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HOT SPRINGS MOTORCYCLE WEEKEND 2004 IS HISTORY–Early reports indicate over 2,500 bikers attended and help make thisfundraiser for biker rights a great success. Buncombe County CBA memberssuch as Larry, Tammy, Roger, and many others serving on the staff made therally safe and enjoyable for all. Leaders of CBA/ABATE of NC, ABATE of SC,and CMT/ABATE of TN spoke between bands while others worked the informationbooth handing out information from all three SMROs. Hot Spring MotorcycleWeekend is still the best rally I have ever attended; I will return againnext year. Expect to see some pictures and an article posted soon atwww.fastfreds.com
PS – I sold some new patches (“Don’t Tread on Me”/”I Refuse to Allow MyCivil Servant to Run My Life”) at this event that seemed well received; ifyou are interested visit www.fastfreds.com or www.fastfreds.com/menu formore information.
SMUGGLING SUSPECT SWALLOWS $47,500–BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — A suspect swallowed nearly $50,000 in cash in a failed attempt to smuggle the funds out of Colombia, officials said Monday.
Bogota airport police said they X-rayed the suspect because he was acting nervous while preparing to board a flight for Lima, Peru.
The photo showed dozens of latex-wrapped packets inside his stomach and police assumed it was drugs, since such a smuggling technique is used by traffickers.
But as the suspect passed the packages from his body, police discovered they were filled with cash – $47,500.
“We find drugs inside the stomachs of smugglers all the time, but this is the first time we’ve ever found dollars,” the head of Bogota’s airport police, Col. Jorge Luis Vargas, told The Associated Press.
Passengers leaving Colombia can carry up to $10,000 in cash without having to declare it. Police say new anti-money laundering laws have made it more difficult for drug traffickers to send and receive cash, forcing them to adopt the same methods used to smuggle drugs.
Vargas said interrogations of the suspect indicated the money was probably going to be used to pay for a drug shipment.
–from Rogue
THE BIKERNET HAIR SALON– A guy sticks his head into a barber shop and asks, “How longbefore I can get a haircut?”
The barber looks around the shop and says,”About 2 Hours.”
The guy leaves.
A few days later the same guy sticks his head in the door andasks, “How long before I can get a haircut?”
The barber looks around at the shop full of customers and says,”About 3 hours.”
The guy leaves.
A week later the same guy sticks his head in the shop and asks,”How long before I can get a haircut?”
The barber looks around the shop and says, “About an hour and ahalf.”
The guy leaves.
The barber who is intrigued by this time, looks over at a friendin The shop and says, “Hey, Bill, follow that guy and see where he goes.”
A little while later, Bill comes back into the shop, laughing hysterically..
The barber asks, “Bill, where did he go when he left here?”
Bill looks up, tears in his eyes and says, “Your house.”
–from Skooter
HARLEY DOING BUSINESS IN CHINA–Here is an answer from a friend in the industry that replied to the e-mail I sent out a few days ago pertaining to Harley doing business with China.Getting the facts straight will help every one make a decision on what they want to do, if anything, about this situation.–ROGUE
While I may share some of the original author’s concerns I can’t really use this for the magazine. I expected this type of backlash when the original press release broke announcing Harley was going to be looking to deal with the Chinese, however, the call to action is a bit misguided. Although Harley is a member of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (and it is true that Tim Buche is MSF boss), MSF has absolutely nothing to do with international trade issues. Rider training and international safety concerns are the only items on MSF’s mandate (this call to arms might make sense if it involved helmet laws, but it really has nothing to do with import/export issues involving the Chinese).
It is also true that Tim is the president of the Motorcycle Industry Council, but as far as I know, Harley-Davidson is not an MIC member. In fact, I have found Harley to be in opposition to just about everything MIC has tried to do over the years. Having Buche resign from the MIC role really would not have any impact on the the folks in the Ivory Tower on Juneau Ave. As for Tim Buche’s position as the head of The Specialty Vehicle Industry Association, I’m not clear on what SVIA’s efforts on behalf of the ATV industry have any sort of impact on Harley-Davidson.
As an MIC member I can certainly forward this to my fellow members or take it along with me to the next MIC Aftermarket Committee meeting that I sit in on, but my guess is that they wouldn’t take it serious when they see that beyond boycotting MotorClothes and writing to Jeff Bluestein, the call to action to remove Tim Buche is mixing apples and oranges. Instead of delivering a message to Harley-Davidson, this would be perceived as showing how little author knows about MSF/MIC/SVIA and dilute the effectiveness of the real message.
Not that I’m a shill for Tim Buche or Harley corporate, but I see this as a case of apples and oranges rather than truly expressing the American Rider’s discontent with Harley-Davidon’s dealings with the Chinese. You may have seen we ran a copy of the MotorClothes label and highlighted the “Made In China” a couple of issues ago noting the odd dichotomy of the all-American eagle logo sitting right next to the source origin. Anyway, that’s my two cents which you can pass along to the originator of the 5-step call to action or just hit the “delete” key and move on.
–from Rogue
HARLEY-DAVIDSON’S SECOND CENTURY MOMENTUM BUILDS WITH ANOTHER RECORD QUARTER–Milwaukee, Wis., July 14, 2004 — Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE: HDI) today announced record revenue and earnings for its second quarter ended June 27, 2004. Revenue for the quarter was $1.33 billion compared with $1.22 billion in the year-ago quarter, an 8.9 percent increase. Second quarter diluted earnings per share (EPS) were 83 cents, a 25.8 percent increase compared with last year?s 66 cents.
?We are pleased to report another excellent quarter for Harley-Davidson,? said Jeffrey L. Bleustein, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Harley-Davidson, Inc. ?The record results we have delivered through the first six months of this year are in line with the Company?s previously stated long-term direction of sustainable growth.?
U.S. retail sales of Harley-Davidson? motorcycles were 18.8 percent ahead of last year for the quarter and up 16.5 percent for the first six months. ?Our dealers report that floor traffic is brisk, driven by keen interest in the entire Harley-Davidson experience and in particular, the Sportster? motorcycle family which was completely redesigned for the 2004 model year. The redesign, which was intended to broaden the appeal of that product line, is clearly achieving its purpose. Tomorrow we will bring even more excitement to our customers when the 2005 model year motorcycles and related new products will be unveiled to our worldwide dealer network at our summer dealer meeting in San Diego,? said Bleustein.
Motorcycles and Related Products Segment – Second Quarter ResultsSecond quarter revenue from Harley-Davidson motorcycles was $1.02 billion, an increase of 6.8 percent over last year. Worldwide shipments of Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the second quarter totaled 82,034 units, up 6,009 units or 7.9 percent over last year. The Company?s shipment target remains 317,000 Harley-Davidson motorcycles for 2004.
Second quarter revenue from Parts and Accessories (P&A), which consists of Genuine Motor Parts and Genuine Motor Accessories, totaled $230.1 million, a 12.7 percent increase or $25.9 million more than the year-ago quarter. Over the long term, the Company expects P&A revenue to grow at a rate slightly faster than the motorcycle unit growth rate.
Second quarter revenue from General Merchandise, which consists of MotorClothes? apparel and collectibles, totaled $53.1 million, up 21.5 percent or $9.4 million over the same period last year. Over the long term, the Company expects General Merchandise to grow at a rate lower than the motorcycle unit growth rate.
Second quarter gross margin for the Motorcycles and Related Products Segment was 37.9 percent of revenue compared to 36.4 percent in the second quarter of last year. Favorable gross margin was primarily impacted by plant efficiencies, including those that generally occur at the end of the model year. Some of these efficiencies are not expected to be maintained in the second half of the year due to new model year startup.
Operating margin increased from 21.9 percent in 2003 to 25.2 percent in 2004 due primarily to higher gross margin and a change in the timing of marketing related costs in 2003 when compared with 2004. In 2003, operating expenses were higher in the first half of the year to support the 100th Anniversary activities and programs. In 2004, operating expenses will be higher in the second half of the year, which is more typical of the Company?s operations.
Harley-Davidson, Inc. – Six Month Results
For the six month period, revenue was $2.49 billion compared with $2.33 billion, a 6.9 percent increase over the year ago period. Diluted earnings per share were $1.52, compared with $1.28, an increase of 18.8 percent compared to the same period last year.Through the first six months of this year, shipments of Harley-Davidson motorcycle units were 156,124, a 6.5 percent increase over last year?s 146,633. Harley-Davidson motorcycle revenue was $1.94 billion, a 5.8 percent increase over $1.83 billion in revenue in 2003. P&A revenue totaled $399.3 million, a 9.7 percent increase over last year?s $364.0 million. General Merchandise revenue totaled $107.5 million, a 7.3 percent increase compared with $100.1 million during the same period in 2003.
During the same period, HDFS operating income was $99.3 million, a 13.1 percent increase over last year?s $87.8 million during the first six months.
OUTSOURCING JOBS REACHES NEW HEIGHTS–Washington DC – Congress today announced that the Office of President of the United States will be outsourced to overseas interests as of June 30th, the end of this fiscal year. The move is being made to save $400K a year in salary, a record $521 Billion in deficit expenditures and related overhead. “The cost savings will be quite significant” says Congressman Adam Smith (D – Wash) who, with the aid of the GAO (the General Accounting Office) has studied outsourcing of American jobs extensively. “We simply can no longer afford this level of outlay and remain competitive in the world stage”, Congressman Smith said.
Mr. Bush was informed by email this morning of the termination of his position. He will receive health coverage, expenses and salary until his final day of employment. After that, with a two week waiting period, he will then be eligible for $240 dollars a week from unemployment insurance for 13 weeks. Unfortunately he will not be able to receive state Medicaid health insurance coverage as his unemployment benefits are over the required limit.
Preparations have been underway for some time for the job move. Sanji Gurvinder Singh of Indus Teleservices, Mumbai, India will be assuming the Office of President of the United States as of July 1. Mr. Singh was born in the United States while his parents were here on student visas, thus making him eligible for the position. He will receive a salary of $320 (USD) a month but with no health coverage or other benefits. Due to the time difference between the US and India, Mr. Singh will be working primarily at night, when offices of the US Government will be open.
Congress continues to explore other outsourcing possibilities including that of Vice-President and most Cabinet positions.
–By Staff Reporter Melynda Jill
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!!!! Our organization is growing by leaps and bounds. We had many, many new members join since my last update in April. Thank you all of you for joining us in this battle to fight the unfair DUI laws that have been passed in this country over the last 20 years. I hope you will find the information on our website helpful.
In addition, many new members have discovered that our Discussion Forum helps them to work through the issues either themselves, friends or family members face regarding DUIs in this day and age. Take comfort in knowing that at RIDL we do not make you feel like the scourge of the earth that organizations such as MADD, the courts, and your local DMV would have you believe. We know that most people who get DUI’s these days are just average citizens who got trapped by the propaganda we’ve all been spoon-fed for the past 20 years.
BIKERNET CARIBBEAN REPORT, ALMOST–The report will be super short; mainly just letting you know that there’s will be no report. I?m still working on the Bobber, frenzied like cause we only have a week until shipping, as well as another chop that is going to North Carolina.
Hawaii was lots of fun and a good time, but I landed at 2:00 PM and by 3:00 was at the shop working. Deadlines are a bitch, but so is crossing the ocean, two weeks before….
Have a beer on me and squeeze some boobs…be a good sport. The cool side of all this is that I will have new photos for upcoming reports…
Later, Jose
BIKERNET CONTEST WINNERS–Last week we were in Hawaii, so this week I chose a few winners. Here they are—
KURTIS JAMES HEINEN FROM MORENO VALLEY, CA
Suggestion: WHEN RIDING WITH AND HANGING AROUND HARLEY RIDERS DO NOT MAKE DISPARAGING COMMENTS CONCERNING THE RELIABILITY OF HARLEY MOTORCYCLES UNLESS YOU CAN RUN FAST OR TAKE ON 20 OR 30 BIKERS – DON’T ASK ME HOW I KNOW THIS!!!
Kurtis didn?t ask for anything so he get a Bikernet T-Shirt. Let me know your size, Kurtis.
ALAN LABOSSIERE FROM YORKTON, SASKATCHEWAN CANADA
Suggestion: A QUICK FIX FOR THE BATTERY CABLE RUBING AND GETTING MESSED UP ON THE OIL TANK SEAM RIDGE. USE A PIECE OF FUEL LINE SPLIT LENGTH WISE. PLACE IT ON THE SEAM AND IN MY CASE WISH HAD DONE IT SOONER!! LOL
Wanted: A COPY OTHE ART OF CHOPPERS BOOK SIGNED TO AL AND AUTOGRAPHED BY THE BUILDERS AT GASOLINE ALLEY . A TEE SHIRT IN A 3 XL SIZE . A FREE RAT FINK MEMORIAL BIKE!! (LOL)
I can probably get the book and I know I can get Indian Larry autograph on something. Just give me a day or two. Or a week or two?
FOR THE CANTINA WINNER–
Ken from Springside, Saskatchewan Canada
Wanted: sure could use this book as the old pan needs some TLC!! MECHANICS and OWNERS GUIDE TO 1941-59 HARLEY DAVIDSON OHV BIG TWINS by Kirk Perry. Thanks
We?ll see what we can do about this, Ken. Bandit has tons of books so he?s going digging.
Till next week, Layla
STURGIS 2004 COMING- – Traffic numbers entering Sturgis during the 63rd Annual Motorcycle Rally were 541,390 vehicles, South Dakota Department of Transportation officials say.
The number, officials say is up 8.8 percent from last year’s 497,474 vehicles in 2002 and was compiled from six traffic counter sites which monitored traffic coming into the city.
The sites are located at the interchange on-ramps at Interstate 90, Exits 30 and 32, on Highway 14A, on Highway 34 by the Full Throttle Saloon and Glencoe Campground, one on the Interstate between Exits 30 and 32, and two sites on Highway 79 near Bear Butte.
The counters are tubes, laid across the road which are set up to count vehicles from Aug. 4 through Aug. 10. Jeff Brosz, of the SDDOT said the counters tally one vehicle for every two axle hits on the tubes, without differentiating whether a vehicle comes through multiple times. Additionally, he said the counters do not separate the difference between a motorcycle with only two axles and a semi-truck with five axles.
“But it’s mostly motorcycles,” Brosz said, “so it’s fairly accurate.”
The largest traffic influx this year came on Tuesday, when 96,666 vehicles entered Sturgis. The lightest numbers were Sunday, Aug. 10 when 30,561 vehicles traveled into town. The average number of vehicles entering town each day during the Rally was 77,341.
Sturgis Rally Director Lisa Weyer said city officials will plug DOT numbers into a city formula to come up with official crowd estimates. However, she said those numbers will not be available until next week. While considering crowds, Weyer said city officials consider DOT numbers, trash amounts, and estimates from city residents and officials who are present during the Rally year after year. Despite all of their efforts, Weyer said, officials are not able to get a 100 percent accurate count.
“There are a lot of factors that go into it,” she said. “It’s completely a ‘guestimate’, that’s for sure, on our count.”
The DOT has collected traffic information for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally since 1990 and the 50th Anniversary of the Rally.
from the The Black Hills Pioneer, Newspapers, South Dakota, SD 2004
–from Rogue
NITRO CHOPPERS STURGIS PROJECT–Here is a recent project that just wrapped up, thought you might want to see it. We’re heading to Sturgis soon.
–“Craig” craig@nitrochoppers.com
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