Hey,
I had an epiphany this week. Here’s the definition:
noun (plural epiphanies) (also Epiphany)
the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi (Matthew 2:1–12).
• the festival commemorating the Epiphany on January 6.
• a manifestation of a divine or supernatural being.
• a moment of sudden revelation or insight.
The last one is the one I’m referring to in this case. I had a meeting with David Zemla from S&S and Bradley from the Indian PR group about the King of the Baggers Race later this year in Laguna Seca. S&S is modifying a new Indian Challenger for this bagger road race against 13 other bikes, all Harleys.
Just 30 minutes after the interview I jumped into the 5-Ball Racing van to blast from Deadwood into Boulder Canyon 6 miles away. Hooking up with Eric Herrmann, the mission was to collect a piece of vintage Henderson motorcycle art for the new Deadwood digs.
Eric and his son were staying on a cool, sorta vast estate owned by Joe, a contractor from Denver. Joe owns five Road Glides and Street Glides and they are all massively performance baggers. Eric just bought a cop Kawasaki capable of doing over 200. Joe also owns a Stupid Fast Ducati.
I jumped from a high dollar race discussion, to see who can build the fastest, best handling road race bagger, to a very serious performance bagger customer. One of Joe’s baggers can ride with Eric at over 140 mph and he has over $90,000 into an all-black and carbon fiber Street Glide.
So, I will attempt to cover the whole nine yards as I describe Joe’s collection of motorcycles in a Bikernet Feature. But the key is a new, stupid fast Harley or bagger performance market. This is not just about big-inch engines. It’s also about suspension and handling.
I started to imagine a wealthy guy thinking about buying a luxury sports car in a crowded city and how he can’t get around or through the traffic. He sells the Ferrari and goes after a performance touring bike with massive balls. “They are taking Baggers and building extremely fast FXRs,” Eric said to me. Hang on for what might happen next.
Let’s hit the news.
The Bikernet Weekly News is sponsored in part by companies who also dig Freedom including: Cycle Source Magazine, the MRF, Las Vegas Bikefest, Iron Trader News, ChopperTown, BorntoRide.com and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum. Most recently Quick Throttle Magazine came on board.
Harley-Davidson Investors Sour on CEO Zeitz’s Turnaround Plan–
(Bloomberg) — Harley-Davidson Inc. investors who cheered the appointment of a turnaround artist don’t like the early rendition of his makeover for the ailing motorcycle maker.
Jochen Zeitz, a former Puma SE boss who became chief executive officer in February, has been working to shrink the company and narrow its focus amid a five-year sales slump in its core U.S. market. He has cut roughly 14% of the workforce, pruned its dealer network and delayed product launches.
“We’re not willing to sacrifice the strength of our legacy in a quest for pure volume growth going forward,” Zeitz said on a conference call. “We are an extraordinary and desirable brand but that doesn’t mean we want to become everything for everybody.”
That sobering message came after Harley on Tuesday posted its first quarterly red ink in more than a decade. The bikemaker reported a loss of 35 cents a share, missing the lowest analyst estimate and below a consensus for a profit of 18 cents a share.
Investors reacted by pushing down its shares as much as 11.3% to $25.98, the steepest decline in four months.
Zeitz, who joined Harley’s board in 2007, rose to prominence by reviving a nearly bankrupt Puma in the early 2000s. Since taking the handlebars at the motorcycle manufacturer earlier this year, he’s sketched out a turnaround plan dubbed “Rewire” and has promised a five-year strategic plan due by the fourth quarter, which he calls “Hardwire.”
His steps so far include starving dealers of new bikes to clear out excess inventory, a move the company says has helped it charge full price for 2020 model-year bikes. Zeitz told analysts Tuesday he aims to increase the brand’s desirability by putting quality ahead of quantity.
The Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based manufacturer said it would speed up restructuring by cutting about 30% of its model lineup and concentrating on 50 markets. Harley said in its latest annual report that it had dealers in about 100 countries worldwide.
What Bloomberg Intelligence Says:
New management may be embracing its history and core rider demographic, while remaining a niche player to attract a larger automotive or motorsports partner.
— Kevin Tynan, senior automotive analyst
Zeitz’s belt-tightening wasn’t enough to offset a 59% plunge in Harley’s second quarter shipments after the coronavirus halted production in its factories in the U.S. and Thailand and temporarily closed dealerships around the world.
There may be more pain to come as Harley is pushing back the debut of its first adventure touring bike, the Pan America, to early 2021 instead of August.
The CEO said he will invest savings from the cost cuts into new marketing campaigns. He is reorganizing the company’s structure to reduce complexity and improving outreach between its field offices and headquarters in Milwaukee.
Harley declined to give financial guidance for 2020, saying the impact and the duration of the pandemic is still too uncertain.
–by Gabrielle Coppola
Bloomberg.com
I made a couple of suggestions to the boss. One mentioned above. In a sense they embrace it with their Screamin’ Eagle CVO packages. But this market wants suspension and handling as a major portion of the Stupid Fast package.
I also suggested embracing a model that was built to modify, perhaps the Sportster. Design the platform so guy could customize readily. Done deal, and build the excitement around this ability.
Finally, remember when the Shay company built a reproduction Model A 20 years ago. I still see them on the road. I suggested that Harley create a similar model. Build on the legacy of the Past. All these suggestion are about building excitement around the brand inside and outside of the factory.—Bandit
Ps. One more, which has been an industry bone of contention since the ‘70s. The factory should embrace the aftermarket instead of fight or try to kill it. Imagine the excitement and the learning everyone could benefit from by sharing.
STURGIS MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM Hall of Fame Highlight–Class of 2020
The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame is featuring Hall of Fame Highlights of this year’s outstanding new group of inductees. Here is a glimpse of what they had to say. For the full story join us at the 2020 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Congratulations and welcome to Dave Mackie.
*Please note: Hall of Fame Highlights will be published as we receive them from the Inductees. We look forward to sharing information about all of our Inductees in the weeks and months to come.
Between 1978 and 1984, Dave Mackie set over 60 National Records in several different classes, and was a five-time National Champion against some very tough competition.
Always working to get better and faster he analyzed products on the market. At the time, there were several carburetors and he chose to contact Rivera Engineering about running their Eliminator SU. This is where Dave’s longtime friendship with Mel Magnet began. Dave says “Mel was a great guy who helped a lot of racers including the great Jim McClure. He sent me a carburetor and all the needles and jets and manifolds I might need”.
When Dave was asked what was the first thing he ever raced he laughed and said “everything I ever drove”. His passion for racing became fully ignited when he purchased his first Harley, a 1974 Superglide FX.
Dave was innovative, persistent and always testing the limits. In his words, “if you don’t blow it up once in a while you aren’t trying hard enough”.
Learn More About the Hall of Fame
Wednesday, August 12
8:30 AM – 12:30 PM MDT
The Lodge at Deadwood
100 Pine Crest Drive
Deadwood, SD 57732
NEWS FROM THE TWISTED ROAD–A motorcycle at 50: midlife crisis
or best thing ever? (Part I)
I will be 50 years old in 2021, and I finally bought a Harley. Is this a midlife crisis or is it something else? It’s been almost 20 years since I last rode a motorcycle, let alone owned one. So, the question is this: why did it take so long, and why now?
I think it’s a hard question to answer. I’ve wanted to ride a motorcycle since I was a kid. My parents always said “NO!” I remember once in high school, a friend had a motor scooter, and he let me ride it around; the minute my mother saw me riding it, I was grounded. Did I give up? Hell no. I waited until I was out of college, out of the house, and out on my own — an adult. Okay, I was 26 or 27 years old, I was old enough. My (twin) brother and I took a motorcycle safety course, and that was it — I was hooked.
As soon as we passed the class and got the “M” on our license, I went shopping for my first motorcycle. Of course I wanted to be like Reno Raines from the show Renegade, I wanted a Harley.
But I couldn’t afford a Harley, so I ended up with a really old Suzuki 650 standard as my first motorcycle. It cost me about $600 and that was okay. I outgrew that thing in a week. Yet, as I rode and rode, I realized it was my therapy. See, back then I was single, still trying to find the right girl. I was in the gym at 5:00 a.m. then I’d head to work to put in my 8-hours and I’d hit the gym again, then go out with friends at night — rinse and repeat. The gym was where I got any aggression out; hopping on the bike and taking a drive along Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive, through the city, up into the ‘burbs and sometimes even further, well, that cleared my head. To me, being on a bike was — and is — the greatest feeling in the world.
Then, I met my wife.
I’m not a rich man. I wasn’t at 30 and I’m not at almost 50. So, when I realized she was “the one,” I needed money to buy a ring. Bye-bye motorcycle. It was like losing my best friend — I’m pretty sure I recited the Kaddish (the Jewish prayer for mourning). I figured, “Okay, I sell this bike, buy the ring, I can get another bike in a year.” What they don’t tell you is that you have to buy a house, and you’re going to want to go on vacations, and you’re starting a family — and pretty soon the dream of getting another bike is just that… a dream.
So, here we are, almost 20 years later. My kids are teenagers, my career is better (there’s life insurance), and I’ve worn my wife down enough (whining about wanting a motorcycle) to get the “Okay.” I’m a chef, and I’ve always had this dream to own my own restaurant; I’d pull up on my Harley like a bad ass, and when my customers would hear the roar of that engine, they’d know “the chef is here.” And I’d drive up and park it right in front of the restaurant — like a real asshole!
Except, now I’m almost 50 years old, I’m doughier than I want to be, and I don’t have my own restaurant. I work for a big corporation, I still do private events, I’m not famous. but I can afford to buy a bike. I think that’s where everything comes into focus: I can afford it. I had to work a 2nd job cooking private dinner parties to put enough cash away, but I was finally able to walk into a dealership and just purchase a used bike. It’s not a crisis, it’s a lifestyle — one that I’ve waited 20 years to continue. What’s crazy is that my Harley FatBoy is 20 years old. I waited 20 years and was only able to afford (without having to finance anything) a bike that was 20 years old!
I’ve recently learned more about motorcycle rental—the idea of renting out my motorcycle for a little extra cash, or renting a motorcycle from another owner (especially when I didn’t have one) is pretty interesting. Some of my friends use and love Twisted Road when they want to rent a motorcycle in Chicago. But they have owners with bikes available to rent everywhere. Definitely noting that for the next time I’m traveling and want to explore on two wheels!
Check back soon to find out how his new Harley fueled Heath Schecter’s imagination…
SMRO’s Hitting the Phones–
In the Senate, our focus the last few weeks has been on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. This is the committee with jurisdiction over most of the motorcycle priorities we won in the House bill.
Over the last two weeks, nearly 1,000 MRF members, who live in one of 25 states with a Senator on the committee, have answered our call to action. To reinforce our message with these critical Senators, SMRO leaders in specific states and your D.C. team have done conference calls with Senate offices. Over the last two weeks, nine states have participated in a call with Senate staff, pressing them to include our hard-fought motorcycle provisions in a Senate bill.
Special thanks to leaders in Alaska, Massachusetts, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin for taking the time to join these phone calls and make the connection between the riders back home and the lawmakers in Washington, D.C.
In the coming weeks, we plan on having other states join in this process. We are already working out the details for calls with leaders in Arizona, Colorado, and Michigan.
We are fortunate to not only have great leaders in these states, but great leaders throughout the country. Having the ability to tap into this talent is vital to our collective success in Washington D.C.
MRF President and Vice President Score Cosponsors
While the last few months turned our focus to the highway bill in the House of Representatives, we haven’t forgotten other priorities like H. Res 255 regarding motorcyclists profiling.
Strict rules regarding how the House has operated since the middle of March made it difficult to add cosponsors to legislation. However, recently the House has relaxed some of its internal protocols, making it easier to add cosponsors.
Late last week, we added our first new cosponsors since right before the pandemic struck. It’s fitting that the two new cosponsors were direct results of the work done by MRF President Kirk “Hardtail” Willard and Vice President Jay Jackson.
As you may remember, Hardtail drove Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-R) home from the airport after the two ended up on the same flight back from D.C. last month. Obviously, 3.5 hours in the car with Hardtail did the trick, and the Congressman became the 7th member of the Wisconsin delegation to sign onto the resolution.
In January, Jay Jackson attended an event in Kentucky with the riders of the Bluegrass State. In attendance was Congressman Brett Guthrie. The riders in Kentucky and Jay worked their magic, and the Congressman just joined H. Res 255 as a cosponsor.
With these two additions, we now have 139 cosponsors of H. Res 255 the motorcyclists profiling resolution.
NEWS FROM THE NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM–
George Jones is one of the most legendary of country music singers. First hearing country music on the family’s new radio when he was seven, that and his father’s interest in music got George his first guitar at age nine.
By 16 he had left home and began playing at venues and on the radio. You will recall a few of his hits; White Lightning, He Stopped Loving Her Today and Tennessee Whiskey. Married four times, it was mostly country singers singers he chose to be with.
As early as 1982 Jones was riding Harley-Davidson sidecar rigs as he made headlines in his local newspaper. Jones was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1992.
This 1995 FLHTC with matching Harley sidecar was bought new by Jones from C&H Harley-Davidson in Nashville and the original title remains in Jones’ name. With only a little over 1000 miles on the odometer it was used little and cared for well.
He and his wife Nancy rode the rig in an MDA benefit in Nashville in 1995. Jones and subsequent owners have done a good job of keeping documents together.
The first ‘Glide’ came about in 1949 when Harley-Davidson added hydraulic telescopic fork front suspension to their big twin making the Hydra Glide.
The FL arrived in 1941 when Harley offered the Knucklehead motor in a 61 cubic inch configuration. Harley’s first sidecar was offered in 1914, and in 2011 they ended sidecar production moving toward the three-wheeler approach with the Tri-Glide.
Though challenged as the king of heavyweight touring machines by many motorcycle makers in the 1980s and beyond, the Electra-Glide maintains its classic lines though it has enjoyed updated engineering along the way. It remains the choice of hundreds of thousands of riders world-wide.
When you visit the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa you will walk among a great array of Harley-Davidsons including several sidecar rigs from 100 years ago through the 1940s and beyond. George Jones sidecar rig is on temporary display by its current owner so try and plan a visit soon to see it.
Specifications:
Engine: Four-Stroke V-Twin, OHV
Type: 45 Degree, Two Valves / Cylinder
Bore & Stroke: 88.8mm x 108.0mm
Displacement: 1337cc / 81.5 Cubic Inches
Compression ratio: 8.5 : 1
Induction: CV Carburetor
Ignition: Map Controlled Spark
Starting: Electric
Horsepower: 67HP
Primary: Chain Driven
Clutch: Dry, Multi-Plate
Transmission: 5-Speed
Final Drive: Belt
Suspension: Telescopic Fork / Dual Shocks
Brakes: Dual Disks / Single Disk
Tires: T80-16T / T80-16T
Weight, Dry: 760 Pounds
TEXAS DYNA WEATHER REPORT– I’ll probably need a new Bikernet Bandana Cloaking device, it’s been hiding the plastic bag covering the wires the current idiot owner cut!
We interrupt this fork seal/lower leg/Dyna Boy Fork Boot Installation for some Janky Neck Bearings or My Dyna has that new “self-centering front end.
You can tell I’m a mechanic, by the tools I took to Willis to mess with the Bronco Sunday, 1/4-inch drive sockets and 3/8-inch ratchet, oops.
Wish I was in SD, got to thank Lucky Devil for allowing me to bust my Sturgis virgin back then. I’d really like to come up a few weeks before, get another crack at Spearfish Canyon with a bike that will top 70mph!
Took the jets out of my toolbox, didn’t make em in the trailer. Should have hit up S&S but still can’t believe I got to run it twice with no one on it!
Enjoy the festivities, saw they cancelled the drags.
–RFR
BRAND New Bikernet Reader Comment!–
The Deadwood Diaries
https://www.bikernet.com/pages/The_Deadwood_Diaries.aspx
That is what I call history. I thought Deadwood would be a creative environment for the infamous Bandit, and I was right. You research stuff at a micro level and that’s way cool.
I did not know it was just two pairs, and I assume the last high card was either a red card ace or a red card eight. I know it’s off the biker story line but these guys were the original 1 percenters. Lived by their rules. Don’t want to be messed with and don’t poke their noses into somebody else’s business, unless asked or paid for.
Thanks and real good story.
— Gearhead
Torrance, CA
More research is underway. As it turns out Wild Bill’s original grave might have been on my land. It’s been confirmed, but I need to back it up with photos or documents.
The original cemetery was moved up the hill to allow for more housing to be built for the town of Deadwood. A neighbor recently found bones while moving land for a new garage. The truth was revealed. More to come. —Bandit
[page break]
LINDBY PRODUCT OF THE WEEK—
We are doing well and staying healthy even though we are getting hit pretty hard here in Cali with the whole covid-19 crap that’s going on.
Unfortunately, I am not heading over to Sturgis this year.
We are working on a new part right now and almost done with the design part of it.
But for Sturgis, we are now offering the Multibar and Unibar models for the new 2018-2021 Softail models.
Hope you are doing well and staying safe, have a great time at Sturgis!
–Henry Sandoval
Manager
QUICK, OPEN THE BANDIT’S CANTINA BAD JOKE LIBRARY–The Afghan Quarterback
The coach had put together the perfect team for the Chicago Bears. The only thing that was missing was a good quarterback. He had scouted all the colleges and even the Canadian and European Leagues, but he couldn’t find a ringer who could ensure a Super Bowl win.
Then one night while watching CNN he saw a war-zone scene in Afghanistan . In one corner of the background, he spotted a young Afghan Muslim soldier with a truly incredible arm. He threw a hand-grenade straight into a 15th story window 100 yards away.
KABOOM!
He threw another hand-grenade 75 yards away, right into a chimney.
KA-BLOOEY!
Then he threw another at a passing car going 90 mph.
BULLS-EYE!
“I’ve got to get this guy!” Coach said to himself. “He has the perfect arm!”
So, he brings him to the States and teaches him the great game of football. And the Bears go on to win the Super Bowl.
The young Afghan is hailed as the great hero of football, and when the coach asks him what he wants, all the young man wants is to call his mother.
“Mom,” he says into the phone, “I just won the Super Bowl!”
“I don’t want to talk to you, the old Muslim woman says.”You are not my son!”
“I don’t think you understand, Mother,” the young man pleads. “I’ve won the greatest sporting event in the world. I’m here among thousands of my adoring fans.”
“No! Let me tell you!” his mother retorts. “At this very moment, there are gunshots all around us. The neighborhood is a pile of rubble. Your two brothers were beaten within an inch of their lives last week, and I have to keep your sister in the house so she doesn’t get raped!” The old lady pauses, and then tearfully says,
“I will never forgive you for making us move to Chicago !!!!
–from Joe Smith
WTT RAFFLE DAY IS RAPIDLY APPROACHING–
Summer is flying by, and our annual raffle day will be here before you know it! One lucky winner is going to ride away with the 1939 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead, along with second and third place winners taking home $10,000 and $5,000.
This month is the perfect time to enter because we’re giving away a custom WTT Jersey, hand-made in the USA! But there are only two days left to win one of these incredible jerseys. Just enter our annual raffle at the “Better Deal” pack or higher, and you will automatically be entered to win.
But that’s not all, with each purchase at the “Better Deal” package or higher, you will also receive one of our WTT Pandanas.
An American Classic
Our 2020 Wheels Through Time Raffle Bike is this beautiful 1939 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead hand-built by the team in the Wheels Through Time restoration shop. This year’s masterpiece is powered by an all original 1939 61c.i. OHV Knucklehead engine mated to a genuine H-D 4-speed transmission, making it one of smoothest running motorcycles ever built by the Harley-Davidson Motor Company.
Finished in classic black with ivory panels, the bike has been accurately restored to showroom condition and is ready for the road. Pre-war Harley-Davidsons are among the most desirable motorcycles in the world and have become nearly unobtainable in today’s collector market. Now is your chance to take home an iconic piece of American motorcycle history!
We collaborated with many of the industry’s top vendors and artists for the build of our 2020 raffle bike, and next November she’ll be given away to one lucky winner.
STURGIS RALLY WOMEN RIDERS TURNOUT–Have I mentioned the inaugural Women Riders Turnout? It seemed appropriate to me to celebrate the recent substantial contributions of women riders to motorcycling, especially in this year of the 19th amendment’s centennial. Not to mention we could gather in state that was pivotal to the struggle for women’s voting rights, here in the west where women worked as hard – or harder – than men to settle the western frontier.
Here’s my manifesto, a graphic and a link to the Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/events/571471623671227/?active_tab=about
–Marilyn Stemp
Editor
Buffalo Chip Gazette
A LITTLE SOMETHING FROM THE BIKERNET MONK—Even though a speech is composed of a thousand words, but those words are senseless, one word of sense is better. When people hear it, they become quiet.
–Ming
NEWEST LIFESAVER FROM LOWBROW– When you need it, you need it.
A Fuel Reserve Bottle from Lowbrow is super cheap insurance that will keep you from being stuck on the side of the road.
That extra fuel can be just as handy while cruising around town or on a cross-country adventure.
We have several different Reserve Bottle Carriers, available in ballistic nylon or leather, which make carrying your Reserve Fuel Bottle a cinch…
They can be mounted to front forks, sissy bar, frame, or luggage with ease.
The Lowbrow Customs Reserve Bottle Carrier 2.0 is a secure and easy way to carry a drink, thermos, can of chain lube or any cylindrical object.
Customers use our Fuel Reserve Bottles on every type of bike you can imagine.
They come in handy on motorcycles with small gas tanks but ensure you get home on your sport or touring bike just as well.
Also available, the Lowbrow Stainless Steel Water Bottle. These fit our Carriers perfectly. With spare fuel and water you can be prepared for any adventure!
“Driving While Black” Billboard Shines Light on City Ticket Records:
By a Michigan NMA Member
On July 6, an electronic billboard appeared along I-96 in Redford Township, Michigan, just east of the city limits of Livonia. It warned drivers leaving Detroit, “Driving while black? Racial profiling just ahead. Welcome to Livonia.”
Livonia is a racially-mixed city of 97,000, covering 36 square miles of 1950s homes just west of Detroit. The sign was crowd-funded by a grass-roots citizens group and attributed to Livonia Citizens Caring About Black Lives. The group requested statistics on police traffic stops.
The city responded by posting data on citations issued to black and white male drivers. A Detroit News article of July 12 contains a link to www.LivoniaPACT.org, which features citation statistics for 2019. The city also billed the citizens’ group $13,000 for its FOIA request.
These are fascinating data, showing how many citations were issued for each kind of traffic violation, giving a rare look into the behavior of a big suburban police force.
The numbers show exactly what kind of behavior will get you a ticket in Livonia, Michigan.
Livonia issued 30,551 citations following traffic stops or crashes in 2019, 24.45 percent to black males and 30.23 percent to white males (and presumably 45.32 percent to females of all races).
Many of the citations are for bad driving performance and causing crashes. Failure to yield, failure to stop in the assured distance, improper turns, signal violations, and other crash causes generate the expected proportions of tickets. But some statistics invite questions as to whether motorists are being stopped to raise revenue or for undue harassment.
As you might expect, speeding is the most common citation, for 8,730 tickets or 29 percent of the total:
Ticket Reason Number of Citations
Violating posted speed limit 5,330
Violating basic speed law (“reasonable and proper”) 103
The vast majority of these speeding tickets—5,154 of 5,330—on city streets and county roads were written for one to five mph over the limit. Police seldom stop drivers for such small violations, so these citations represent “roadside breaks” that encourage drivers not to challenge tickets in court. This is a likely indicator of a ticket mill, run for revenue, and not for safety. Only one driver was cited for driving too slowly.
Another indicator of policing for profit is pleading citations down to nonmoving violations such as “blockading a road:”
Impeding traffic 244
Livonia includes nine miles of high-speed, multi-lane freeways. These roads are the primary connections to Detroit Metro Airport and between Detroit and its western suburbs. The statistics call out freeway violations separately:
Limited-access highway speeding 3,297
Livonia police wrote almost 10 tickets a day to freeway drivers passing through from out of town. Of these, 2,994 were written for 1 to 5 mph over the limit, although the drivers were probably exceeding the 70-mph limit by more than that—these freeways operate at close to 80 mph. Citing suburban drivers on I-275 and I-96 helps Livonia even its racial balance in ticketing: only 17.77 percent of the ticketed freeway drivers were black males vs. 38.28 percent white males.
If all 8,730 speeding tickets end in conviction and a fine, they will yield about $1.1 million for the city in 2019.
Certain violations raise suspicions of “pretextual stops” of drivers singled out by police:
Ticket Reason Number of Citations
Tinted windows 204
One headlight 324
Broken taillight, or white light to rear 895
Improper lane use 226
Object hanging from mirror, or obstructed view* 113
Cracked windshield 170
Dirty or obstructed license plate 30
Amber-light violation** 14
*It’s been legal to hang trinkets from your mirror in Michigan for several years.
**Michigan is the only state where drivers must stop for a yellow signal, but few police stop anyone for it.
Registration and insurance violations generate a lot of citations, partially attributable to Michigan’s mandatory-insurance law and the lingering effects of the driver responsibility tax:
Ticket Reason Number of Citations
Expired or improper plates 1,271
No registration form 1,082
No proof of insurance 1,099
Operating with suspended or revoked license 1,135
Some dangerous behavior doesn’t generate many citations in Livonia. Its police only managed to ticket one drunk a night in the city’s 36 square miles:
Ticket Reason Number of Citations
Operating while intoxicated or impaired 385
Careless driving, including crashes 138
Texting 101
Tailgating 43
Failure to yield to pedestrians 4
Not every ticket went to drivers; bicyclists received nine citations in Livonia in 2019.
The City of Livonia is to be commended for posting these statistics, even though they aren’t entirely flattering. Every city should post data like these, to let citizens see if enforcement matches traffic-safety problems and locations. Livonia’s mayor has ordered her administration to begin talking with civil-rights groups. More postings are said to be coming on the city’s web site. The police promise to use data to inform decisions and citizens will be watching to see if future citations are aimed at safety and not revenue.
–NMA
KEEP THE BANDIT’S CANTINA BAD JOKE LIBRARY WIDE OPEN–Subject: Second Opinions
Ever since I was a child, I’ve always had a fear of someone under my bed at night. So I went to a shrink and told him, “I’ve got problems. Every time I go to bed, I think there’s somebody under it. I’m scared and I think I’m going crazy.”
“Just put yourself in my hands for one year,” the shrink told me. “Come in and talk to me two times a week and we should be able to get rid of those fears.”
“How much do you charge?”
“$100 per visit,” replied the doctor.
“I’ll sleep on it,” I said.
Six months later the doctor met me on the street. “Why didn’t you come to see me about those fears you were having?” He asked.
“Well, $100 bucks a visit, two times a week for a year is over $10,000—- A bartender cured me for $10.00. I was so happy to have saved all that money that I went and bought me a new pickup truck.”
“Is that so? The shrink said with a bit of an attitude, “and how, may I ask, did a bartender cure you?”
“He told me to cut the legs off the bed. Ain’t nobody under there now!”
FORGET THE SHRINK, HAVE A DRINK
AND TALK TO A BARTENDER!
ITS ALWAYS BETTER TO GET A SECOND OPINION!
–Joe Smith
HARLEY-DAVIDSON INVITES YOU TO RIDE TO WIN
WITH THE LET’S RIDE CHALLENGE–
It’s Time to Ride
For more than 117 years, the experience of two wheels is Harley-Davidson’s contribution to the world to bring people together and help riders experience freedom for the soul. Now, more than ever, Harley-Davidson is showcasing the power of riding with the Let’s Ride Challenge.
Through riding-related activities, participants earn Let’s Ride Challenge entries for a chance to win prizes celebrating the community and spirit of two wheels including a custom 2020 Harley-Davidson Low Rider® S motorcycle and weekly drawings for additional prizes.
“More than building machines, Harley-Davidson stands for the timeless pursuit of adventure,” said Jon Bekefy, General Manager of Brand Marketing. “The Let’s Ride Challenge is Harley-Davidson’s invitation for all riders in this challenging time to rediscover adventure through socially-distanced riding to find freedom for the soul.”
Let’s Ride Challenge
Riders can earn entries by participating in the following:
Join the Let’s Ride Challenge to earn 5 entries
Join the Let’s Ride challenge on the Harley-Davidson app and track miles
Ride 0 – 600 miles to earn 5 entries
Ride 601-1200 miles to earn an additional 5 entries
Demo Harley-Davidson® motorcycles
Demo a Harley-Davidson® motorcycle for 5 entries. Take a second demo ride for an additional 5 entries.
Take Harley-Davidson Riding Academy New Rider Course and learn to ride to earn 15 entries.
Ride Epic Rides
As part of the Let’s Ride Challenge, Harley-Davidson has curated rides from passionate members of the Harley-Davidson community and dealerships to provide new ways to get out of the garage and start riding again.
There are three types of rides to explore through a dealership or through the app, all while promoting safe and socially-distant riding:
Short Rides: It may have been a minute since the last ride around the block or seeing something new. These short rides can help mix up the daily routine.
Day Ride: Nothing helps seize the riding season more than a full day of riding. These day rides help plan an epic day trip.
Overnight Ride: Take a ride to celebrate what it means to get on the open road, all without crossing state lines. These rides will help plan an epic ride while riding responsibly.
We invite all riders, and riders of all skill levels, to celebrate life on two wheels:
Ask a local Harley-Davidson dealership about rides with fellow motorcyclists to experience new ways to interact with the riding community and discover new rides.
Download the Harley-Davidson App to plan a route, share it with friends, track a ride, and find epic rides nearby.
Win a Custom Harley-Davidson Low Rider S Motorcycle
This customized 2020 Low Rider S motorcycle celebrates how the culture and community of motorcycle rallies have inspired Harley-Davidson motorcycle designs. The custom Low Rider S motorcycle is inspired by the 1980 FXB Sturgis and features a 117 Stage IV kit and a bevy of Harley-Davidson Parts and Accessories.
In addition, every week a winner will be randomly selected to win an assortment of Harley-Davidson General Merchandise and a Yoder Smokers Competition Pellet Grill.
Enter the challenge on July 31st and explore all the ways to win at H-D.com/LetsRide.
NEWS FROM THE BIKERNET CLIMATE QUESTION RESEARCH LAB–
Yesterday I raised hard questions about the $2 trillion that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress want to spend on green energy.
In response, sitting members of Congress publicly smeared me — and then denied me a chance to defend myself.
Here’s the full ugly story.
–Michael
I Was Invited to Testify on Energy Policy. Then Democrats Didn’t Let Me Speak
Yesterday, shortly after giving expert testimony to Congress about energy policy, I had the startling experience of being smeared by sitting members of the United States House of Representatives.
The context was a special House Committee hearing to evaluate a Democratic proposal similar to the one proposed by Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, which would spend $2 trillion over four years on renewables and other climate programs.
Congressional interest in my testimony stems in part from the fact that I advocated for a Democratic energy proposal very similar to Biden’s between 2002 and 2009. Back then, the Obama administration justified the $90 billion it was spending on renewables as an economic stimulus, just as Biden’s campaign is doing today.
But then, late in the hearing, Representatives Sean Casten of Illinois and Jared Huffman of California, both Democrats, used the whole of their allotted time to claim that I am not a real environmentalist, that I am not a qualified expert, and that I am motivated by money.
Had I been given a chance to respond, I would have noted that: I have been a climate activist for 20 years; my new book, Apocalypse Never, has received strong praise from leading environmental scientists and scholars; the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently invited me to serve as an expert reviewer; and that I have always been financially independent of industry interests.
But I wasn’t given the chance to say any of that. After Casten and Huffman lied about me, Rep. Garret Graves asked the committee’s chairperson, Rep. Kathy Castor of Florida, to let me respond. She refused and abruptly ended the hearing.
What, exactly, had I said that was so dangerous as to lead Democrats to engage in character assassination and undermine liberal democratic norms? Nothing I hadn’t already said last January when I testified before Congress about climate change and energy.
Back then, I testified that climate change is real but isn’t the end of the world nor even our most important environmental problem. I pointed to the inherent physical reasons renewables can’t power a high energy industrial civilization. And I noted that cheap and abundant natural gas and nuclear, not industrial solar and wind, have been the big drivers of emissions reductions.
I further made the case that climate change was distracting us from a far greater and more urgent threat, which is the global domination of nuclear energy by China and Russia, which could be disastrous for US interests and the future of liberalism and democracy around the world.
Nations that partner with Russia or China to build nuclear plants are effectively absorbed into their sphere of influence. The line between soft power and hard power runs through nuclear energy. On the one side is cheap and clean electricity. On the other, a stepping stone to a weapons program.
During today’s hearing, several Democratic members claimed that renewables today are cheaper than existing grid electricity. But if that were true, I replied, why do solar and wind developers require hundreds of billions of dollars from American taxpayers in the form of subsidies?
The Democrats are basing their climate agenda on what California did. But California’s electricity rates since 2011 rose six times more than they did in the rest of the US, thanks mainly to the deployment of renewables and the infrastructure they require, such as transmission lines.
Instead of answering that question, Democrats claimed that solar and wind projects were somehow part of the battle for environmental justice. In reality, I noted, solar and wind projects are imposed on poorer communities and successfully resisted by wealthier ones.
In fact, a major new report found nearly 200 cases of human rights violations when renewable energy projects were imposed on poor communities. In Hawaii and Nebraska, indigenous leaders are resisting wind energy projects that threaten native bird species, including the nene and whooping crane, whose number one cause of mortality is transmission lines.
Renewables also hurt working people by raising the cost of electricity for industries that offer good jobs with high pay. From 2011 to 2018, California’s industrial electricity prices rose 32 percent, while the average price in the other 49 states fell one percent.
The good manufacturing jobs in renewables are mostly in China, which makes most of the world’s solar panels, including America’s, while the US is stuck with temporary low-wage service jobs installing solar panels and wind turbines, and doing energy efficiency retrofits. By contrast, nuclear power plants, which can operate for 80 years or longer, require high-wage, high-skilled, and permanent jobs for multiple generations.
What’s going on? Why do Democrats, who imagine themselves to be on the side of working people and the poor, advocate for renewables and against nuclear? It’s hard not to notice that some of the Democrats’ largest donors, including Tom Steyer and Mike Bloomberg, are renewable energy and natural gas investors. Even one of my main antagonists, Rep. Casten, was a renewable energy investor before joining Congress.
Democratic interest in subsidizing renewables comes at a time when industrial renewable energy projects are being blocked around the world, as even their boosters now admit. “Biden plots $2tn green revolution but faces wind and solar backlash,” read a Guardian headline a few days ago. And just yesterday, a new coalition of community and environmental activists formed the Energy and Wildlife Coalition to block industrial renewable energy projects around the world.
The last time Democrats spent big on renewables, during the 2009 green stimulus, 10 members of former President Barack Obama’s finance committee, and more than 12 of his “bundlers,” benefited from $16.4 billion of the $20.5 billion in stimulus loans, as I note in my new book.
Steyer, Bloomberg, and many other renewable energy investors also donate hundreds of millions of dollars to groups like the Sierra Club, which turn around and lobby for more spending on renewables, and for the closure of nuclear power plants. Killing nuclear plants is a lucrative business for competitor fossil fuel and renewable energy companies. That’s because nuclear plants generate such large amounts of electricity.
In 2016, two top former aides to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo worked with a major Cuomo campaign contributor, the natural gas company Competitive Power Ventures, to close Indian Point nuclear plant. A federal indictment on influence peddling filed by Preet Bharara in 2016 alleged that Competitive Power Ventures and the Cuomo administration both recognized that if Indian Point were taken offline, it would be replaced by natural gas, not imported hydro and wind, as Democrats had claimed.
Democrats have worked to shut down nuclear plants and replace them with fossil fuels and a smattering of renewables, since the 1970s, as I note in my new book, Apocalypse Never. They created detailed reports for policymakers purporting to show that neither nuclear plants nor fossil fuels are needed to meet electricity demand, thanks to energy efficiency and renewables. And yet, almost everywhere nuclear plants are closed, or not built, fossil fuels are burned instead.
Now, if the Democrats’ $2 trillion climate proposal passes into law, a lot of very powerful people stand to make a lot of money, from winning tender for industrial projects such as building wind turbines and transmission lines all the way to the outright cash payments that we saw during Obama’s green stimulus.
In the end, the war on nuclear energy threatens more than political corruption and higher emissions. At a time when China is committing a potential genocide against its Muslim citizens, and Russia’s president is expanding his domestic and international powers, the US should not allow these two nations to dominate nuclear power plant construction.
If the US keeps closing nuclear plants and fails to build new ones, we will cede our ability to compete with the Russians and Chinese in building new nuclear plants abroad, which will undermine national security, and good industrial jobs at home. The threat posed by America’s illiberal, nuclear-building rivals will, like the crisis facing renewables, continue to grow, regardless of whether Democrats succeed in shutting me up.
Michael Shellenberger is a Time Magazine “Hero of the Environment,” and president of Environmental Progress, an independent research and policy organization. He is the author of Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All. Follow him on Twitter @ShellenbergerMD.
–Michael Shellenberger
President, Environmental Progress
2569 Telegraph Avenue,
Berkeley, CA 94704
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QUICK, New Bikernet Reader Comment!
Life and Times 2020
https://www.bikernet.com/pages/Life_and_Times_2020.aspx
It’s a great pad for sure! I loved the walk to the gravesites. You haven’t described the hills there at all. I will never forget walking that hill, panting like a marathon runner, while you strolled up it, taking one step to every four of my short strides…Thanks again for showing it to me.
–John T White
Humble, TX
There’s more. I made it up to the Seth Bullock grave site last week. The view is amazing. Come back anytime. –Bandit
GETTING CLOSE, STURGIS MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM Hall of Fame Highlight–
Class of 2020
The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame is featuring Hall of Fame Highlights of this year’s outstanding new group of inductees. Here is a glimpse of what they had to say. For the full story join us at the 2020 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Congratulations and welcome to Arlin Fatland.
Arlin Fatland
Arlin owns and operates one of the few original, independent motorcycle shops that have held firm to their traditions over the decade with 50 years in the same location.
Innovative from the start, 2 Wheelers became known for carrying the newest components, manufacturing their own after-market parts, and their catalog since the 1970’s.
Arlin also builds custom choppers and his bikes are regularly featured in magazines. He has been attending Daytona and Sturgis every year since the 1970’s too and has opened stores in both locations to fulfill the needs of riders.
Arlin has also worked with the Hamsters for over 40 years in various charity efforts industry wide. The story of 2 Wheelers and Arlin is one of steady, consistent, and humble industry engagement fueled by an unabashed love of motorcycles and riders.
Learn More About the Hall of Fame
Wednesday, August 12
8:30 AM – 12:30 PM MDT
The Lodge at Deadwood
100 Pine Crest Drive
Deadwood, SD 57732
LIFESTYLE CYCLES DEAL OF THE WEEK–
2010 Harley-Davidson FLHXXX – Street Glide Trike for $16,995.00
see it here: https://www.lifestylecycles.com/default.asp?page=xPreOwnedInventoryDetail&id=9109983
ABOUT THIS BIKE…..
ONLY 3,214 Miles !!!!!
Vivid Black Harley-Davidson Street Glide Trike (FLHX)
This bike is a RARE STREET GLIDE TRIKE !!!!
Some of the features/Add-on’s on this bike
* 103 Twin Cam Motor with pressurized dry sump oil system with oil cooler
* 6 Speed Transmission
* Electric reverse integrated with rear differential assembly
* 26* Raked and lengthen front forks for optimize steering
* Steering Stabilizer
* LED Chrome windshield trim
* Air-adjustable rear shocks
* Dual front and rear disc brake system with a lever-actuated,parking brake
* Huge trunk with 4.3 cubic feet of storage space
* Lighted rider and passenger floor boards
* Large whitewall tires front and rear
* 40 Watt Advanced Audio System by Harmon/Kardon power two speakers system
* Smoked turn signals
* Engine guard
* Highway pegs
This bike is a RARE Harley Street Glide Trike in great condition
This bike has passed Lifestyle Cycles rigorous 101-point safety and mechanical inspection. Whether you’re looking to commute to work, ride the coast or take that dream vacation, this bike is ready to go!!!
***90 day/1000 mile in house limited warranty!
EZ FINANCING-SHIPPING AVAILABLE!!!
Fill out an online application and ride today!!!
**Open 7 days a week**
***90 day/1000 mile in house limited warranty!
Just $16,995.00 at Lifestyle Cycles (714) 490-0155
HARLEY-DAVIDSON ANNOUNCES NEW SCREAMIN’ EAGLE 128/131 STAGE IV KITS FOR MY17 + TOURING MODELS
“Go Big or Go Home” With New Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson Performance Parts
The all-new Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle products for your ride are here to keep the thrills rolling mile after mile. High-flow exhaust kits, performance cams, ultra-powerful Screamin’ Eagle engines and a comprehensive line of upgrades get you to peak exhilaration quickly and smoothly with the power to handle whatever comes. Conquer the road ahead with H-D® parts and accessories.
SCREAMIN’ EAGLE® MILWAUKEE-EIGHT® ENGINE STAGE IV KIT 114CI OR 117CI TO 131CI
Go big or go home. With the largest displacement of any Harley-Davidson Stage Kit, this 114/117CI to 131CI Stage IV Kit was designed to deliver maximum horsepower – all the way to the redline. Packaged with patent-protected cylinder technology, it allows for the largest Harley-Davidson bolt-on engine upgrade to any Milwaukee-Eight motor.
Features new CNC-ported heads with 1mm bigger valves than the previous generation, and fully machined combustion chambers. Coupled with the kit’s high-lift SE8-517 cam, high compression pistons and a 64mm throttle body and intake manifold, this combination delivers a thrilling 131 ft-lb of torque and 121 HP rear-wheel output when paired with Screamin’ Eagle Street Cannon Mufflers.
It’s designed to run at high-end RPMs and provide a significant boost of torque from cruising speed. You’ll feel the difference as soon as you twist the throttle.
The Screamin’ Eagle 131 Stage IV Kit is eligible for Custom Coverage under the motorcycle’s factory 24-month vehicle limited warranty when dealer-installed by an authorized H-D Dealer within 60 days of vehicle purchase and is otherwise backed by a 12-month limited warranty.
Performance components include:
Screamin’ Eagle CNC Ported Cylinder Head with CNC machined chamber and 1mm larger valves than previous generation
131 Stage IV Timer cover
SE8-517 High-Lift Cam
Forged High Compression Pistons
Screamin’ Eagle High Performance Cam Bearing
Screamin’ Eagle High Performance Tappets
Screamin’ Eagle 4.31″ Steel Sleeve Cylinders
Screamin’ Eagle 64mm Throttle Body and Cast Manifold
Screamin’ Eagle High Flow Injectors (5.5 g/sec)
Complete fitment information can be found on H-D.com.
SCREAMIN’ EAGLE® MILWAUKEE-EIGHT® ENGINE STAGE IV KIT – 107CI TO 128CI
This Stage IV Kit was designed to deliver maximum horsepower – all the way to the redline. Features new CNC-ported heads with 1mm bigger valves than the previous generation, and fully machined combustion chambers. Coupled with the kit’s high-lift SE8-517 cam, high compression pistons and a 64mm throttle body and intake manifold, this combination delivers a thrilling 126 ft-lb of torque and 121 HP rear-wheel output when paired with Screamin’ Eagle Street Cannon Mufflers. It’s designed to run at high-end RPMs and provide a significant boost of torque from cruising speed. You’ll feel the difference as soon as you twist the throttle.
The Screamin’ Eagle 128 Stage IV Kit is eligible for Custom Coverage under the motorcycle’s factory 24-month vehicle limited warranty when dealer-installed by an authorized H-D Dealer within 60 days of vehicle purchase and is otherwise backed by a 12-month limited warranty.
Performance components include:
Screamin’ Eagle CNC Ported Cylinder Head with CNC machined chamber and 1mm larger valves than previous generation
128 Stage IV Timer cover
SE8-517 High-Lift Cam
Forged High Compression Pistons
Screamin’ Eagle High Performance Cam Bearing
Screamin’ Eagle High Performance Tappets
Screamin’ Eagle 4.31″ Steel Sleeve Cylinders
Screamin’ Eagle 64mm Throttle Body and Cast Manifold
Screamin’ Eagle High Flow Injectors (5.5 g/sec)
Complete fitment information can be found on H-D.com.
Both the 131CI and 128CI Stage IV Kits comply with noise and emissions standards in all U.S. states other than California on 2017-later Touring Models. Street-compliant statements may not apply to markets outside the United States. The 131CI Stage IV Kit fits ’17-later Touring models equipped with Twin-Cooled™ Milwaukee-Eight® 114CI or 117CI engine. The 128CI Stage IV Kit fits ’17-later Touring models equipped with Twin-Cooled™ Milwaukee-Eight® 107CI engine. Neither kits fit Trike models. ’17-’19 models require separate purchase of High-Capacity Oil Pump P/N 62400248. 17-’18 models require separate purchase of Screamin’ Eagle High-Capacity Clutch Plate Kit P/N 37000258. Not for use with Screamin’ Eagle High-Flow Exhaust Systems with Street Cannon Mufflers. All models require additional purchase of ECM recalibration with the Screamin’ Eagle Pro Street Tuner for proper installation. See an authorized Harley-Davidson dealer for details.
COMMENT FROM LONGTIME BIKERNET READER– Just read your piece on where your head is with the move to Deadwood. I am happy for you that in some way contentment has filled your being.
Judging by your stories and what I have read you have had a very full and exciting life with all the excitement and downsides that are part of the journey. I do hope you have many more adventures before you…
Being a couple of weeks shy of 70 myself I realize that I have more years behind me than ahead. Like you I’ve had my joys, excitement, failures and some regrets but still having good health and still kickin’ there is much to be thankful for.
Just felt the need to respond as that article did touch a cord.
— Rhys
Well said. If we have health, strength and mobility, we gotta keep rolling, riding and loving every minute of it.–Bandit
CARDO’S SPECIAL-EDITION PACKTALK BLACK
COMBINES SLEEK, DARK STYLING WITH SUPERIOR SOUND BY JBL
New Special-Edition Model Joins Industry-Leading, DMC-Powered PACKTALK Lineup;
First Motorcycle Communicator Featuring Stock 45mm JBL Speakers
Plano, Texas (July 28, 2020) – Cardo Systems, the global market leader in wireless communication systems for motorcyclists, today announced PACKTALK BLACK, a new special-edition model that pairs sleek, dark styling with unmatched, industry-leading sound by JBL. In addition to utilizing Cardo’s proprietary, and proven, Dynamic Mesh Communication™ (DMC) technology, PACKTALK BLACK features powerful 45mm JBL speakers, a sleek, blacked-out design and a three-year warranty to create the industry’s most sophisticated and dynamic motorcycle communications system.
Making its global debut via a YouTube Q&A with motocross icon Ricky Carmichael, PACKTALK BLACK offers the same industry-leading features riders have relied on with the PACKTALK BOLD and PACKTALK SLIM. Cardo’s state-of-art, DMC-powered devices function with a self-adjusting network that automatically maintains a connection, thus allowing up to 15 riders to seamlessly join, leave and rejoin at a distance of up to five miles. Like other PACKTALK models, PACKTALK BLACK is water and dustproof, offers 13 hours of battery life, and features the always-on Natural Voice Operation – allowing riders to keep their eyes on the road, hands on the bars, and activate their device by simply saying “Hey, Cardo.”
“The PACKTALK BLACK is the ultimate choice for riders who demand the highest level of style and performance, coupled with the industry’s best, most proven and reliable technology,” said Dan Emodi, Cardo Systems’ Chief Marketing Officer. “With the industry’s first, and only three-year complete warranty, riders can reap the benefits of PACKTALK’s superior, proven technology and unmatched features, but do so with a darker, edgier expression of personal style.”
PACKTALK BLACK joins Cardo’s robust lineup of PACKTALK and FREECOM communication systems. Starting with Cardo’s Bluetooth FREECOM series, riders can select a model best suited for their needs at various price points. The FREECOM 1+, $139.95, was designed for two-up, rider-to-passenger communication, while the FREECOM 2+, $169.95, provides two-way, mid-range Bluetooth communication. The FREECOM 4+, $249.95, is the ultimate in four-way Bluetooth communication. Riders who prefer DMC connectivity can select between the PACKTALK SLIM, PACKTALK BOLD, both available for $339.95.
Available now for $389.95, riders can visit CardoSystems.com to learn more about the all-new, special-edition PACKTALK BLACK. To join the conversation, follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
LOWBROW RIDING GLASSES AND CLEARS– Don’t get a fly in your eye. Protect those peepers.
Lowbrow sunglasses and riding clears are ideal for riding your moto or jamming around town, regardless of mode of transport.
Featuring:
Articulated spring hinges
Small, raised Lowbrow Customs logos
Subtle checkerboard imprint on the inside of the arms
Micro-fiber storage pouch included
More importantly, Lowbrow riding glasses:
Hold up to the daily rigors of the average 21st century S.O.B.
Ooze classic style.
Are reasonably priced.
LE PERA SEAT OF THE WEEK—Kick-Flip Basket Weave for Sportsters.
Overview
The world is your playground… shred it! This is the seat that every adventurous rider would be stoked to own. The maximized back support and ample seating area offer plenty of options for riding – or showing off – at a moment’s notice.
Shown with Basket Weave seating area. Also available with Diamond Stitch, Pleated Stitch and our new Gripp Tape material – for when traction is needed! Many other custom materials and stitch graphics are available as well!
Specs
Driver Seating:
11″ Wide
Passenger Seating:
N/A
MSRP:
$419.00
Part Number:
LK-596BW [’10-’20] 3.3 Gal Tank
LK-596BW [’10-’20] 4.5 Gal Tank
INCREDIBLE—I have one major question and maybe I know the answer. I keep saying that we’re living in the best of times. That takes an historic prospective. If you lived 100 years ago, you would immediately nod your head in agreement. You would have felt the suffering from WWI, the Spanish Flu, you name it. Hell, during the Civil War and there were no antibiotics and few pain killers. In most areas there wasn’t electricity.
In many areas there were no sewers or running water. Okay, so now we are so damn lucky to have so much at our fingertips. We can travel the world quickly, have cars that do everything for us and phones capable of answering anything, entertaining, you name it. So, why do folks want to be pissed off about bullshit, or stuff that happened 200 years ago? Why do politicians want to take your cars and motorcycles away? They are rapidly proving that fossil fuels are fine and Climate Change is bullshit.
The answer is probably that folks just have a drive to control others, a big reason for some religions. When that quits working, they needed another ploy, how about you’re killing the planet. Fuck it, just go for a ride. Some folks have a tough time with Freedom. They just can’t let go.
Bikers get it. Let’s continue to ride fast and free.
–Bandit
