Hey,
What a strange day. I can feel the Sturgis buzz in the air. Australians landed yesterday and tomorrow. I’ll help ’em find motorcycles, pack, then kick their asses out of here.
I’m proud to announce that we shipped the majority of our Bonneville paint work out yesterday, even though I’m still missing some front end parts from Harley-Davidson so I can make up the front fender and start on the fairing. Jim Murillo has already sealed the tank and is waiting a powder sample before he paints. I spoke to Air Tech about the fairing and hopefully they can help. They are the gods of speed fairings.
Let’s hit the news, then I’ll fill you in on any other calamities brewing around here and my list of to-dos before painted parts return. We still need a seat pan. Duane Ballard is waiting to handle the leather work. This puppy better go fast, it’s sure gonna look cool.
ON A SAD NOTE– We received a call this morning from Pete Alva, bearing the sad news that Chris Hill was found dead in his home yesterday. No confirmation on the cause of death or the exact time.
For those that knew Chris, knew he worked very hard, partied harder and played vigorously. He was the kinda guy you had to like as is, or not like at all. He put on a good front as a tough guy, but deep down he was a big teddy bear.
He overcame many adversities in life, such as a brain tumor that would have taken a weaker man, and numerous motorcycle accidents that only seemed to make him more daring and courageous. Or could he have just been crazy? He lost both of his parents and his brother too soon in life, which was a major source of loneliness for Chris, but still he kept an upbeat attitude.
Chris was an entrepreneur, a harsh business man, a successful business man and a friend that would do anything for you. Bandit coined a name for him, ?Mad Man? and it fit.
My prayer for Chris is that he is finally at peace and that he is with his family. We also hope that he is treated with respect and dignity by whoever handles his affairs.
God speed, Chris Hill. I’m having a shot of Jack tonight, in the shot glass that has your name on it.
Nyla
JIMS TOOL OF THE WEEK–Hose Repair Kit 1/4? – 5/16?Hose bared end is .3125 (5/16?), threaded end is 12mm. It can be used witheither a .250? or .3125? hose. May also work to make up your own air testerkit, or for filling tires on the road, by threading into spark plug hole andat the other end of the hose is an air chuck fitting.
Works well to repairJIMS tool No.1087 leakdown tester, for the 12mm spark plug threads found onall Twin Cams, XL 1986 & later and Screamin Eagle EVO BT heads. No.1087-2
Suggested Retail $32.00
FLORIDA DRIVER’S LICENSE ENDORSEMENT LAW–Florida Statue 322.12 Section 16 will require all applicants for a motorcycle driver’s license endorsement, regardless of age, to successfully complete a motorcycle safety course. These courses are offered by different companies throughout the state. The course registration fees vary and there is no cap on what they can charge. It is expected that prices will rise with demand. It should be noted that no other form of vehicle operator’s license requires mandatory schooling.
–from AMA News.
20 U.S. CHOPPER FRAMES SOLD, MORE AVAILABLE–Its rumored the sale is officially over for U.S. Choppers. All 20 frames may be spoken for and normal pricing is continuing on.
Other news:
Greg Carter of Vicious Cycles in Lemoyne, PA ( http://www.viciouscyclesinc.com) builds a boardtrack racer for client in old copper tones. Sure to catch a bunch of attention in Sturgis, this U.S. Chopper boardtrack platform fills the bill for flash and shaazzam! Check those perimeter brakes set-up by Hank Young, that Accurate Engineering Knucklehead motor, and PM Control set-up !!!
This things gonna be a show stopper and these shots by Sam Dixon stopped us.
U.S. Choppers
2039 S. Lyon St
Santa Ana, CA 92705
714-546-4699
Appointments Only Please
http://www.uschopper.com/
ACCURATE ENGINEERING PRICE CHANGE FOR SIGNATURE SERIES–Accurate Engineering is now offering ourSignature Series93″ Panhead for $8750(natural finish only; show polished and other cosmetic packages extra; includes shipping inside the lower 48)
103″ and 120″ displacement Panhead engines also available.
Before dealing with our competitors, ask yourself two simple questions:Will there be any addition cost for parts to get my new engine to fire?What is the quality of the components used?
Or ask yourself just one:What am I getting for my money?
Here, at Accurate Engineering, we welcome these inquiries because we have the all the answers.
Will there be any addition cost for parts to get my new engine to fire?
Other manufacturers will make you think that you’re getting the complete deal for a lower price. What they don’t tell you is what they don’t include in their engine packages. This can send you scrambling to your parts catalogues for the costly components necessary to fire it up. After you add up the additional cost of getting the essential parts, the time wasted ordering the components, the delay in receiving the parts and the headache of back-orders, how much did you really save? Accurate Engineering engines come complete, pre-run and ready to go! Our engines include: carburetor, air cleaner, air filter and air corrector, oil filter adapter, oil filter, ignition system, spark plugs, 3 bolt exhaust flange kit, wires, coil, charging system and regulator/rectifier.Now add the cost of shipping included in our total price.
Call and ask for our sales department today at 334-702-1993
D&D V-BIKE HAS THE FAT BOOK FLYER IN THE CROSS HAIRS AT BUB’S BONNEVILLE MOTORCYCLE SPEED TRIALS– D&D Performance Enterprises is Looking to Smash the Fat Book Flyer Record.The D&D / Custom Chrome V-Bike vs. Fatbook Flyer Smackdown – In one corner is the #1160 D&D / Custom Chrome V-Bike and in the other is the defending champ and soon to be dethroned, #691 Fatbook Flyer. D&D Performance Enterprises is throwing down the gauntlet for supremacy and ultimate record in the 2000-M-PF class at the Speed Trials By BUB located at the Bonneville Salt Flats on September second through sixth.
The D&D / Custom Chrome motorbike, #1160, is a modified V-Bike from Custom Chrome with a RevTech motor slightly modified by the D&D team to produce 116 CID or 1905 cc. D&D is aiming to take the FatBook Flyer down and beat their 2000cc Modified Pushrod Fuel Record of 154 mph, which was set at the BUB meet in 2006.
Dave Rash, The Pope of Pipe, said, “This is a chance to prove that a RevTech motor can run with anything on the market; we are really looking forward to this challenge and taking the title back to Texas.”
D&D will be rolling out their Custom Chrome RevTech Powered V-Bike with a major performance enhancement, a new Custom Land Speed Exhaust designed by the Pope of Pipe. “We have fine tuned the power and fuel deliver system with our state-of-the-art in-house Super Flow Eddy Current Ram Air dynamometer and built a pipe to extract every ounce of horsepower from this machine,? said Rash. “We have the motorbike and team to take home the title.”
Team D&D’s V-Bike is built with race-proven components including RevTech? 6-speed overdrive transmission, Paioli adjustable inverted forks, 4 gallon ‘Regency’ one-piece stretched gas tank, carbon fiber fenders, monster carburetor, Brembo brake calipers, Brembo 13″ floating brake rotors and 17″ Marchesini forged alloy wheels.
D&D Performance Exhausts are available from Custom Chrome dealers nationwide or from the factory at 817-834-8961, www.danddexhaust.com.
HELMET LAW IN VIETNAM, AND THEY THOUGHT THE WAR WAS BAD–Vietnam will make motorcycle helmets compulsory on all roads by the end of the year in an attempt to cut down on traffic deaths in a country where 90 per cent of vehicles are motorcycles. The government is expected to issue a resolution requiring helmets soon, according to the Transport Ministry, which approved the measure on June 6.
With a population of 85 million people, Vietnam has more than 21 million motorcycles but only 3 per cent of the country’s riders wear helmets, according to Asia Injury Prevention Foundation.
AFTER FIVE YEARS WITH THE NESS FAMILY RIKKI BATTISTINI STEPS OUT ON HIS OWN–I was at Arlens for 5 years,” said Rikki. “My main roles were sales, but for many years, even prior to working for them, I acted as a sounding board for Cory. I helped with the catalogue, product design, and most of the everyday operational issues that comes running a muti-million $ business.”
The Ness family continues to support Rikki and sells a number of products he designed including grips, pegs, wheels, rotors, pulleys, one style of floorboard and passenger boards and the current style of saddlebag latch.
Starting this week we will feature Battistini designed products, predominately engineered for stock bikes including the Battistini’s Handlebars:
Style comes full circle then kicks up a notch with the latest creation from Battistinis Custom Cycles. The most innovative design in handlebars is hitting the streets Battistinis style and it’s all about form and radical new function. The new design allows any 1-inch handlebar riser to be used, on bolt centers from 3.5″ to over 4-inches, even on Springer models with OEM risers. How is it done? With a simple yet ingenious design feature referred to as the ‘underbar’.
The underbar is welded to the center section of the handlebar and it is this part that clamps into the risers, thus giving the bars a distinctive ‘floating’ look available nowhere else. But what’s even better is that the underbar changes the pivot point of the handlebars, so when the bars are adjusted up, or down, the grips actually can be moved toward or away from the rider.
This design offers the first truly adjustable handlebars to ever hit the market, and the design is Patent Pending. Styles include dresser-style ‘knuckle’ bars, two sizes of ‘ape hangers’ and a stylish ’tiller’ bar. That’s just the beginning, as more styles are being added.
All Battistinis handlebars are US-made and are mandrel-bent, dimpled and drilled for internal wiring, plus there’s a ‘guide wire’ installed to allow you to easily pull your wires through the bars during installation. Bars are available in show-chrome finish and black powdercoat. Style and innovation. From Battistinis, of course.
Rikki Battistini
1109 Langton drive
San Ramon
CA 94582
USA
Telephone: 925.270.4211
Cell: 925.719.5941
Fax: 925.905.4664
Email: rikki@battistinisUSA.com
Skype ID: battistinisusa
WWW.BattistinisUSA.com
THE MANILA DOCTRINE– The Metro Manila (Philippines) Council’s (MMC), the policy-making body of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, has passed a resolution requiring motorcycle riders to paint their license plate numbers on helmets dubbed the “Dual Motorcycle and Helmet License Plate Numbers Policy.”
The MMC came up with the measure supposedly in a bid to curb robberies, assassinations and other crimes committed by motorcycle-riding men. Under the policy, the license plate numbers on the helmet should be on a water-proof sticker permanently placed on both sides of the headgear and should be large enough to be seen by the public.
The resolution also requires that the license plate sticker should be readable from a distance of 25 meters and should be placed 40 mm high on the helmet.
MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando said violation of the policy should be treated as a criminal offense, not a traffic violation. Violators will also be slapped with a P3,000 ($68) fine.
THE TENTATIVE STURGIS GYPSY RALLY SCHEDULE– * Aug. 7: 2nd annual Ryan Waterland Memorial Motocross, 10 a.m.
* Aug. 8: Mayor’s Ride, 8:30 a.m., Hill-climb, noon, and 1st annual J.C. “Pappy’ and Pearl Hoel short track races, 7 p.m.
* Aug. 9: National Gypsy Tour, 9 a.m.
* Aug. 10: Hill-climb, noon.
* Aug. 11: Short track, 7 p.m.
* Aug. 12: Hill-climb, noon.
Aug. 12: Short track, 7 p.m.
* Aug. 13: Short track, 7 p.m.
–from Rogue
Sturgis Freedom Fighters
Motorcycle Hall Of Fame Member 2005
BIKERNET BANKING STUDY DISCOVERED BANK OF AMERICA WRONGDOING–Bank: This is the Bank of America, can I help you?Customer: Yes, I want to cancel my account. I don’t want to dobusinesswith you any longer.Bank: Why?Customer: You’re giving credit to illegal immigrants and I don’tthinkit’s right. I’m taking my business elsewhere.
Bank: Well, Mr. Customer, we don’t want to see you do that, but wecan’t stop you. I’ll help you close the account. What is your account number?
Customer: (gives account number)
Bank: For security purposes and for your protection,can you pleasegiveme the last four digits of your social security number?Customer: No.
Bank: Mr. Customer, I need to verify your information, but in ordertohelp you, I’ll need verification of who you are.
Customer: Why should I give you my social security number? The reasonI’m closing my account is that your bank is issuing credit cards to illegal immigrants who don’t have social security numbers. You are targeting that audience and want their business. Let’s say I’m an illegal immigrant and you’ve given me a credit card. I have a question about it and call for assistance. You wouldn’t be asking me for a Social Security number, would you?
Bank: No sir, I wouldn’t.
Customer: Why not?
Bank: Because you would have pressed ‘2’ to speak in Spanish. Wedon’task for that information when calling in on the Spanish line.
–from Chris T.
TOP 50 RALLY PARK CELEBRATES WOMEN– Top 50 Rally Park, Independent Cycle, Legend Air-Suspension andHarley-Davidson have joined forces to celebrate and honor women bikers bycreating the new Sturgis tradition of Women’s Day on Friday, August 10, 2007at the Top 50 Rally Park.
* The exclusive event celebrates the independence, freedom and adrenalinethat inspires women to ride their own motorcycle, not just hang on for theride. Top 50 Rally Park is honored to be the first Sturgis rally park torecognize the rapidly evolving image of women in the motorcycle industry bycreating events designed specifically for women by women.
* The highlight of the day is the Top 50 Bike for Breast Cancer charityride, benefiting the American Cancer Society and their commitment to meetingaggressive 2015 breast cancer challenge goals – to reduce the age-adjustedincidence rate of breast cancer by 15%, reduce the breast cancer mortalityrate by 50% and increase the proportion of women 40 and older who screen forbreast cancer by 90%. The ride begins at noon and promises to be anoff-the-beaten-path adventure through the Black Hills region. Registrationbegins at 10 a.m. and the registration fee is $15 per person.
* The day will include words of inspiration from women legends in theindustry – the talented Laura Ellifson, from Klock Werks Kustom Cycles andthe world record holder on the world’s fastest bagger with a speed of 147mph; the brilliant Sara Liberte, author of “How to Repair and MaintainAmerican V-Twin Motorcycles,” fine art motorcycle photographer andaward-winning custom bike builder and painter; the philanthropic Gina Woods,creator of the XX Chromes All Women’s Bike Build, host of themotorcycle-themed radio talk show “Open Road Radio,” and inspirationalorganizer of bikers for charitable causes; the brillant Leslie Prevish,manager of product communication at Harley-Davidson motor Company, managerof public relations for Rider’s Edge and MotorClothes and the reason that90% of women riders choose Harley-Davidson; and last but certainly notleast, the innovative Athena “Chickie” Ransom, owner of Vagabond ChopperCompany, builder of motorcycles since the age of 15 and leader of theChopper Chick Crew, an all-women bike building crew that donates the profitof their creations to different non-profit organizations. Each speaker istruly a trailblazer for all women in the once male-dominated motorcycleindustry.
* Following the charity ride, Top 50 Rally Park will host a reception,including a for-women-only Ride-In Bike Show with awards for best of showand best paint. Two awards will also be presented to two worthy women – theSandy Leone Memorial Award, in honor of the woman who made Top 50 Rally Parkwhat it is today, and a Leader in the Industry award.
ILLINOIS TO USE PHOTO RADAR IN FREEWAY WORK ZONES– Illinois will begin using photo radar in freeway work zones in July of 2007. Anyone caught by these devices will be mailed a $375.00 ticket for the first offense. The second offense will cost $1,000.00 and comes with a 90-day license suspension. Drivers will also receive demerit points against their license, which allows insurance companies to raise their rates. The State will begin with two camera vans issuing tickets in work zones with speed limits lowered to 45 MPH. Photographs of both the driver’s face and license plate are taken. For more see www.dot.state.il.us/press/r033005.html.
BRASS BALLS CONTEST CONTINUES TO FIND A NAME FOR THEIR NEW MODEL–The deal is, if they select your name, you get a t-shirt for every day of the week, plus a shop shirt. Here’s another contribution from Bogart:
OK, like every other fuckin’ Einstein out there I have a submission for the Brass Balls new model name.
“Injuneer Bob”
“Injun” because of the Indian powerplant, hence Injuneer as in Engineering and Bob because, well shit, I better not have to explain that one! Could do a kool characature of an Indian in ‘biker’ gear or overalls too…move your damn trainset Engineer Bill, there’s a new model in town.
…Bogart
bogartcycledesign@sbcglobal.net>
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