Continued From Page 3
MRF POSTS COMMENTS TO NHTSA–(This is another reminder to take the time to write).The MRF recently submitted comments in response to each of the eleven amendments proposed by the safety experts at National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The MRF identified aspects of amendments in need of serious change and classified others as being steps in the right direction. “It is imperative NHTSA hears from all riders on this issue” said Jeff Hennie, Vice President of Government Relations for the Motorcycle Riders Foundation adding, “NHTSA updates these guidelines every six years or so. The opportunity to voice your opinion is now”.
To view the comments visit: http://dms.dot.gov. Use the “simple search” function, reference Docket Number 23090 and you will be able to view the comments. The MRF encourages all riders and rider organization to submit comments.
Furthermore, the MRF first reported the NHTSA guideline amendments and, at the time, believed the agency’s standard thirty day open comment period would not be lengthy enough to provide ample time for the motorcyclists of America to register their opinions and concerns. Working with NHTSA, the MRF successfully had the comment period extended resulting in a new deadline date of March 27, 2006. In addition, as stated in the Federal Register notice, “to the extent possible, NHTSA will consider comments received after the comment period ends”.
Therefore, while the “official” period ends on March 27th, the government will continue to accept all submissions until the arbitrary decision to close the “unofficial” period is made.
To mail a hard version of your comments send them to NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street SW, Washington, DC 20590.
HARLEY’S 2000 AND 2450CC NEW V-TWIN ENGINES– EPA documents show design basics and performance info a 2450cc V-twin, but they also raise a few questions.
Is Harley about to join the displacement race? That topic has been buzzing around the internet with the discovery of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) documents mentioning a 2450cc V-twin engine. With Harley now running at the bottom of the big-twin displacement class, it’s only a matter of time before Harley, which was once distinguished by having the largest motorcycle engines on the road, produces a bigger V-twin.
The EPA emissions document in question (scroll down to the last three pages, 8 through 10, of this PDF) shows testing results for liquid-cooled 2450cc and 2000cc Harley-Davidson V-twin engines. Power for the 2450cc version is listed as 98 kilowatts (131 horsepower) at 5000 rpm with 133 newton-meters (98 foot-pounds) of torque at 3500 rpm. The weight (presumably the GVWR) is listed at 1260 pounds. Since the fuel-tank material is listed as nylon, it would presumably be an under-seat style. The fuel-injected engine uses air injection and catalyst to reduce exhaust emissions.
SNEAK PREVIEW OF WHAT’S NEW IN THE WHITEHORSE GEAR SUMMER 2006 MOTORCYCLING CATALOG–Our new Summer 2006 catalog with almost 100 new products is at the printer and should be in your mailbox in just a few weeks. For a sneak preview visit
NEW WOMENS’ WEBSITE– WomenRidersNow.com is a new motorcycling news and information network designed to be the definitive resource for all things women and motorcycling. Founded by Genevieve Schmitt, former editor of Women Rider Magazine, the site is packed with information for and about women at any stage of motorcycling. Share stories, photos, and information on products, places, and people.
HOLD THAT DATE-WHITEHORSE OPEN HOUSE–If you live in the Northeast, or want to ride in New England this spring, put May 20th on your calendar for a visit to our first and hopefully annual “Club Day.” All riders are welcome to stop by our warehouse from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM to enjoy some free BBQ, great shopping, and lively tire-kicking talk. A great chance to ride the notches of the White Mountains and enjoy spring in our beautiful Mount Washington Valley. If you need help locating places to stay and things to do, call the MWV Chamber of Commerce (800-367-3364) for advice or get yourself a copy of Marty Berke’s
http://www.whitehorsepress.com
KTM BECOMES POLARIS’ DISTRIBUTOR IN GERMANY–Minneapolis, March 7, 2006 – Polaris Industries Inc. (NYSE/PSE: PII) today announced that effective March 1, 2006 KTM-Sportmotorcycle AG has become Polaris’ exclusive distributor in Germany for Polaris All Terrain Vehicles, Quadricycles, Snowmobiles and Polaris RANGER vehicles.
“KTM has established a dedicated sales force to manage the Polaris brand and product sales. KTM will leverage our back office operations in Germany to increase sales, build the Polaris brand, and increase dealer service and satisfaction while minimizing distribution costs. We are excited to get this project started” said Hubert Trunkenpolz, KTM’s Vice President of Marketing & Sales.
“Polaris is excited to leverage KTM’s strong presence and understanding of the German Powersports market to further develop the Polaris brand and sales in Germany” said Mark Blackwell, Polaris Vice President Victory Motorcycles and International Operations. “Polaris dealers in Germany will sign a separate Polaris dealer contract with KTM and be managed by a separate sales force dedicated to the Polaris product line. While there will be some common KTM and Polaris dealers in Germany going forward, market conditions in specific areas and individual dealer capabilities required for the KTM and Polaris product lines will dictate how many common dealers there will ultimately be.”
HAMSTER CONNECTION TO CELL PHONE INDUSTRY–“There’s an attack of sales call being unleashed on unsuspecting cell phone users in the next couple of days,” Said Harlan, a member of the Hamsters Motorcycle Club, in an undercover investigation. After several house of questions, Harlan, a suspect of interest admitted, “Yep, you will be charged for each sales call. Toprevent this, call the following number from your cell phone:888-382-1222.It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years.”
HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDSOR GO TO: http://www.donotcall.gov/
Harlan was release by the Bikernet judge with time served.
DEAL OF THE WEEK, KOMATSU HIGH DEFINITION 120 AMP RASOR PLASMA CUTTER– Komatsu High Definition 120 amp Rasor Plasma Cutter for sale, 6’x12′ table, new in 1999.Cut up to 1″ thick.Can be seen under power. MAKE OFFER ! Need to move.
–SHAPELINE@aol.com
REGION RALLIES TO DRAW BIKERS–DeLAND — A few Central Florida cities are trumpeting a message to the more than half-a-million motorcycle riders expected at Daytona Beach’s Bike Week.Go west!
DeLand, with a quaint downtown better known for antiques shops and art galleries, hosted its second annual bike rally Saturday. Seminole Harley-Davidson has just opened a new store in Sanford, just off Interstate 4, and Orlando Harley-Davidson is offering its sixth annual round of free concerts and a bike show.Seeing the multimillion-dollar payoff that Daytona Beach businesses gain from bikers has made other cities eager for a piece of the action.
“The biker culture has changed and includes professionals, doctors, lawyers; and they spend a lot of money,” said Wayne Arnold, one of the organizers of the DeLand Bike Rally. “It’s a win-win situation for us.”And the strategy seems to be working. Pittsburgh biker Larry Collins had never heard of DeLand, but decided to cruise over from the Daytona area to see the town.
“I like it because it’s a big difference from Main Street, Daytona,” said Collins, 57. “It just seems more relaxed, while Main Street is nothing but bars.”
Bike Week, the 10-day biker rally that runs through March 12, has been a Daytona Beach tradition for 65 years. Motorcycle riders ran their first race on the beach in 1937 and raced each year except during World War II with a party afterward on Main Street.
As more bikers came each year, venues mushroomed throughout the Daytona Beach area to the point where there are now dozens of east Volusia businesses, from Ormond Beach to New Smyrna Beach, offering biker events.
Motorcycle riders pump $744 million into the economy when they roar in for Bike Week and the autumn rally, Biketoberfest, according to one economic study.
Other cities knew they could capture some of that business because bikers simply love to ride.Some businesses are offering free maps that read “Daytona Bike Week” on the front but that actually plug other Central Florida businesses and give directions for scenic routes throughout the region.
–from Rogue
WILLIS R. MILLER SENTENCED TO DEATH OF JOE AUGUST–Man gets 10 years in road rage deathMotorcyclist was run down after verbal confrontation.
03/02/2006DOVER — Willis R. Miller, 27, of Dover, was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison for causing the death of 40-year-old Joseph D. August, the victim of what prosecutors and a judge described as a road rage confrontation with two motorcyclists near Hartly.
Miller, originally charged with second-degree murder, pleaded guilty Jan. 11 to a reduced charge of manslaughter — acknowledging that he chased down the victim in his Chevrolet Suburban and hit his motorcycle from the rear on Aug. 14, 2005. He faced up to 25 years in prison, but Superior Court Resident Judge William L. Witham Jr., resisted a plea from a family member to impose the maximum term.
“We feel strongly that, with his past record, he should get the maximum of 25 years,” said the victim’s sister, Maxine August of Bear, who spoke for about 25 relatives and friends gathered in a small courtroom for Miller’s sentencing.
“When he died, part of us died. I’m not the same person I was before he died,” she said. Her brother’s two children still are struggling to come to terms with his death, August said.
In addition to imposing prison time, Witham ordered Miller to pay $6,000 into the state Victims Compensation Fund and imposed two years of probation. He also directed Miller, who has a wife and two children, to use the probation time for public speeches on the pitfalls of road rage and urged him to share his story with inmates who might be prone to drive with too much attitude.
–from Rogue
S&S CYCLE ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF HELICAL GEAR SIX-SPEED TRANSMISSION–LA CROSSE , WI (March 03, 2006) S&S Cycle announces the release of its Helical Gear Six-Speed Transmission with shipping to authorized S&S Dealers starting on March 25th, 2006.
The power produced by big S&S Proven Performance engines can be brutal on driveline components. Knowing that, S&S spent the last few years working on a transmission capable of taking on the incredible power delivery of the mighty 145 Tribute engine while still offering quieter operation than a stock transmission and incredibly smooth shifting characteristics.
“We did our part to develop a tough, Proven Performance transmission. No mercy was showed as test bikes with S&S Helical Gear Six-Speed transmissions went down a 1/4-mile drag strip thousands of times,” said Justin Bramstedt, S&S Powersports Lead. “We managed several sore butts, a few broken final drive belts and chains, but not a single missed shift or mechanical failure with our new transmission!”
The S&S Helical Gear Six-Speed Transmission is the first all-helical gear transmission in the V-Twin market. Designed as a true six-speed, not an overdrive transmission, the S&S Helical Gear Six-Speed has a final drive of 1:1. An ordinary overdrive transmission requires a set of gears to drive the input and output shafts, a process that adds noise, heat and robs final drive power. The S&S Helical Gear Six-Speed locks the input and output shafts together in sixth, eliminating additional gears and assuring true power transfer. S&S includes a 34-tooth pulley weighing 30-percent less than a comparable stock unit, that when used with the Helical Gear Six-Speed transmission ratios, yields a final drive ratio equivalent to an overdrive transmission. Additionally, it offers the greatest aperture ratio of gear interface, assuring better engagement between gears and no missed shifts.
“We didn’t leave any stone unturned during the design of our new six-speed. From the full helical gear set to the light-weight final drive pulley, we took every opportunity to raise the status quo,” said S&S Vice President of Product Development, Scott Sjovall. “Heavy-duty bearings and retainers, high-aperture, low-backlash shift rings and heavy-duty forged shift forks, the list goes on and on. All of these features add up to a very strong, quiet and easy to shift transmission that I am proud to add to our line-up,” concluded Sjovall.
The S&S Helical Gear Six-Speed Transmission is available in a complete version and as a Cassette Unit. The complete version is available in three case finishes; natural, polished and wrinkle black and fits all 1991-’99 Softail models-as well as custom frames utilizing this style of transmission mount and can be retrofitted to 1986-’90 models. The cassette will fit 1991-2005 FLT and Softail models, and most aftermarket cases with very minor required. Gear ratios in the S&S Helical Gear Six-Speed Transmission are evenly spaced to optimize engine RPM between shifts which helps gets the maximum power to the road.
BIKERNET WOMAN RIDER OF THE MONTH–ORLANDO, Fla. – When Roe Hyer was diagnosed with breast cancer so advanced that doctors gave her only a month to live, the single mom decided to finally start living. The spunky hairdresser, then 39, was tired of “being a passenger” in life. She moved to Florida, took up body building and bought her own motorcycle – a metallic blue Suzuki Intruder 800.
Hyer is one of thousands of women across the country finding camaraderie in women’s motorcycle clubs. From the Chrome Divas in Columbia, S.C., and the Women on Wheels in Lincoln, Neb., to the Throttle Queens in Landover, Md. and the Motor Maids in Erie, Mich., women are increasingly taking to the open roads.
“I didn’t have control of the cancer, there’s nothing you can do, so riding is something you have control of,” said Hyer, now 54.Women bikers aren’t your stereotypical bar-brawling, tattooed, leather jacket biker chicks. The new wave of female riders are soccer moms, even grandmas, corporate attorneys and nurses with an average income of $55,850, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council.
The number of women who own their own bikes is on the rise – jumping 36 percent to 635,000 between 1998 to 2003, according to the most recent numbers from the Motorcycle Industry Council, a trade group based in Irvine, Calif.
Manufacturers such as Harley-Davidson and Ultra Motorcycles are capitalizing on the trend, designing bikes with lighter frames, custom fit gears and lower seats.”It’s pretty much been a men’s market, but a lot of ladies really like riding motorcycles and I think they feel left out so that’s why we created something just for women,” Ultra Motorcycles sales director Dan Houston said of his company’s Groundpounder and California Kid models.
At Harley-Davidson, motorcycles sales to women are at an all-time high, jumping from 600 in 1980 to 30,000 in 2005. Women make up about half of new-rider classes on the test track at Harley-Davidson Orlando, said Tony Cianciotto, marketing manager at Harley Orlando.
“I think for so long women have ridden on the back, but nowadays women are very independent,” Cianciotto said.The winding roads offer women an escape from crying babies, stressful jobs and high-maintenance relationships. When Army nurse Edna Valesquez returned from Iraq in 2003, riding helped to melt away horrific memories of wounded troops. Despite her petite 5-foot frame, Valesquez, nicknamed Lil’ Bit, rides a 640-pound Harley Low Rider.”It’s a little escape. You can get on those back roads and you just go,” said Valesquez, who started the Chrome Divas in August 2005.
Many female riders plan this week to roll up to Daytona Beach’s annual Bike Week, which started Friday, to gab with the thousands of fellow bikers from around the country who gather to scope out the merchandise and ride the test tracks.”We’re definitely seeing a trend in more female riders” showing up at Bike Week, said Kevin Kilian, official for Daytona’s chamber of commerce.
–Rogue
Continued On Page 5
