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SUNDAY POST READER REVIEW– Just finished The Sunday Post and feel smarter as usual. I’m getting more worried about these noise nazis in search of a shortcut to our wallets. They are glad to collect sales tax on these aftermarket systems but then arrest us for using ’em. Maybe someone smarter than me should run the numbers showing the revenue loss in regard to more OEM dealers like the Trenton N.J. folks who went all out to live their dream, now gone. Should we stay in and text each other on our quiet iPhones and play biker on our quiet Wii game systems???I hope not!
–Mike
BIKERNET WEEKLY PHOTO-ART EXHIBIT– Those hills haunt me this time of year when I can’t be there – they won’t stop calling.Help a brother out and send me your Badlands pics.
–Whiplash Biker Photog
soffordphotos@comcast.net
THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY FROM THE HIWAY DOCTRINE–Sadly the story of dealerships, old and new, closing, is happening all over the country. While the first reaction is to lay the blame at Harley’s feet for their demands that dealerships upgrade their stores and move next to major thoroughfares, their focus on expensive accessories and motorcycles, and their corporate shift from a family-run business to a large corporation, the economy is probably the major culprit.
When you’re trying to pay your mortgage and bills, that new chrome doohickey or that new jacket have to wait. When you can barely afford gasoline to get you to vital job interviews, gasoline for the Harley isn’t an option. When you’re trying to sell your Harley to make ends meet, that last thing you want to do is think about Harleys. And when you’re trying to keep the bill collectors at bay, there is no room for a dealership visit. All those challenges trickle down to the dealerships themselves.
If customers are busy trying to keep out of the poorhouse, they don?t visit bike shops. Then, ultimately, with no customer traffic to keep THEM afloat, the dealerships go under too. These are dark days for EVERYONE.
NO one saw the coming market crash. Let’s hope that in the boardrooms in Milwaukee, the old skool staffers are telling the bean counters that “Enough is enough. It’s time to return to the values that made Harley great.” If Harley doesn’t have a serious self-assessment and re-direction of their marketing strategies, they may very well not survive as a corporation.
On a happier and hopeful note, I just stopped in to see John ?Tuggy? Harper, Marty Schilber, and Justin Kurland at a new indy shop about a mile from my house here in Novato. This, my friends, is a group of mechanics/riders that have returned to their roots.
They started their business about a year ago, with 15 rental bikes. Tuggy went in to business with Justin Kurland, getting a small spot in Justin?s warehouse. It was a good solid business, but bike rental is a very high risk business and the profit margins can be small. But it kept growing.
In the past months a little magic happened to these guys. They started the business on the side, and then within a few months of each other, left their full time jobs at the local Harley dealership (why they left is a story for another time). And now, business is booming for them. How did this happen?
As soon as people heard Tuggy and Marty were working together (Tuggy had been a senior mechanic at the local Harley dealer and Marty was the head mechanic), riders started bringing their bikes to the new shop to get them fixed. The reputations of these two guys are incredible. Tuggy (he got his name because he used to be a tug boat mechanic) and Marty have forgotten more about Harleys than most of us will ever know. They have always been honest with their customers, and you can take their work and their advice to the bank.
Because of their solid reputations, the “rental” shop has now turned into a full blown repair shop, old skool style. In spite of a deep recession that is gutting dealerships and getting people thrown out of their houses, business is booming for these guys, They are so busy they are scheduling customers weeks out and their rental bikes only come in for service before going right back out again.
The place is a mess, because they’re growing so quickly they don’t have time to get things right, but good work is being done there. Eventually they’ll get things straightened out. The area around the lifts, though, is clean, organized, and focused. A few minutes in the shop and you know these guys are serious about what they do. It?s chaos, but business is booming, and has always been the case, the work on the bikes is without question the best you can get. They assure me they?re going to sweep up eventually, but I?m not taking bets. I think they?ll move to a larger shop before that happens.
Maybe this is what is happening all over America. There is a resurgence of the old skool shops, where the owner works on your bike while you sit on a ratty old couch and read a 2 year old magazine with your feet up on a stack of cases of 20w50. Twenty feet away from your boots, the owner is working on your bike, and talking to you over his shoulder as he works, and if he needs a third hand, you get your sorry carcass off the couch and go help him, being sure not to trip on the dog bone laying on the floor where the shop dog left it.
THIS is the kind of shop that I love, as do most of us who have been Harley freaks for decades. This kind of shop is where the life blood of Harley and the lifestyle flows. Check ?em out at www.motohavenmotorsports.com.
–Hiway
PS. Also, these guys will come and get broken bikes almost any time of the day or night. There’s a hotel about 100 yards from their shop, so if a rider needs repairs and a place to stay, it’s all good. Their number is: (415) 827-5911
KIWI INDIAN ROAD STORY COMING TO BIKERNET–A 1000 mile Death Valley Tour in 48 hours. I rode a’53 Chief in100 deg + temps, over6000 ft passes, 11,000 ft mountains and 282 ft below sea level (lowest point in the US) within 2hrs of each otherOne of the most beautiful places in the US
I love riding my old stuff all over the country.
–Mike
Watch for the feature on Bikernet next week.–Wilburn Roach
DEMENTED PROSE FROM BUCKSHOT–
Life?s road myself
Just the other day
And a sign I saw
Said Heaven?s Bar
And an arrow showed the way
A rowdy group of angels
at the bar were looking mean
Outside were Harley Davidsons
Not a chariot to be seen
Their harps were leaning by the door
All tarnished up and green.
I asked ?what kind?a place is this??
?Oh, yes?, they all assured me,
?and he?ll come in soon for fun?
For this is where the bikers go
When their earthly days are done.
Then one pulled out a bible
And read a verse for me
And at that very moment
My eyes began to see
That this was part of Heaven
That was always meant to be.
For right there in the Gospel was
For all the world to see
The reason they were gathered there
All waiting patiently:
?He will return upon his Triumph
And his followers will Angels be!?
–Buckshot
LATEST TAPERED LEG SPRINGER FROM PAUGHCO– Paughco, manufacturers of the most respected and sought after line of custom and OEM style Springer front ends, recently unveiled an entirely new collection of their trend setting TAPERED LEG SPRINGERS. Shown here on Perewitz awesome ?45? they feature the company?s exclusive, tapered rear legs for superior strength and OEM appearance.
These latest front ends are offered in sizes ranging from stock to 24? over in increments of 3?. You can order either the traditional Wide Style with or without the factory style shock, or you can choose Paughco?s popular Narrow Chopper design.
While the standard finish is Paughco?s legendary chrome, bare metal or powder coat are offered as options. 100% manufactured in the USA, from the sizing and intricate tapering process through meticulous welding, polishing and in house chrome, Paughco?s latest collection of TAPERED LEG SPRINGERS represent the very finest in American craftsmanship and ingenuity.
Catch the entire Paughco lineup at www.paughco.com. Phone direct to 775-246-5738 or
email info@paughco.com .
MILWAUKEE IRON ON THE AUCTION BLOCK– You heard this news yet? Randy Simpson at Milwaukee Iron posted onhis facebook page this morning:”Milwaukee Iron will be going on auction August 27th, 2009. If you have anyinquiries please do not hesitate to call and ask. Everything is on sale.434-385-1044″
He went on in further comments to say the economy is just too much and he’sselling the business… Bikes, equipment and the building.
–Sam
The NASWA Resort Creates a Stimulus Package with NO Federal Deficit!–Realizing that Americans everywhere are struggling to balance their own budgets, the NASWA Resort has held prices steady and offers 2009 Summer Savings Stimulus Package to Stimulate Your entertainment and dining enjoyment!
Plan YOUR early July Day-cation & SAVE!The NASWA offers an Early Summer Sizzling Saver deal! (limited availability?so call now!) Just book a night or two getaway, July 1-15 at $59/night. Call 603-366-4341 for details and enjoy a quick summer escape!
The NazBar Beach Bar Has You COVERED! It CAN?T rain ALL Summer!Don?t let Mother Nature keep you in! The NazBar Beach Bar has weatherproof tents, heaters, music and great food and drinks! New flat screen TV?s carry the sports action to help you pass the rainy days and nights! Live music Wednesday evening, Saturday & Sundays. (see www.naswa.com for band listings)
BIKERNET TO PARTICIPATE IN STURGIS MOTORCYCLE RALLY AFTERMARKET ROUNDTABLE–Thank you again for participating in the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Aftermarket Roundtable.
The Aftermarket Roundtable is being presented in the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Expo Theatre on Tuesday, August 4, 2009 at noon and will feature nationally recognized product manufacturers and suppliers of the V-Twin aftermarket along with moderator Keith ?Bandit? Ball.
As you know, the event is presented with an open exchange of dialog between the panelists as directed by Keith and closes with a Q & A session with the public.
Panelists include industry professionals Randy Aron of Cycle Visions, Scott Hodgson of Progressive Suspension, Holger Mohr of Custom Chrome, Grady Pfeiffer of GH Marketing, and Ted Sands of Performance Machine.
Thank you again and I look forward to providing the riders at Sturgis with a great experience.
–John
SCORPION JACKET BIKERNET GIVE-AWAY RECIPIENT– Thank you guys for the m/c jacket. Couldn’t believe it. A bunch of us get together every year for what we call the OMJ. We honor and remember the Old Man Jim, Little John, Flat Black Mac, and many others.
It started after the Old Man got killed and Mr. G got out of the joint. Then just after the first OMJ…Little John died. We just had either the 19th or 20th year this June (there’s controversy on the year…the t-shirts say 19th and the stickers say 20th).
Anyway, the old friend I wanted the jacket for is doing much better these days and has pretty much returned to his former self. I appreciate your generosity.
–Sam Burns
MONGOL MC Doc Cavazos Flipped– Right this minute, open a beer or pour a shot. Walk outside and spill some on the ground. Love them or hate them, the Mongols Motorcycle Club will be missed.
Ruben ?Doc? Cavazos flipped on January 23rd. He seems to have gone quickly and easily. He was the very first Mongol to plead guilty to count one of the indictment. He confessed that he led a murdering, drug dealing criminal conspiracy called the Mongols Motorcycle Club. He also confessed ?that the Mongols Registered Trademarks afforded a source of influence over the RICO enterprise that defendant admits he established, operated, controlled, conducted and participated in the conduct of?.?
?As part of his guilty plea (Cavazos) agreed to the forfeiture of all right, title andinterest in certain assets acquired or maintained by him as a result of his violation of (the RICO statute) including?the ?Mongols Registered Trademarks? or ?marks?? and admitted that the marks were subject to forfeiture to the United States.
The government has also cited the guilty pleas to Count One of the Indictment by numerous defendants besides Cavazos as proof that the Mongols Motorcycle Club is a criminal conspiracy and the name and patch are subject to forfeiture. The government has argued that the pleas demonstrate ?a nexus between the violation of which the defendant has been convicted (or to which he has pled) and the property sought.?
Very soon, perhaps as early as Monday, July 6th, Judge Florence-Marie Cooper will authorize the enforcement of that seizure. Last weekend at a Mongols party, sources have told this page, ATF Agents seized a box of Mongols shirts. Those agents were either jumping the gun or they were practicing.
The day before that party, Assistant United States Attorney Steven R. Welk, Head of the Asset Forfeiture Section, had Cavazos? attorney, Angel Navarro show Cavazos the final draft of a ?Memorandum of Points and Authorities? and the government?s ?proposed Preliminary Order of Forfeiture of Registered Trademarks.? Cavazos agreed to allow the forfeiture to begin now.
Technically, the forfeiture of the club trademarks are part of Cavazos? sentence so the government needed his permission to start that part of his punishment now, before he is formally sentenced.
As soon as Judge Cooper approves the proposed order, the Department of Justice will begin running legal advertisements in newspapers announcing the forfeiture. The forfeiture will become irrevocable and final when Cavazos is formally sentenced. He is now scheduled to be sentenced on February 22nd, 2010.
Doc Cavazos
The Mongols current troubles seem to spring from the day Doc Cavazos joined the club.
By his own account, Cavazos joined the Mongols without prospecting. In his first year, he has said, he recruited 200 new members who were more loyal to him than to the established hierarchy of the Mongols.
Cavazos may have reached his zenith on May 30, 2008. That evening Cavazos, his son, Lil? Rubes, and three other Mongols attended the ?Book Expo Celebrity Dinner? at a highly regarded place called Restaurant 208 in Beverly Hills. The Mongols were the honored guests of celebrity agent Alan Nevins.
Three months later, Cavazos was voted out of the Mongols in bad standing. Six weeks after that, the Department of Justice unleashed an army of militarized police to arrest Mongols in six states. Three months after that, seven months after his celebrity dinner, he gave up his club.
–from www.agingrebel.com
–from Rogue
RAKED TRIPLE TREES–I have a 1996 Sportster 1200 stock, am wanting to stretch her out alittle with 5 degree triple trees, how far will that extend my front endand should I extend my tubes at what lenght if any to stay in a goodhandling range.
–FAST EDDY
I’m against using severely raked triple trees on a stock frame. You lose too much trail and stability. You should rake the frame first.–Wrench
BURLY BAGGER BARS– Custom baggers (in particular, bikes with Batwing fairings) require a custom bar, and Burly isn?t afraid of the challenge. Additional bends, compound curves and for the 2008 and newer models a fly by wire throttle system. All fairly daunting challenges, but not for a company that?s been committed to custom for the last 15 years.
Measuring in at an ideal 13? tall and 1 1/4? around, the Burly Bagger Bars just crest the fairing, taper smoothly into the hand controls and are dimpled and drilled for internal wiring. CNC bent curves snake around gauges and avoid interfering with speakers or fairing mounted mirrors, all the while offering the optimum in style and rider comfort.
Check out the Burly web site or contact your local dealer to get a set and look for additional products to join our already proven line in the very near future.
Burly Brand
6900 Marlin Circle
La Palma, CA 90623
Phone 888-367-1871
info@burlybrand.com
www.burlybrand.com
SCOTT JACOBS BOOK SOON TO BE RELEASED–In a few short weeks we will have available Scott?s brand new coffee table book (over 300 pages) which details his incredible career spanning over 30 years. This is the most comprehensive retrospective of his life and artworks ever compiled including interviews, pictures of ALL his paintings, pics and comments by celebrity collectors, stories and family photos.
You won?t want to miss out on this limited publication and if you order through Scott Jacobs? Studio your book will be hand signed and dedicated to you and your loved ones by Scott. We are currently taking pre-publication orders so be one of the first to receive this magnificent collector?s item to enjoy for years to come.
Also Scott will be personally appearing at Southern Tier Harley-Davidson in Binghamton NY from 7/9-7/11 with an exceptional collection of his work on display. Please call 607-773-0264 for details and times. Stay tuned for upcoming show and appearance schedules. Scroll down to see cover.
Direct Studio Line: 858-756-6725
–Ron Copple
Scott Jacobs Studio
303-431-4453 www.scottjacobsstudio.com
www.scottjacobsstudio.com
NINO 925 SAVES HISTORIC BANDIT RING– It’s coming very close to completion. Frank was able to re-engineer the ring of the biker gods in less than two weeks. He is capable of making shop or club rings out of silver, white gold or gold. Hang on for more NINO 925 rings in the near future.
IS CLAY DOUGLAS A RIGHT WING EXTREMIST?– IS HE POTENTIALLY A HOMEGROWN TERRORIST?DOES HE HAVE A RIGHT TO HIS OPINIONS AND TO MAKE KNOWN HIS FINDINGS? IS HE ANTI-GOVERNMENT OR A PATRIOTIC AMERICAN VETERAN?
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK Send us a comment or a suggestion to be posted in my guestbook.
E-Mail Clay
THE BROKEN SPOKE LEGENDS GALLERY– Jay Allen is proud to announce the addition of a fine art gallery to the Broken Spoke, Sturgis County Line, located on route 79 in Sturgis South Dakota. The Broken Spoke Saloon has been a long-time supporter of the artistic community within the motorcycling world and Jay has created a space in the upper portion of the main bar to display the work of some of the industries leading artists.
In 2009 the work of David Uhl, John Guillemette, Jeff Cochran and Colleen Swartz will be on display along with bikes from Billy Lane, Ron Finch, Samantha Morgan and the BSS Worlds Fastest Indian and two more to be announced in this exciting new space.
David Uhl, has been called ?The Norman Rockwell of Harley-Davidson artists.? And his work is much sought after by many collectors. A rider, oil painting artist and an accomplished commercial illustrator, David will bring originals from his collection which focuses on imagery from the turn of the century. You can view more of David?s work at his web site, www.uhlstudios.com.
John Guillemette is an oil on canvas artist from Revere, Massachusetts. His original oil paintings are vibrantly colored and meticulous in their detail and many of them feature classic as well as custom motorcycle themes..
John’s artwork has been featured in many national publications such as Hot Bike, Thunderroads, The Motorcycle post, Easyriders and V-twin magazines. In addition, John?s original works of Arlen Ness and Jessie James from his ?Masters and Machines? portrait series are on display in the Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio. You can view and purchase John’s original oil paintings and limited edition prints at The Broken Spoke Gallery as well as his website at www.uhlstudios.com
Jeff Cochran is the founder of SuckerPunch Sallys, one of the most successful Old-School production bike manufacturers in the US. In addition to building and riding custom bikes, Jeff spent a decade studying alternative lighting techniques in photography. When Jeff started SPS he did all of his own photography and advertising. This led to many publications requesting art. Jeff has become a noted photographic artist in his own right and now shoots for several magazines throughout the United States and Europe. You can view more of his work at www.speedkingphoto.com.
Colleen Swartz?s work can be found in many national and international publications. Starting back in 2003, Colleen traveled the rally circuit offering souvenir photo shoots and building relationships. Now, more than 6 years later, Colleen has turned these relationships into the passion of her life, shooting bikes for publication and individual use, working with beautiful women and using her photojournalistic talents to document the history that unfolds every day. Her work can be viewed at www.digitalmagicbigshots.com.
The Legends Gallery opening will be on Sunday, August 2nd at 6-9 PM following the conclusion of the Michael Lichter Ride at the Sturgis County Line. You are welcome to join the curator, Jay Allen along with the legendary artists, bike builders and iconic industry guests for a hors d’?uvres reception. The Gallery will be open throughout the Sturgis Rally from Noon until Midnight.
Be a part of motorcycle history at the Broken Spoke Saloon.
If you have questions, please contact Colleen Swartz at Colleen@digitalmagicbigshots.com or at 414-380-9005.
SEMA SHOW AND SHINE IN PASADENA–The Inaugural SEMA Show and Shine Car Show at the Pasadena Convention Center is set for Saturday August 1, 2009 We still have room for cars on a first come first served basis. Goodie bags for all car show participants include a Chip Foose designed and autographed t-shirt. The winner of the peoples choice award and the participants choice award each receive 4 days hotel accommodations in Las Vegas for the 2009 SEMA show and their car featured on display at the SEMA Show. Please sign up now and pass this flyer on to all your friends.
–SEMA Action Network
BIKERNET CORRESPONDENT INVESTIGATES FONTANA, CALIFORNIA CRUISE NIGHT–Here is a photo I took at Fontana Cruise Night July 3,2009Fontana, CA.Cops in the background Event staff in front and ladies in between.
— Don Kline
aka Loner.
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