Hey,
This news is wild, and I believe all positive, sorta. New wild models from Moto Guzzi, new products and positive reports from companies. Bad cops and corruption is rampant, but what else is new. Get this from the WEEK magazine this week: Police in Columbus, Ohio, have started telling residents to move somewhere else. At least 20 residents reported to the City Council that when they call 911, the cop tell them, “Why don’t you move out, if you don’t like it.”
A frustrated police spokesman said, “It’s like the O.K. Corral out there.”
Is the world wacky or what? I just got a call that Branscomb Richmond is still hanging on after a very tough surgery, and Suzuki is on the brink of going out of business. But this news contains new models from lots of small American companies. The big guys are having a tougher time than the small tighter companies. Let’s hit the news, and I’ll report on Bikernet progress and upcoming content in the masterful summation:
Hooters Announce Operation Calendar Drop–The over 350 Hooters Restaurants operating in the USA have launched the 6th annual Operation Calendar Drop yesterday on Veteran?s Day, November 11, 2009. Through this program, Hooters plans to send out tens of thousands of calendars to troops overseas during the holidays.
This is how Operation: Calendar Drop works: Hooters customers are encouraged to purchase a 2010 Hooters Calendar and attach a personal note of thanks to one of our troops. After that, Hooters takes care of the rest, covering the expense of getting the calendars, with their personal greetings, shipped to bases overseas and into the hands of our men and women in service. During the six years this program has been running, over 100,000 of U.S. troops have received calendars and notes of appreciation from customers of Hooters all over the U.S.
Mike McNeil, V.P. of Marketing for Hooters of America, commented, ?Hooters has long been a proud supporter of our military members and their families, and Operation: Calendar Drop has been a great way for both Hooters and our customers to show our support and appreciation for all they do.?
The Hooters Calendar is celebrating the 2010 issue as its 24th edition, having originally launched in October of 1986, just 3 years after the first Hooters opened its doors. The award-winning, full-color, wall calendar features over 190 Hooters Girls from around the world.
– – C. S. Berg
Speaking of whacky and calendars. Our Girls of Bikernet Calendar photog, Sam Dixon, disappeared after Sturgis sales didn’t meet his expectations. We have an order for more calendars, but can’t reach anyone–help. –Bandit
K & G Cycles? Newly Launched Website Offers an Innovative and Enhanced Online Shopping Experience–Lawrence, KS (November 9, 2009) K and G Cycles, the virtual V-Twin motorcycle parts and accessories superstore, has been offering customers competitive prices on over 100,000 V-Twin parts since first opening their virtual doors last February with the launch of www.kandgcycles.com.
With over 900 categories of parts from over 200 manufacturers and 5 major motorcycle parts wholesalers, K and G Cycles has successfully and single-handedly transformed the face of online motorcycle parts sales. However never willing to leave well enough alone, they continue on their quest to revolutionize modern motorcycle e-commerce by unveiling their new and improved website at www.kandgcycles.com.
Completely made-over with a clean and contemporary online look and feel, www.kandgcycles.com is a more effective and eye-catching vehicle for accessing the hundreds of thousands of parts available online through K and G Cycles. The design which was intended to create a more efficient online shopping experience for the consumer promises less scrolling and fewer clicks to find what you are looking for. Category selection and product load times have been optimized for a significantly faster response time. In addition, the top of page ?Speed Bar? has been redesigned to put every function and location at the customer?s fingertips at all times.
Other state-of-the-art website improvements include a new FAQ that allows customers to get answers to common questions as quickly as possible, PDF versions of every catalog from all K and G suppliers viewable online or downloadable for easy offline reference, and a complete and separate section for technical manuals, bulletins, and product videos.
Being available to customers and providing superior customer support is a priority for K and G Cycles and was the main motivation behind their new and improved customer service applications. K and G Cycles is the first online motorcycle parts dealer to offer live customer service and support via Skype. K and G customers who are Skype users can request an online video and audio conference with a K and G customer service rep anywhere in the world during normal business hours.
International customers can also talk with customer service reps without incurring hefty telephone charges. Another revolutionary feature is the online forum where users can post commentary about products, ask questions about installations or projects, or simply interact and build new relationships. K and G Cycles is constantly striving to be a one-stop community for its customers. To that end, the forum will have a section devoted to customer classified ads. Customers will be able to post items for sale or items wanted. The classifieds will be monitored by an administrator to ensure that only valid motorcycle-related postings will actually appear online.
With the large number of parts available to customers on www.kandgcycles.com, it was of the utmost of importance for K and G Cycles to organize their inventory and streamline search functions. With their new online format, products can be located by category, part number, manufacturer, OEM number, wholesale vendor, or product description keywords. In addition, every product is displayed online with an image, description, retail price, sale price, catalog page reference, vendor, OEM part number (if applicable), unit of measure, and quantity selection in one easy-to-see panel. One quick click adds the desired product to the shopping cart or opens the product up for viewing a more detailed description of the product.
New and improved navigation is also a selling point for the newly revised K and G Cycles website. Shopping cart value and number of items is always visible no matter where the customer navigates. In addition, the shopping cart continually displays the amount left to purchase in order to qualify for free shipping. The number of products displayed per page and the sorting method preferred can also be easily controlled by the customer.
Soon to come after this initial launch, customers will be able to shop for parts by specific motorcycle (year, brand, and model). Using this feature, only parts that are appropriate for the motorcycle selected will be shown to the customer further advancing online motorcycle parts shopping making purchasing faster and easier. Shopping online for motorcycle parts has become even more enjoyable and effortless for V-Twin enthusiasts courtesy of K and G Cycles and their new and improved website found at www.kandgcycles.com.
Not only does K and G Cycles offer the widest variety of V-Twin parts and accessories ever assembled online, they have revolutionized the market by providing consumers with a new kind and caliber of shopping experience. Visit www.kandgcycles.com to see cutting-edge e-commerce at its best.
LOST BOYS COMES TO BIKERNET– I have been an avid reader of Bikernet for several years. I was hoping you might be kind enough to give our company a plug on your Thursday news.
We are Lost Boys Cycle Inc.
We are located in Portland Oregon. Our Products are made 100% here in the Good Ol USA (Oregon to be exact)
We are introducing two of our new products. The first is a butterfly shift linkage; it is chromed to a show finish, (includes chrome jam nut and universal link adjustments).
Available for Big Twin or XLH with forward controls. Can also be ordered in Black.
The next is our 8 Ball shift linkage; only available in Black, comes with (chrome jam nut and chrome universal link adjustments)
The retail for the shift linkages is $159.95 For all Bikernet readers they can take a fantastic 13% savings off the retail price. Shift Linkages are in Stock and ready to ship.
To receive discount enter the word Bikernet for the coupon code. Or if you call us or email us make sure to mention Bikernet to receive discount.
Our website is www.lostboyscycles.com
Email us
E-Mail Email Parts
Phone is 503-989-6330
HOT LEATHERS FOR THE HOLIDAYS–CONNECTICUT- Hot Leathers, the leader in motorcycle apparel, is having an incredible holiday sale on leather jackets. Whether you?ve been naughty or nice, you deserve a new leather jacket from Hot Leathers®. Hot Leathers® has a huge selection of men?s and ladies? leather jackets priced at $99.95 for a limited time and only while supplies last. Choose from racer, cruiser, scooter, classic motorcycle and bomber styles made with the high quality materials and durability you expect from Hot Leathers®. Don?t forget to check out all the awesome apparel and gifts from Hot Leathers®. Over 5,000 choices under $50! Get your holiday shopping done early at HotLeathers®. Start saving today!
Big Bear Choppers to display at EICMA in Italy–Big Bear Choppers from California will have their 2010 European lineup on display during this year’s EICMA, one of the major trade shows in the motorcycle industry, running from November 10 to 15 in Milan, Italy. We spoke with Big Bear’s Italian distributor, Good Vibrations over in Milan to confirm while they were making the final preparations for the show and were getting ready to push the bikes around the corner to the convention center. Flipping through this year’s EICMA catalogue, Big Bear Choppers appears to be the only American custom motorcycle manufacturer present at the show.
In cooperation with the Swiss company Midland Choppers that functions as the umbrella importer for Big Bear in the old country, Good Vibrations offers eight Big Bear models in Italy, all in full compliance with Euro 3 standards. On display at the EICMA will be five models: the Athena pro-street, Sled pro-street, BareBones, Rage and the Screamin’ Deamon.
– – C.S. Berg
AIRLINES LEAKS PHOTOS TO THE PUBLIC–Just saw that NTSB leaked stills from the cockpit video footage of the Airbus flight in question. Looks like Northwest had been working with BAE Systems on a next-gen CCTVS product, had a prototype installed without union knowledge and then someone had “forgotten” about it.
I guess there was nothing to worry about…
–from Art Friedman
ANOTHER FACTORY LOCATION SHOT DOWN– Harley-Davidson nixes Shelby County site– Local officials had high hopes for 2,000-employee motorcycle plant By Ted Evanoff Posted: November 6, 2009E-mail Print A A Harley-Davidson has ruled out suburban Indianapolis as a possible site for a 2,000-employee motorcycle plant.
The Milwaukee-based manufacturer disclosed Wednesday it would keep open the existing factory in York, Pa., or relocate the work to a plant it would build at Shelbyville, Ky.
Harley’s decision dashed hopes of a major assembly plant and possibly a related motorcycle museum boosting the tax base just outside Indianapolis near the Shelby County hamlet of Pleasant View on I-74.
“We’re not happy about it. We’re definitely disappointed,” said David Mohr, a Shelby County commissioner. “It would have been good for the state.”
A 2,000-employee plant would have been the largest industrial project in the state since a $141.5 million incentive package helped lure Honda to Greensburg in 2006. Its $550 million Civic assembly plant opened last year.
Harley also crossed Murfreesboro, Tenn., from its site list, narrowing the selection process to York and Shelbyville, Ky. The York Daily Record newspaper reported Wednesday that Harley spokesman Robert Klein called York the preferred choice.
In York, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 175, which represents most workers in the plant, is negotiating a new contract. The company favors new work rules and less absenteeism. Local 175 is expected to vote on the matter next month.
In Shelby County, economic development officials are now trying to market the 100-acre site to other companies considering expansions. Two Japanese, one German and three U.S.-based companies are considering sites in the county, said Dan Theobald, head of the Shelby County Development Corp.
“It’s a good site,” Theobald said. “We’re moving forward, encouraging other companies to go forward. It’s going to become an industrial park.”
Mohr and Theobald said it was not clear why the Shelby County site was dropped from consideration. Harley’s Klein could not be reached for comment Thursday.
The I-74 site is zoned for industrial use but requires the extension of natural gas and wastewater facilities.
“We were able to show them (Harley) how we were going to get it there and the time frame in which we could get it there,” Theobald said. “The site in Kentucky had the same infrastructure issues.”
Earlier this week, Shelby County Commissioners were intent on landing Harley. The officials agreed to hire M.D. Wessler & Associates of Indianapolis to negotiate sewage rates with the Indianapolis Department of Public Works.
That action came after the commissioners decided it would be cheaper and quicker to turn to the Indianapolis system rather than build a wastewater treatment plant at Pleasant View.
Officials with the Indiana Economic Development Corp., which learned of Harley’s decision Wednesday, declined to comment Thursday.
–from Rogue
STURGIS Rally bikers can get $10 state park pass– Motorcyclists visiting Custer State Park during the annual Sturgis rally will now pay a flat $10 fee for an extended pass.
During the state Game, Fish & Parks Commission meeting Thursday in Pierre, members voted to change the current pass rules, which charge motorcyclists during the rally $6 for a single passenger or $12 for two. Those passes are good for only seven days.
Under the new system, motorcycles can pay the flat $10 fee beginning on the Monday before the rally. The permit will be good for all state parks until Aug. 22. Motorcycles can also buy an annual pass, which costs $28, at Custer State Park.
–from Pepper Massey
BIKERNET PAUSE FOR STATION IDENTIFICATION–Biker comes home, flops in an easy chair, and turns to his old lady and says, “Hurry up and get me a beer! It’s gonna start any minute!”
She looks puzzled, but gets off the couch, goes and gets him a beer.
He takes the beer and chugs it down, pitches the empty, and says, “Hurry up and get me another! It’s gonna start any minute!”
She looks a little pissed, but gets up and retrieves another beer.
He takes this one and tips it up until it is gone, pitches it, and says, “It’s gonna start any minute now! Go get me another beer. Hurry!”
She looks over, face all twisted up, finger pointing, and says, “I’ve been cookin’ and cleanin’ all day, goddamnit! You come home, flop your ass in a chair and start givin’ commands! What do you have to say about that?”
He throws his hands up in surrender and says, “It started!”
–Bruce Snyder
LICKS Shorty Riser Set-Black-1″– Hold the presses, our super popular 1″ Shorty Risers are now available in a bad ass black finish!!! These bare bone beauties are nothin but raw, hardcore puuuurrfection! The shorty risers feature a slammed 1″ rise with 1/2″x13 threads. If you have been searching for a unique bare bone finish for your front end, the 1″ shorties will undoubtedly get some attention!!!
Website link is: www.lickscycles.com
BIKERNET READER SCORES SUNDAY POST–Great job on the Sunday post! Any news from the SEMA show about the Motorcycle committee?
The quote from Bill Hall was right on…while you and I and thousands of others were enjoying those freedoms he mentioned, they were quietly taken from us and we have what we have now. We are, unfortunately, all to blame…hoping someone did something about it before it was too late. It’s almost too late.
I’m glad I lived those days and sorry I didn’t do more to preserve them.Ride Hard!
–Mike
BIKERNET ENGLISH DEPARTMENT WORD OF THE DAY–loquacious loh-KWAY-shuhs, adjective:
1. Very talkative.
2. Full of excessive talk; wordy.
The meeting went on for hours, accommodating loquacious bores who were each allowed their say.
— Andrew Sullivan, “Gay Life, Gay Death”, The New Republic, December 17, 1990
In drawing a sharp contrast with the loquacious Ginsburg, her new lawyers appeared for just a few moments and said virtually nothing to reporters before retreating into the building.
— Peter Baker, “Lewinsky Replaces Ginsburg”, Washington Post, June 3, 1998Blatant symbolism combines with outrageous humor. This ad campaign has continuity, for the preceding ad featured the loquacious bottle talking to a tomato.– Philip B. Meggs, Meggs’ History of Graphic Design
Loquacious comes from Latin loquax, “talkative,” from loqui, “to speak.”
UNIVERSAL LOW TUNNEL TANKS FROM PAUGHCO–Paughco?s latest ?Universal Low Tunnel? custom gas tanks are the perfect fit for a wide variety of machines from choppers to open road cruisers. Available in 3.4, 3.8 and 4.8 gallon capacities, the new tanks are sleek yet very user friendly for real street machines.
Designed for use on bikes with stretched top tubes, they feature an unmistakable ?Teardrop? shape.
Each tank has stock style screw-in filler and vent and standard 22 mm external thread petcock fitting for use with OEM and aftermarket left side mounted petcocks. Tunnel depth is just 3 ??, overall length measures 21? and center hole-to-hole mounting bracket dimensions are 21? for the 3.4 tank and 22? for the 2 larger versions.
Retail on all 3 sizes is just $314.95. For complete details call 775-246-5738, email to info@paughco.com
STRANGEST TRIKE OF THE WEEK–This is one 1967 Mustang you have to see to believe, but wait it’s not just your ordinary average classic Mustang it’s a Trike!
Yes folks a Trike as in a 3-wheeled motorcycle with one-half of a 1967 Mustang and the front-half of a motorcycle.
According to the owner the trike it took 2 years to complete this custom beast with no shortcuts taken. It features a 289/302 bored .060 over, T-4 transmission, 9 inch rear end and some custom paint work.
As of writing this, the custom 1967 Mustang Trike has a starting bid of $34,499 with no bids.
NOT LONG NOW …… BURT MUNRO CHALLENGE 2009 26th ? 29th November Bigger and better in 2009!– Here?s what?s new and exciting this year?
NEW EVENT! Burt Munro Challenge Hill Climb: A popular event with Burt himself, this race is set to become another spectacular part of an already action packed weekend.
11am, Thursday 26th, Flagstaff Road in Bluff . The Rally campsite will be open on Thursday night for those wishing to stay but with limited facilities.
Aaron Slight & Andrew Stroud! Together for a night at the Ascot, Thursday 26th. The boys will both be speaking on their motorcycling experiences and supper is included. – Tickets $40 from i-Site (ph 03 211 0895) and Southland Honda (ph 03 214 4254) There will also be door sales but space is limited so you are advised to purchase tickets prior to this event.
The world famous BRITTEN bike! On display at E Hayes and Sons on Friday 27th On display and demonstrated at Teretonga Sprint Races on Saturday 28th On display and demonstrated at Wyndham Street Races on Sunday 29th
Race entries are up! Bigger fields across most classes makes for some exciting racing. Big names to race in 2009 include seven times NZ champ Andrew Stroud, Isle of Man champ Shaun Harris, NZ 600 champ Craig Shirriffs, and Honda NZ Factory Rider Hayden Fitzgerald.
Programme
Thursday 26th Bluff Hill Climb (NZ Titles)
Thursday 26th Night at the Ascot with Aaron Slight and Andrew Stroud
Friday 27th Teretonga practice day
Friday 27th Late afternoon Beach racing (NZ Titles)
Saturday 28th Teretonga Road racing
Saturday 28th Evening Speedway Spectacular
Sunday 29th Wyndham Street RaceAnd yes – The Rally, great entertainment, best food ever – “One hell of a weekend”
So don?t miss the biggest and best Burt Munro Challenge yet!
www.burtmunrochallenge.com
BRASS BALLS HONORS THE MILITARY WITH A DESERT CLASSIC BOBBER–BossMan Dar Holdsworth honors the military with his Desert Classic Bobber, which is finished with an old-school butterscotch paint and pinstripes on the tank. Exhausts are classic wrapped drag pipes. This bike was built for Mark Stewart and was inspired by our vets in Afghanistan and Iraq.
See More at custom-production motorcycles at www.brassballsbobbers.com
BIKERS VOICE ARIZONA CONCERNS– KINGMAN – As a state highway patrol helicopter circled low over head,bikers from 40 motorcycle clubs throughout Arizona met Saturday inKingman.
The meeting held Saturday at the American Legion post in Kingman wasplanned a year ago and is held throughout Arizona by the ArizonaConfederation of Motorcycle Clubs, alternating between Arizona cities.Bullhead City will host a meeting Nov. 7, 2010.
Saturday’s meeting was to be held in Fort Mohave but moved to Kingmanfor a planned ride past four Kingman establishments, which recentlyadopted a no colors policy. Colors are patches on a vest that identifiesa biker’s motorcycle club.
An officer from the state gang task force was parked across the streetfrom the American Legion post, taking photos of the bikers. Police carsfrom Bullhead City and Kingman and from the Arizona Department of PublicSafety drove by, making the law enforcement presence felt. About 500 to600 bikers assembled after the meeting on a ride past the four bars,which included Chuy’s Broiler, Cerbat Lanes, Sportsman Bar and Mad Dog’sin Kingman.
ACMC advocates for biker rights and meets twice a month, discussingissues like helmet or emission laws or pushing for biker-friendlylegislation. There are about 40 clubs in the state, according to DanBalentine, who is president of the Desert Road Riders Motorcycle Club inFort Mohave as well as the secretary for the ACMC.
Balentine said that ACMC is in the process of hiring a third lobbyist towork on the no colors policy initiated by some bars and restaurants inKingman.
One ACMC lobbyist, going by the name of Skypilot, is based at the statecapital in Phoenix and works with the legislators while a secondlobbyist work on federal issues in Washington, D.C. Skypilot reportedthat he is talking with state legislators on motorcycle issues such asright of ways, emissions, discrimination by law enforcement, correctlyfastening license plates and extended yellow lights.
Balentine cautioned bikers during the meeting to obey all traffic lawswhen riding past the four bars, not to give law enforcement an excuse topaint a negative picture of bikers.
ACMC’s president Ray “Still Ray” Fitzgerald, said the object is to drawattention to the way the gang task force illegally forces bars to adoptthe no colors policy or face having their liquor licenses pulled.
One biker spoke of the Phoenix Police Department closing the gates of acemetery, keeping bikers from attending several memorials.
DPS officers also reportedly pulled over several Hells Angels travelingto the meeting Saturday morning on Interstate 40 about 18 miles east ofKingman and arrested Sonny Barger, one of the founders of the club.Barger, 72, was getting off his bike when he was arrested for goingseveral miles over the speed limit. Other Hells Angels were alsoticketed, according to a club member.
Balentine said ACMC’s mission statement is to educate the public of thepositive aspects of motorcycle clubs and lawfully oppose intrusion tobiker rights. He previously said he has had no problems wearing hiscolors in bars, restaurants, even casinos in the Bullhead City andMohave Valley area. Wearing his colors in the Laughlin casinos has alsonot been an issue, even after the infamous 2002 shooting between tworival motorcycle clubs during the Laughlin River Run.
Especially after the 2002 Laughlin shooting, Balentine said, there hasbeen unfair stereotyping that all bikers who wear colors are dangerousoutlaws looking to cause trouble. At the meeting were members from aChristian motorcycle club and one member of a club representingfirefighters and paramedics.
News Journal Article
–from Rogue
NEW DUAL D&D SLIP-ONS FOR HARLEY FXDF & FXDWG MOTORBIKES–Increase your performance across the entire rpm range with D&D’s new dual slip-ons. Designed with an equal length cut for a custom look. No tuner needed when used with stock air cleaner. Dyno tuned to make a satisfying rumble.
Get the details at D&D Exhaust.
BIKERNET WEEKLY DOOR PRIZE EXTRAVAGANZA–This coming week we will give away three more Wolfgang books, the Michael Hupy “Busted” DVD on how to deal with cops and a tube of Tire seal. It’s an amazing product designed to prevent flat tires on motorcycles.
Here’s your part. You need to tell us which prize you want and why. Just click on the banner above. It’s FREE, goddamnit.
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