Hey,
Another whacked-out day in paradise. Yesterday I was called to the mat by the VA doctors for an appointment we requested a year ago. I sat in a waiting room for 1.5 hours before they discovered I had been forgotten. I was forced by the gods of entertainment to read a newspaper and watch the history channel about the end of the earth, Biblical revelations, and the anti-Christ.
Newspapers are the dirty messengers of the Devil. They spew negative shit like there’s no tomorrow. If we all just went out and bought something new tomorrow, an American product, the economy would sing again.
I won’t go into the History Channel’s Nostradamus report, and Leonardo De Vince’s take on the history of the earth. Wait, there’s the Mayan clock from 2000 BC. What the fuck did they know? Let’s party. The news this week is all peaches and chrome:
BIKERNET TEXAS CORRESPONDENT USES KEYBOARD SHIPPING TO GRAB A BOBBER–Johnny Humble in Houston was laid off from his job at a massive chemical plant. He immediately rewrote his resume and hustled to find fresh employment. While he scrambled for employment his cousin called and gave him the bobber he built a couple of years ago.
Then he was rehired by the last employer who laid him off a couple of years ago, so life is good. He’s going to reach out to Keyboard to have his new bobber shipped home.
SNITCH SURFACES IN BANDIT MISSING BIG TOE INVESTIGATION– You do not need to hire a government agency in order to figure out how Bandit lost his toe. I know how he lost it. I’ll tell you for a small fee.LKJ
American Motorcyclist Association drafts model on-highway motorcycle sound legislation–PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has developed model legislation for use by cities seeking a simple, consistent and economical way to deal with sound complaints related to on-highway motorcycles within the larger context of excessive sound from all sources.
The model legislation offers an objective method for municipal jurisdictions to evaluate motorcycle sound through science-based measurement. It’s based on the Society of Automotive Engineers’ (SAE) new J2825 standard, “Measurement of Exhaust Sound Pressure Levels of Stationary On-Highway Motorcycles.” The AMA produced similar model legislation for off-highway motorcycles several years ago.
“Many cities and other jurisdictions already have excessive sound laws on the books, but when they get citizen complaints about loud motorcycles, they sometimes decide to single out the riding public with unfair or overly restrictive ordinances and laws,” said Imre Szauter, AMA government affairs manager. “We believe that motorcycles shouldn’t be singled out, but should be regulated as part of a comprehensive sound management policy that also addresses cars, trucks, leaf blowers, generators and other sources of excessive sound.”
The J2825 standard, issued by the SAE in May, is based on a comprehensive study of a wide variety of on-highway motorcycles. It establishes instrumentation, test site, test conditions, procedures, measurements and sound level limits.
“Too many times, jurisdictions responding to citizen complaints about excessive motorcycle sound create laws that simply don’t work in the real world,” Szauter said. “They either set an unreasonable decibel limit, leave it up to a police officer to subjectively decide whether a bike is too noisy, or come up with another plan that is arbitrary or unworkable. Our model legislation is objective, workable and fair.”
The model legislation adopts the SAE J2825 standard for stationary on-highway motorcycle sound testing, specifies the type of sound meter to be used, and allows for each city to specify the penalties for violating the law. Szauter stressed, however, that the sound-testing procedures and decibel limits established in the SAE J2825 standard should remain unchanged to ensure that the law remains objective and fair.
Under the SAE J2825 standard, decibel limits range from 92 dBA at idle for all motorcycles, to up to 100 dBA at certain RPMs for various motorcycles, depending on the type of engine.
In 2003, the AMA organized the National Summit on Motorcycle Sound to bring together riders and user organizations, representatives of the motorcycle manufacturers, the aftermarket industry, racing promoters, government agencies, law enforcement and others to develop proposals regarding the increasingly controversial issue of excessive motorcycle sound. The creation of a new on-highway motorcycle sound measurement procedure was a top recommendation of the summit’s Motorcycle Sound Working Group.
“The motorcycling community, local governments and police officers have sought a practical sound field test for streetbikes for many years, and now it exists, thanks to a collaboration between the Motorcycle Industry Council and the SAE,” Szauter said. “The next step is for jurisdictions struggling with motorcycle sound complaints to adopt fair and objective laws, and the AMA is providing the tool for them to do that.”
Szauter encourages motorcyclists and government and law enforcement officials to download the model legislation from the “Rights” section of the AMA website at AmericanMotorcyclist.com.
Everyone wants to put numbers and stamps on our rights. They want cops to be trained to test noise levels and carry decibel meters. It’s scary, too many carry radar guns, next will be sound guns. I hope they aim them at trains and trucks. Loud pipes still save lives, but be cool about how you use them.–Wilburn Roach
NORTH DAKOTA FISHERMAN’S CODE–A North Dakota man named Major Nelson was stopped by a game warden at Van Hook recently with two ice chests full of live fish in water, leaving his boat.
The game warden asked the man, “Do you have a license to catch those fish?”
“Naw, my friend, I ain’t got no license. Don’t need one. These here are my pet fish.”
“Pet fish?”
“Yep. Every night I take these fish down to the lake and let ’em swim’ round for a while. Then I whistle and they jump right back into this ice chest and I take ’em home.”
“That’s a lie! Fish can’t do that!”
The man looked at the game warden for a moment and then said, It’s the truth. I’ll show you. It really works.”
“Okay, I’ve GOT to see this!”
The man poured the fish into the lake and stood and waited. After several minutes, the game warden turned to him and said,”Well?”
“Well, what?” said the man.
When are you going to call them back?”
“Call who back?”
“The FISH!”
“What fish?”
We in North Dakota may not be as smart as some, but we ain’t as dumb as most.
–from Rik Savenko
Custom Chrome and Rinehart Racing Agree toWorldwide Distribution Arrangement– MORGAN HILL, CA — Date: 09-23-2009Custom Chrome and Rinehart Racing have agreed to a worldwide distribution program with True Dual and Slip-On product being available for shipment as early as Mid-November. Now dealers and consumers can source one of the industries leading race proven quality exhaust systems through Custom Chrome’s Worldwide Dealer Network as well as Rinehart Racing directly. While Custom Chrome will handle the bulk of the global inventory and product line distribution, Rinehart will remain extremely accessible to those dealers and consumers with special/race related applications and needs to ensure the best possible customer service experience throughout the life of the product line.
“We are extremely excited to partner with a premium performance exhaust manufacturer the likes of Gerald Rinehart, said Holger Mohr, CEO of Custom Chrome. We believe we have the team and systems in place to jointly meet the performance standards of dealers and consumers on a worldwide level.”
Dealer orders for the Rinehart Racing product can be placed with Custom Chrome as early as next week to meet expected market demands for the True Dual Systems and Slip-On mufflers with an anticipated inventory delivery by Mid-November, 2009.
“This new chapter in the life of our company will afford us the freedom and flexibility to exclusively develop innovative new products as we listen and respond to changes in industry needs, while continuing to offer our current product line,” said Gerald Rinehart, Founder and President of Rinehart Racing. “Coupled with Custom Chrome’s commitment to globally market and promote our products, we will consistently provide the motorcycle industry with cutting edge technology and innovation. Rinehart Racing will continue to lead more strongly than ever, as one of the world’s premiere sources in performance exhaust.”
Custom Chrome plans to add the Cross Back 2-Into-2 systems as part of the special 2010 40th Anniversary Catalog scheduled for release early next year. The distribution arrangement has also sparked the development of additional Rinehart Racing products that will be brought to the market following the rigid standards both companies require prior to releasing new product into the market.
A LESSON IN FIGHTING HELMET LAWS–Getting tickets and going to court is still how many are fighting mandatory helmet laws.It costs the court more money than they make even if they find the defendant guilty.It ties up the court and those involved.Every now and then the defendant wins and or the case is dismissed. No matter, sooner or later the cops and the courts will get them message Riders are tired of this type of bullshit and want to decide for themselves what protective equipment if any they choose to wear.–Rogue
Saturday, September 19, 2009 8:14 AM EDTCENTREVILLE — When John Bennett drove by Sturgis Police Officer Matt Boerman last July 16, Boerman felt he had reason to believe the 55-year-old Sturgis man was wearing a non-DOT approved helmet, and Boerman pulled the cyclist over.
According to Bennett’s testimony, Boerman’s testimony, and a video recording of the episode, Bennett dismounted from his cycle, removed his helmet and put it in his motorcycle lock box while he removed and placed another helmet on the motorcycle seat.
Sturgis Police Sgt. Brian Cooper drove across the street from the Sturgis Police Station to the parking lot where Boerman and Bennett were, and, upon learning the details of the situation, asked Bennett four times to produce the helmet from the motorcycle box.
“Isn’t it true that the officer (Cooper) requested you to produce the helmet?” assistant St. Joseph County prosecutor T.J. Reed asked Bennett during trial in Circuit Court Thursday.
“Yes, sir,” Bennett replied.
“Isn’t it true that Officer Cooper said that if you refused to produce the helmet you’d be arrested for obstruction?” Reed asked, and again Bennett replied, “Yes sir.”
Cooper did arrest Bennett, who was charged with obstruction of arrest and concealing evidence and what might have become at most a misdemeanor helmet citation became a felony conviction for Bennett when the jury in Judge Paul Stutesman’s circuit court found Bennett guilty on both counts during jury deliberations that lasted 12 minutes.
Bennett faces a maximum penalty of four years in prison, and will be sentenced on Nov. 13.
Bennett is no stranger to the Sturgis Police as he has been pulled over six times previously for investigation of helmet violations. And Bennett’s attorney Lawrence Katkowsky of Bingham Farms is not unfamiliar with cases involving motorcycles, advertising on his website that he has been an advocate for the motorcycle rights movement for over 25 years.
–By Rick Cordes
Staff Writer
Sonoma County Harvest Fair Results – Sept 26thV-Twin Vineyards brings home the Gold & Double Gold!–The wine competition, now in its 35th year, began in 1974 with 59 entries and it broke a record this year with 1,214, all produced from Sonoma County grapes. Last week, 25 judges from across the country tasted, debated and negotiated before giving scores for a wide range of Sonoma County wines.
16 wines were awarded a Double Gold.
REPORT FROM BANDIT’S CANTINA SALOON–A guy orders a 20 oz. beer. The bartender fills the mug and slides it down the bar. It hits the blond woman’s boobs and splashes all over them. The bartender goes over, retrieves the mug and licks the beer off her boobs.
Each time the guy calls for another beer this happens. So after his third beer,He decides to help the bartender, Nyla, out. The next time the bubbly female bartender hit her boobs, the man jumps up and starts to lick her breasts and she decks him!
He is laying on the floor moaning, ‘Jeez lady.. Why do you let the bartender do it?’
‘Duh,’ says the blonde, ‘He has a licker license!’
–Kevin Silcox
D&D PERFORMANCE EXHAUST CONTINUES TO EXPAND DEALER DIRECT PROGRAM–Here are the new dealers from the week ending 9-18-09, I’ll email you last weeks new dealers today or tomorrow.
1) Hot Rodz of Fayetteville 3618 Sycamore Dairy Rd Fayetteville, NC 28303 910-321-7433
2) Worth H-D North 6609 N. Oak Traffic Way Gladstone, MO 64118 816-420-9000
3) Mike’s Cycle Shop 1448 E Lake Rd McDonough, GA 30252 770-954-1598
4) Timberwolf Cycle 3668 Bay Rd Saginaw, MI 48603 989-497-8282
5) Cycles Plus Inc 16370 A NC Hwy 50 N Garner, NC 27529 919-771-0909
6) Capitol Area Triumph 182 2nd St Highspire, PA 17034 717-986-0580
7) Katahdin Cycles 1928 Medway Rd Medway, ME 04460 207-746-3030
8) KBR’s Custom Cycle 42035 SE Hwy 26 Sandy, OR 97055 503-826-1375
9) Batt’s Cycle 1006 Linn St Boone, IA 50036 515-298-0375
Here are last weeks new dealers
1) Huntington Beach Motorcycles 16882 Gothard St # C Huntington Beach, CA 92647 714-848-2407
2) American Steel Motorcycle 30805 Plymouth Rd Livonia, MI 48150 734-422-3435
3) Southern Steel Cycles 151 Minden Pl Carrollton, GA 30117 770-834-3122
4) Elworth’s H-D 2311 Riverside Blvd Norfolk, NE 68701 402-371-6210
5) Romney Cycle Center 51 Industrial Park RD Romney, WV 26757 304-822-3933
6) California Phil’s 902 Lincoln Concordia, KS 66901 785-243-9991
–Jennifer Millican
D & D Performance Ent
And as always RIDE SAFE & LOUD PIPES SAVE LIVES
817-834-8961
JOIN THE AMCA, ANTIQUE MOTORCYCLE CLUB OF AMERICA– Thanks for posting the essay. I really appreciate all of your help with promoting the contest. You really took it to the next level. If you ever need any help let me know. I owe you one.
My life is taking a little different direction, I am building a 1914 Sears dreadnaught for next years motorcycle cannonball event. Check out the website at www.motorcyclecannonball.com. Wish me luck, I am jumping in the deep end!
— Matt Olsen
www.carlscyclesupply.com.
www.oldbikesinsd.blogspot.com
TUNING YOUR XR750 RACEBIKE WITH EXHAUST– Kenny Tolbert, Crew Chief for Chris Carr Racing, uses the exhaust pipe to tune the motorcycle to the race track. The XR750 makes more horsepower than most tracks can handle so tuners have to adjust the delivery of horsepower for the specific track.
At the start of the season Kenny Tolbert and D&D build new exhaust systems for the team’s Harley XR750 and Honda 450cc racebikes. The guys look at the tracks and determine how the horsepower and torque need to come on in order to get the best response and traction from the motorbike. Tolbert looks to modify the exhaust system at the track because it is a quick fix and it allows him to make changes fast during the race day.
Checkout the biker lifestyle in BikernetStudio.com.
ULTIMATE MOTORCYCLE GARAGE BOOK FROM MOTORBOOKS–You want to be on your motorcycle on the open road–but if you can’t, then the next best place is the garage. There old bikes are restored, wild custom come to life, and friendships are made of beer, b.s., and bruised knuckles. These are the garages where this book takes you–from the old firehouse to the lavishly finished tin shed to the plain old two-car attached structure harboring the treasured bike while the family car sits out in the weather.
Motorcycle Dream Garages opens the doors to sixteen palaces for two-wheeled work and play, among them a secret one in Chicago housing over one hundred rare and collectible bikes at a location known only to members of an underground club; a converted firehouse in St. Paul; a marble palace in Washington DC; and a variety of luxury motorcycle garages owned by racers and celebrities both in the US and Europe.
Lee lives in Austin, Texas, and you can see more of his work at www.Leeklancher.com and www.motorcycledreamgarage.com.
Kevin Cameron is one of the world’s premier motorcycle writers. His feature stories and monthly column have been appearing in the industry’s largest-circulation magazine, Cycle World, for more than 20 years.
MOTORCYCLE DREAM GARAGES
Title: Motorcycle Dream Garages
Author: Lee Klancher
ISBN-13: 978-0-7603-3550-5
Retail: $35 US, $43.99 CAN, £22.50 UK
Binding: Hardcover
Dimensions: 9.25 x 10.875
Page count: 192 pages
Illustrations: 231 Color Photos
Publication Date: October 1, 2009
Imprint: Motorbooks
Boozy police officer in killer smashBusted in Brooklyn mowdown as NYPD eyes pals who ‘fled’–A boozed-up NYPD officer fatally mowed down a Brooklyn woman yesterday, and his passengers — including a fellow off-duty cop — fled the scene as the victim lay dying, police and law-enforcement sources said.
Officer Andrew Kelly, 30, assigned to the 68th Precinct in Bay Ridge, was found reeking of alcohol and with slurred speech and bloodshot eyes after his Jeep struck 33-year-old Vionique Valnord, the daughter of a minister, as she left a wedding at around 12:41 a.m. in Flatlands, authorities said.
Sources said he had been drinking beer for more than two hours. A plastic beer cup was spotted near his seat after the accident.
–from Rogue
BIKERNET ADVERTISEMENT SPOTTED IN CYCLE SOURCE MAGAZINE–I saw your ad in the Oct. ’09 Cycle Source, and I was wondering where that bike was from
— mike
We immediately reached out to the photographer we like to touch, Colleen Swartz. “Ah, yes,” Colleen said. “I took that photo and it is of one of my favorite models (Pamela Sue) and one of my favorite builders (Kraus Engineering). www.krausmotorco.com.”
“That bike is called “Kyrgyz” and was a competitor in the 2008 AMD show. This year Satya Kraus really brought his a-game and placed 4th at the AMD Show!
Amazing work from a fabulous builder.
Thanks for asking and please let Satya know that Bikernet and Colleen sent ya!”
–Colleen Swartz
www.digitalmagicbigshots.com
Wish Somebody Would Invent Something To Keep The Sun Out Of My Eyes–This just in from a Bikernet Reader.
INDUSTRY TESTIMONIAL FOR THE HUMBLE BIKERNET STAFF–SO COOL!!!! Thank you Bikernet!! We really appreciate the story you published on the new S&S 50 Top Builders book we recently distributed.
FYI… I was with some of the S&S team this past weekend and we weretalking about publicity for the book. All of them agreed that the bestpublicity hit would be on Bikernet.com. I knew your site had a bigfollowing but to hear it from some industry insiders made me all thatmuch more excited. THANK YOU for your support!!!
–Nichole Schiele
Quayside Publishing Group
Motorbooks / MBI Publishing
A TRUE LEGEND DOWN– We’re hearing a lot today about big splashy memorial services.I want a nationwide memorial service for Darrell “Shifty” Powers.
Shifty volunteered for the airborne in WWII and served with Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the 101st Airborne Infantry. If you’ve seen Band of Brothers on HBO or the History Channel , you know Shifty. His character appears in all 10 episodes, and Shifty himself is interviewed in several of them.
I met Shifty in the Philadelphia airport several years ago. I didn’t know who he was at the time. I just saw an elderly gentleman having troublereading his ticket. I offered to help, assured him that he was at the rightgate, and noticed the “Screaming Eagle,” the symbol of the 101st Airborne,on his hat.
Making conversation, I asked him if he’d been in the 101st Airborne or ifhis son was serving. He said quietly that he had been in the 101st. Ithanked him for his service, then asked him when he served, and how manyjumps he made.
Quietly and humbly, he said “Well, I guess I signed up in 1941 or so, andwas in until sometime in 1945 .. . . ” at which point my heart skipped.
At that point, again, very humbly, he said “I made the 5 training jumps at Toccoa, and then jumped into Normandy . . . do you know whereNormandy is?” At this point my heart stopped.
I told him “yes, I know exactly where Normandy is, and I know what D-Daywas.”
At that point he said “I also made a second jump into Holland , intoArnhem .” I was standing with a genuine war hero . . . and then I realized that it was June, just after the anniversary of D-Day..
I asked Shifty if he was on his way back from France , and he said “Yes. Andit’s real sad because, these days, so few of the guys are left, and thosethat are, lots of them can’t make the trip.” My heart was in my throat and Ididn’t know what to say.
I helped Shifty get onto the plane and then realized he was back in Coachwhile I was in First Class. I sent the flight attendant back to get him andsaid that I wanted to switch seats. When Shifty came forward, I got up outof the seat and told him I wanted him to have it, that I’d take his incoach.
He said “No, son, you enjoy that seat. Just knowing that there are still some who remember what we did and who still care is enough to make anold man very happy.” His eyes were filling up as he said it. And mine arebrimming up now as I write this.
Shifty died on June 17, 2009 after fighting cancer.
There was no parade.
No big event in Staples Center
No wall to wall back to back 24×7 news coverage.
No weeping fans on television.
And that’s not right.
Let’s give Shifty his own Memorial Service, online, in our own quiet way.
Rest in peace, Shifty.
–Chuck Yeager, MajGen. [ret.]
–from Dean Shawler
Biker Magazine
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