic over here. Don’t sweat the magazine deal – thanks very much for trying- I appreciate it. I approve of a Bikernet feature anytime.
Watch yourself TIG welding- I just got real sick for the first time – it wasn’t good… made me re-think some things…
–Rick
American Motorcycle Specialties Vows to Save Your Butt on Long Hauls–This week we caught up with Joe McNeill of American MotorcycleSpecialties. You may have spotted him at consumer shows across ourland as he works his butt off in his sales booth. Joe sells theComfort Max Ortho-Deluxe Gel Seat Pad, a device he designed to offerlong-haul riders unparalleled comfort on any bike.
At the core of the Comfort Max Ortho-Deluxe Gel Pad is an advancedViscoelastic molded gel that’s used in medical and sportsapplications. Its unique properties include the elimination ofpressure points or “Hot Spots” which can cause rider discomfort. Inaddition to absorbing vibration, small bumps and road irregularities,it helps relieve backache, fatigue, discomfort, soreness and numbness.
?It?s better to get a pad that?s a bit bigger than the pillion pad,?says Joe, ?because a rectangular pad won?t be offering the bestcomfort. For instance our heart-shaped Medium pad is contoured toideally fit a female motorcycle passenger and provides the bestcomfort for that back seat, in spite of being a little wider at theback.?
Pads come in many sizes to fit various applications. Ortho-Deluxe gelpads come with your choice of a Neoprene or Sheepskin cover. Thesheepskin cover provides increased comfort and allows air tocirculate, virtually eliminating perspiration. For complete detailsand all available options call 800-710-7237, go to the online secureshopping site . http://www.amspecialtiesusa.com
SUCKER PUNCH BUILDS CHOPPERS, MANUFACTURES WHEELS, HAS A DRINK LINE, GUITAR LINE AND NOW A DINER. HANG ON FOR RALLY AND MUSIC FESTIVAL– We would like to be put on your website for an event we have coming up. The event is called Suckerpunch Sally Rally & Music Festival. It is on March 20, 2010 at the Louisiana State Fair Grounds in Shreveport, Louisiana. The event starts at 10 A.M. til’. The event will have live music, great vendors, food, custom motorcycles, hot rods, rat rods, custom motorcycle raffle. For more information contact wade @ Suckerpunch Sally’s of Shreveport/Bossier City, LA (318)746-0301
THE SNOW BELT UNCLE MONKEY DOCTRINE–What to do, what to do? Winter can be a difficult time for us bikers in the Snow Belt. Between rebuilding our bikes and trying to stay warm there is a lot of down time as we wait for parts to come in from suppliers, chroming, painting. Some pass the time idly visiting BikerNet or reading the Busted Knuckle Chronicles and the like. Others it is a time to get reacquainted with our love ones that will soon disappear into rear view mirrors once it is time to ride again.
For those like me winter is a time to pick up pen and paper to share the words and thoughts that have seeped into our consciousness as we raced down the open road on steel steeds; sheltered in the isolation and intimacy that only riding can provide. Words spring forth of love and lust, deceit and hatred, friendship and camaraderie. Stories of trips, poems of loss, thoughts of laughter. Insight and foresight rolled into a mosaic of self-expression and communication.
Brightly colored paints and inks spill out the images that words fail to capture. Pictures of the jagged peaks and thundering iron horses, living skies painted by the fleeting sunlight. Pictures of our family and friends. Portraits of fallen brothers. Artwork that society would call “lowbrow”, tacky and tasteless, spread across canvasses on our walls and stitched into our skin, becoming part of our flesh and bone, part of our souls.
Those that like working with their hands will be found out in sheds and Quonsets cutting and bending, twisting and forming small pieces of scrap metal. Old spark plugs and wire worked until they resemble familiar shapes. One after one little motorcycles line up on the workbench like in front of our favourite stop. Lathed and milled miniature parts making detail replicas of their bikes or bikes they wished they owned.
For some miniatures won’t do. Small riding bikes take shape. We see them at the rallies and in the pits scooting our lazy asses across the parking lots in search of trim, parts and more beer. Others turn their talents to build full size statues in honour of the machines that define us, make us who we are. Some are simple and primitive, others elaborate and decorative. They can be found in front of dealerships, resting peacefully in the rafters of favourite drinking holes, adoring the steps of clubhouses.
There is something in the simple form of the motorcycle that draws to us, speaks to us. Perhaps it is in the simple lines, the nakedness, the rawness of a motorcycle that makes us want to emulate it in art. So throw another log on the fire, pour another shot of whisky. It maybe cold outside but the creative fires burn within.
-bad Uncle Monkey
New GPS for Motorcycle Safety and Recovery from IturanUSA–
IturanUSA just announced the release of their latest product, Rideit, a waterproof and shockproof global positioning system (GPS) device designed specifically for motorcycles that is guaranteed to withstand the toughest road and weather conditions.
?Our latest product, Rideit, is the only GPS of its kind that provides users with both a tracking and alarm system security solution for motorcycles,? said Nehemya Zamosh, CEO of IturanUSA. ?While there are hundreds of GPS devices designed for cars and even pedestrians, for the motorcycle industry, there is a huge lack of reliable and durable GPS systems. We developed Rideit as the solution to provide the security and peace of mind motorcyclists want while on and off the road.?
Rideit combines an alarm system and tracking device in one. The product designers paid special attention to details like power consumption and sensor placement, and packaged the device with a remote control. Other notable features include an internal accelerometer sensor which detects change in bike angles and can analyze on-road accidents, five second motion alert feature, and siren and blinkers output. Customers will also enjoy personalized perks such as alert notifications by e-mail or SMS and a back up battery.
Rideit also offers the ability to arm and disarm their motorcycle via cell phone, as well as set Geozones to know when the motorcycle goes in or out of a specified geographic region. To learn more about Rideit and its features, visit www.ituranusa.com.
– – C.S. Berg
WIN A KLOCKWERKS BIKE THIS MONTH WITH AMERICAN IRON–You can win this Brian Klock custom on the cover of American Iron Magazine this month. It is this year’s Official Motorcycle of Daytona Bike Week.
This 168 page March issue features a road test of the Brass Balls Bobber, a feature on Harry Sucher’s 1917 Indian and the usual solid tech and how-to articles.
American Iron Magazine is the best selling Harley-oriented magazine in the world.
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