Editor’s Note: This is an amazing story. I’ve worked with motorcycle artists for over 40 years, from David Mann, to custom bike painters like Dave Perewitz. Many of them became life-long friends and associates. Some, you work with once and never go back for one reason or another.



I was introduced to Atomic Bob and Sara Belle through Prince Najar, who started to work with them on our 5-Ball Racing Leather ™ line for a special one-off touch. Since my location on the west coast fell far from their homes on the east coast, I didn’t have a direct, working relationship until I met them at the Smoke Out in 2015.



I was so moved by their professionalism and Bob’s talents, I commissioned them with two artistic pieces to inspire our Bonneville streamlined trike project. That was the start of a magnificent dual project with amazing results. Bob is no slow-moving artistic prima donna. He moved quickly with sketches, was completely receptive to suggestions, and knocked me out with final results, a complete professional. So, I was knocked off my feet when the following occurred. Ever since, we have been doing all we can to support his wife, Sara, and their kids.



Like many people with artistic talents, Atomic suffers from severe mental illness and was under a great deal of treatment including both doctors prescribing him medications and counselors to talk to, be it a nurse or physician.



Atomic ended a problem relationship with someone who took advantage of his illness. 



Atomic then met an angel, SaraBelle. She helped him with medical treatments, new medications during therapy alterations and his business.





While still going through a medication change, Atomic drank to stop the pain and hallucinations of the medication. 



An unexpected confrontation led to a fight and the police were called. It all went wrong and court battles continue. Atomic received a beating before the police showed up to break up the fight. Atomic’s driver’s license still listed the address of this residence and his belongings were still at this location, but he was arrested.




Atomic was bailed out by SaraBelle immediately, and she quit her job working in marketing and public relations at Salem Regional Medical Center to take Atomic to and from intensive outpatient behavioral health treatment at the same hospital she left employment.



SaraBelle knew the program would help him, and for half-a-day, four days a week she drove Atomic to and from his counseling for five months straight. During this time, Atomic found out from the physicians in the program that he was indeed on the wrong blend of medication and immediately changed to something that has worked for him.



The couple married at a private ceremony February 7, 2015 and they turned Atomic’s art talent into an LLC, created a website, traveled and made their mark in the motorcycle and hot rod industry while they awaited trial. During this past year, both Atomic and SaraBelle spent time in court fighting for their children. SaraBelle continues to fight because her ex-husband wants custody of their five year old.





Atomic decided not to have a trial, which meant no one ever heard his story. He took the deal, a max sentence of 10 months, thinking he would just get probation. Atomic never spent a day in jail or had any trouble in his life until now. He assumed the judge would understand he had a medical condition at the time of the incident. Atomic also re-enrolled into the same program for behavioral health again for another 5 months (which ended as he was taken to jail the very week he re-enrolled).



The presiding Judge, Ashley Pike, did not consider the medical issues, countless letters, and the fact that the alleged victims did not show up to court. He gave Atomic the full 10-month sentence. The verdict has basically ripped the entire family apart.

Atomic is in prison, but not for long. SaraBelle’s devotion to her husband and the company has left her unemployed, and now the artist is in prison. No customers are scheduled for motorcycle paint or hot rod projects. Everything ended.



SaraBelle started a new plan, one that doesn’t pay all the bills but it helps a little–prison art. Using the mail Atomic sends SaraBelle images, and she turns them into t-shirts, art for shop rags, prints, and even Valentine’s Day cards.

SaraBelle also spends time as a beauty consultant with Mary Kay and does photography on the side. This certainly does not pay the bills Atomic and SaraBelle have, especially with the investment in their art company. Due to the many court dates for custody, and to help Atomic get released with her attorney visits; SaraBelle is unable to work a normal scheduled job because she missed work constantly.



After 30 days in prison that brings Atomic to January 11, 2015 where he is eligible for judicial review. We hope that he is released on parole or to house arrest so he can help support his family once again. However, the judge seemed very clear at the sentencing that Atomic spend the full 10 months in prison.

Oddly, the prisoner is taken care of by the system but not the family. It is left to fend for itself. SaraBelle does not want to lose the company they have worked so hard to create. She also needs her partner in life as well. During the yearlong wait for sentencing, Atomic sobered up and never touched a drop of alcohol the entire year. He has been a model inmate and has received no tickets, but we need to find a way to help the family.



Please visit http://www.atomicdicecustompaint.com/ for options or donations may be made at the following web address: http://www.gofundme.com/y7d2dfjw

I have had a Klock Werks Amp and Speaker Kit in my 2009 FLHTC for quite some time and am very happy with it. On more than one occasion I have people ask me about it. One was my friend Danny Seybold and he asked me to install one in his 2013 Harley Trike.

The really nice thing about this kit is that it comes with everything you need including some good detailed instructions.

Start off by protecting painted surfaces. Remove the main fuse as a safety precaution before removing the battery ground cable. On 2009 and later models it will be easier if you remove the two T40 bolts and the ECM and tray.

Remove the three fasteners holding the windshield, remove and place in a safe place. Remove the four T27 fasteners holding the outer fairing to the inner, disconnect headlight and remove outer fairing.

 Unplug the wires from both speakers and the three T25 fasteners that secure the speakers to the inner fairing.

 Separate the stock speakers from the stand-off. It is a snap fit and replace with the new speakers making sure the terminals are on the top side. Install grill and Kicker emblems and re-install speakers.

 Disconnect the radio harness and antenna from the radio. Remove the two screws from the top of the radio chassis.

 Fasten the amplifier to the supplied bracket with the connector side to the left side of the motorcycle and making sure all wires are out of the way slide the amp bracket over the radio and engage tabs on amp bracket with the rubber grommets on the radio. Re-install the T20 fasteners removed earlier.

 Plug the wiring harness into the amplifier and attach wires to speakers and original harness. Locate the headlight harness and remove the red cap from the Orange/White wire making sure it is fully engaged. Place heat shrink on Blue wire to reduce the risk of a short.

 Remove fuel tank and then the electrical caddy lid. Route the power harness down the left side of the motorcycle back to the seat area. Connect the red wire with the fuse to the positive battery terminal and the black to ground. Heat shrink Blue wire as this is only used if using another amplifier.

Klock Werks recommends setting the dip switches on the right side of the amplifier to 1- Auto turn-on-12V, – 2-Input Level – HI, – 3 –HI-Pass- OFF, – 4-Input Gain Control follow instructions in owner’s manual. This is an adjustment done with a small screw driver to get optimum volume and clarity.

 Disconnect negative battery cable and re-assemble motorcycle per shop manual instructions. Pay Attention To Procedure and Torque Specifications.

 It was decided earlier that we would also install a Klock Flare Windshield and after installing headlight connector the outer fairing was put in place and the four lower fasteners installed and tightened but not torqued. Install the new windshield taking care to carefully align the two outer holes. Using one of the New Klock Werks New Windshield Trim we installed the two outer screws half way and gently pulled the windshield down and into place and installed that screw.

Since the fairing was off (Not Necessary If Just Installing a New Windshield) torque the four lower screws to 20-30 inch pounds in an X pattern. Torque the three screws under the windshield to 25-30 inch Pounds.

 For more information on these items and other Klock Werks click on the banner below.

Invited were friends and members of Detroit Federation of MC Clubs. Inner city Detroit was beyond rough in the late ‘60s. A war zone of concrete and corrugated steel empty warehouses with interspersed with functioning businesses. The dirty pothole strewn streets, cluttered with debris, were dotted with greasy spoon restaurants and dive bars.

Every building was wrapped with chain link fence and razor wire. It wasn’t rare to see burning abandoned cars or dumped refrigerators in the middle of cracked, tar-patched streets. The name Pothole City fit.

This particular club house operated for years on the east side. The original rental agreement turned out to be bogus and the building’s ownership uncertain. No rent was paid for years, and no funds used for improvements. We formed a kitty for a new clubhouse and saved for just the right building.

The location, dumpy and surreal, exploded with hard-driving activity at night, while surrounding warehouses and businesses remained locked down tight.

No neighbors hung out to witness or complain about the noise, gunshots, racing motorcycles, or screams. On hot, steamy, summer nights only a handful of businesses remained open, like gas stations, fast food joints, and liquor stores with service attendants locked and sheltered behind bullet proof Plexiglas booths with service slits to exchange funds for goods.

Zombies roamed the streets with whiskey bottles or wine. A “Snake Plissken/Escape from New York” zone, bikers bounced from one clubhouse to the next checking the action, ducking the violence, looking for a fight, searching for broads, or drugs.

A new group ventured into our territory, members of the Hells Our Home visited from who knows ….One of the members, high-as-a-kite offered to show class. “I’ll park my Shovelhead on the roof of your garage,” he boasted.

“Bullshit,” one of our members said.

“I’ll bet a hundred clams,” he snapped and staggered backwards, stumbling over galvanized trashcans.

“You got it, sucka,” our brother said sealing the deal, the bet, and the daredevil challenge.

His brothers set up a makeshift ramp with sheets of plywood and a wooden extension ladder. This was nightfall on day-two of the party. Every wild man bounced off the walls, awake for two days on booze, weed, and acid. No one was entirely coherent. The night after day two was notorious for the violent edge. Mental junctures reached the unhinged stage. Anything could happen and usually did.

As the crowd became aware of the daredevil attempt, a clamoring buzz filled the compound with hecklers, helpers, and critics. The tall, bearded character in greasy denims from Hells Home was determined.

The driveway paralleled a dilapidated wooden fence alongside our clapboard pad from the street passing the house to the garage out back. Two strips of concrete kept tires out of the surrounding mud and weeds.

The brothers lined up the ramp and attempted to hold it together as the sheets of plywood slipped and slithered toward the pavement. We had no tools or fasteners to attach the pieces together. The $100 bet turned into an Evel Knievel circus.

A few calmer heads tried to talk Hells Pilot out of the attempt, to no avail. Mentally gone, he pounded his chest and pointed at the roof crest like Moses about to part the seas once more. A higher authority had his back, literally. The rest of the gung-ho crowd hollered for the pilot to go for it.

He cranked up his ragtag stripped down Shovelhead bagger and bounced out of the street onto the cracked driveway, roaring toward the ramp. It sputtered, roared, smoked, and the pilot bounced in his sprung seat, bumping over cracked concrete as the drunk grabbed for the next gear. The cluttered driveway, scattered with old parts and overloaded trash cans, was lined with screaming onlookers watching intently as he hit the plywood-covered ladder ramp and rocketed the old 74 up toward the pitched shingle roof.

The awed crowd stopped screaming as he crested the roofline successfully, but suddenly a gunshot-like crack and flash of light split the night. The mad pilot never checked his landing spot or the myriad of phone lines, and power poles peppering the alleys. Suddenly, in a flash of high-voltage explosive sparks, he disappeared.

As he triumphantly crested the rooftop he encountered the power line to the club house, tearing it loose from our power box, and launched him over the top of the roof, down the backside crashing into the dirt alley below.

The brothers scrambled to jerk the ramp down and stash the evidence. They figured the toasted pilot lay dead in the alley. They scrambled to clean up the scene of the crime. No back gate access to the alley, so no one ran to Hells Pilot aid. We were stunned; suddenly, in a moment of panic we sobered. What the hell happened?

Moments later, we heard someone kicking a motorcycle over, and damn if it didn’t start. A roar came from the startled crowd as he fired up his Shovel and rode it around the block and back to the party.

He limped through the front gate and up the drive to the Clubhouse, the bike running fine. His front wheel was smashed, twisted, and flat. It still rolled and hopped along. The crowd went crazy congratulating the madman.

The Hells Pilot survived with just a few scratches. Another wild night in Detroit.

This is an amazing story in many respects. The builder/designer, Steve Storz started his motorcycle life in 1970 and this year he’s being inducted into the Trailblazers Hall of Fame for his contribution to motorcycling and flat track racing. Here’s his bio:

Introduced to motorcycling by one of my high school classmates in Omaha, Nebraska, the bug bit me hard and I moved to Southern California in 1970 to attend Dale Martin’s Motorcycle Mechanics School in Woodland Hills. A part-time position at Triumph of Burbank turned into a full-time learning opportunity working for owner and well-known flat track tuner Jack Hateley. His Triumph dealership was a gathering point for many top racers, including his son, John Hateley, Eddie Mulder, Gene Romero, and more.

After witnessing my first Ascot race, a TT National, I knew that I wanted to be involved in the sport somehow and working as a mechanic was a logical choice. I volunteered to help local riders Al Baker and Lloyd Houchins at regular Friday Ascot races to begin learning the trade.

In 1974, I worked for Shell Thuett when he ran the Yamaha Dirt Track team with riders Kenny Roberts, Gene Romero, and Don Castro. This was followed by a summer trip back East with Terry Dorsch, where I looked after his Yamaha and Triumph race bikes. That trip with Terry (terrifying at moments) taught me that maybe it was possible make a living without having a regular 9-5 job. Thank you, Terry!

Terry told me about an opportunity with the new Norton-Triumph Dirt Track team and I went to work there as a race mechanic for John Hateley until the three-rider team ran out of money and we were all laid off in the summer of 1975.

Subsequently I found work at Kawasaki Motor Corporation in Santa Ana as a Technical Specialist testing pre-production bikes before their introduction. Steady work, but boring. Before hiring me, they made me promise I was done with the racing and travelling life.

During a trip to watch the San Jose Mile in the spring of 1976, I was talking to my old boss, Shell Thuet. He said, “It’s too bad you have such a good job with Kawasaki, I need someone to help me with Hank Scott at the Nationals this year.” The following Monday morning, I quit my job at Kawasaki and spent the summer with Shell and Maggie in their motorhome, working only for my expenses.

At the Harrington, Delaware National, H-D Racing boss Dick O’Brien told me there was opening for a race mechanic in Milwaukee and that I should get right up there for an interview. I moved to Milwaukee in July of 1976 and initially worked on the H-D MX program with rider Rex Staten, doing some of the Trans Am races in the Fall of 1976.

For the 1977 season, H-D hired Ted Boody and we were assigned to work together. We had a really great year, leading the points at mid-season and ultimately finishing second to Jay Springsteen in that year’s GNC chase. Ted and I worked together again in 1978, finishing fourth for the season.

I was paired with Steve Morehead for 1979. Steve was the top mile rider in points that year, winning the Syracuse and San Jose Mile races, eventually finishing fourth overall in the championship.

While I really enjoyed working with and learning from legends in the H-D race shop
(Caroll Resweber, Babe DeMay, Bill Werner, Brent Thompson, Ronnie Alexander, and more), I had enough of Milwaukee. I returned to So Cal in late 1979 to start Storz Performance as a full service shop preparing XR750 race bikes for privateers.

With the eventual decline in dirt track racing our business re-focused on the H-D street bike market with dirt track style conversions for Sportsters. Thirty-five years later, we’re still at it!

My beautiful wife, Joanie gave us two sons, Neil and Eric, who love motorcycles as much as I do. They have enjoyed successful competition careers in trials, including contesting FIM World Trial Championship Rounds in Europe. Eric has also been a Pro Trials rider and a three-time member of the U.S. Trial Des Nations team.

I’m very grateful for the wonderful life I’ve had and especially for the terrific friends I have made because of motorcycles.

–Steve Storz

In 2013, Storz Performance developed a new line of café racer style accessories for use on 2004 to current model H-D Sportsters. This new show bike, the Storz SP1200RR, was constructed to serve as a rolling display case for these kit systems.

A hand-formed aluminum gas tank and road race style fiberglass tail section with custom Saddlemen seat pads created the basis for the look. Specially modified clip-on handlebars by Driven are mounted to the Storz/Ceriani 55mm inverted fork tubes above the top triple clamp. Ohlins rear shocks with adjustments for compression and rebound damping, spring preload, and overall length, complete the suspension package. Obviously, Steve knows how to add the handling/race touch.

The donor bike for this project was a low mileage 2007 model 883 Sportster, but installation of a Wiseco piston kit increased the displacement to 1200cc. A Bub/Storz 2.2 high pipe and a Performance Machine air cleaner handle the breathing chores on this fuel-injected model.

The Café peels through traffic or winding canyons on 18-inch special spoked-wheels, front and rear, with Metzeler tires holding the road. Galfer Floating Wave Brake Rotors, and Performance Machine Brake calipers handle stopping like the champ it is. A Storz billet rear set footpeg kit, Barnett custom cables, PM hand controls, and a Storz/Ceriani Steering Damper tighten and detail the looks. And the racy pearlescent paint scheme by Vintage Restorations, adds the final touch.

“We still offer the flat track style kits,” said Steve, “one group of parts for 1984-2003 Sportsters and a separate group of parts for the 2004 to current model rubber mount XLs.”

Same thing is true for the cafe style with two different groups based on the model years. “We did our first cafe bike in 1992,” said Steve, “and the most recent one in 2013.”

Steve is the king of his style and performance products, and we congratulate him on his induction into the prestigious Trailblazers MC Hall of Fame.

Regular Stuff

Owner: Steve Storz
Bike Name: Storz SP 1200RR Café Racer
Builder: Storz Performance, Inc.
City/State: Ventura CA 93001

Address: 239 S. Olive St.
Phone: 805-641-9540
Web Site: www.storzperf.com
Fabrication: Steve Storz
Manufacturing: Steve Storz

Engine

Year: 2007
Make: H-D
Model: Sportster
Displacement: 1200cc
Builder or Rebuilder: Steve Storz
Pistons: Wiseco
Carburetion: Fuel Injection
Exhaust: Bub/Storz 2:2 Flat Track Style high pipes

Transmission

Year: 2007
Make: Stock
Shifting: Storz Performance

Frame

Year: 2007
Builder: H-D

Front End

Make: Storz/Ceriani 55mm
Model: Inverted fork
Year: 2013
Length: 31 inches

Sheet Metal

Tanks: Storz
Fenders: Storz

Paint

Sheet Metal: Bill Kee—Vintage Restorations, Oxnard, CA
Graphics: John Dillingham
Pinstriping: Bill Kee

Wheels

Make: Excell rims with Buchanan polished stainless steel spokes
Size: 18 by 3.5 inches
Brake Calipers: Performance Machine
Brake Rotor(s): Galfer Floating Wave Rotors, 11.5-inch
Tire: Metzler

Rear

Make: Excell polished black ano
Size: 18 by 5.5 inches
Brake Calipers: Performance Machine
Brake Rotor: Galfer Floating Wave Rotor, 10-inch
Pulley: Storz chain drive conversion kit
Tire: Metzler

Controls

Foot controls: Storz Billet Rearset Footpegs
Finish: Clear anodized
Master cylinder: Stock H-D with Storz billet reservoir
Brake Lines: Galfer braided stainless
Handlebar controls: Performance Machine
Finish: Black ano
Clutch Cable: Barnett
Brake Lines: Galfer braided stainless

Electrical

Taillight: Storz LED tail lamp kit
Accessory lights: Billet LED turn signals
Switches: Performance Machine

What’s Left

Seat: Saddlemen Seat Pads
Gas Cap: Flush mount aircraft style
Handlebars: Flanders, Storz Billet clip-on bars, 1-inch diameter
Grips: PM/Renthal
Pegs: Storz Billet
Throttle cables: Barnett

Speciality Items: Hand formed aluminum gas tank and fiberglass tail section, all Storz Café Racer parts.

Comments: Built as a rolling showcase for Storz Performance Products.

SOURCES

Performance Machine

Saddlemen

Barnett

THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought to you by Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and is sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. If you’ve been involved in any kind of accident, call us at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit www.ON-A-BIKE.com.

NCOM BIKER NEWSBYTES
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM)

NEW YEAR BRINGS NEW LEGISLATION
Along with the new year comes an onslaught of new legislation, as new legislative sessions across the nation consider a myriad of motorcycle laws such as helmet legislation in ARIZONA that would charge riders a fee to ride without one. Prefiled on January 6, 2016, H.B. 2052 introduced by State Representative Dr. Randall Friese (D-Tucson) would modify their Under-18 helmet law to read; “An operator or passenger of a motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle or motor driven cycle who is at least eighteen years of age is exempt from the helmet requirement if the owner pays a (as yet undetermined) fee when registering their vehicle.”

“A person who violates this section is subject to a civil penalty of five hundred dollars,” and a ‘portion’ of the fees collected from the pay-to-play p-pot plot would be “deposited in the Spinal and Head Injuries Trust Fund.”

Meanwhile, in INDIANA S.B. 157 would “eliminate the portion of the motorcycle registration fee that is currently distributed to the spinal cord and brain injury fund.”

MISSOURI is considering numerous motorcycle-related bills, including seven helmet bills; one would repeal the law for anyone 18 or over (HB1663), another would exempt motorcyclists 21 or older from wearing a helmet if they have appropriate health insurance coverage (HB1464), one “Prohibits law enforcement from stopping a motorcycle for failing to wear protective headgear” (HB1957), while (HB1371) treats the infraction as a secondary offense, requiring another reason to pull a rider over, and four separate bills concern autocycles and primarily exempts certain operators of motorcycles and motortricycles from wearing protective headgear (SB659, SB694, SB851 & SB1732).

Three-wheelers are of concern in several states, as legislatures struggle with defining and regulating “autocycles,” and in KANSAS House Bill 2436 would allow persons to take a motorcycle license driving exam on a 3-wheeled motorcycle and would restrict such licenses to trikes.

In NEW HAMPSHIRE, as in some other states, the state legislature will consider HB 1308 to allow motorcycles to travel between lanes of traffic in certain instances, a.k.a.; lane-splitting. HB1347 would “establish a committee to study sharing the road with bicycles and motorcycles.”

Also in the Granite State, Senator Andrew Hosmer, a Democrat from Laconia, has introduced SB 360 to repeal the statute restricting handlebar height and legalize so-called “ape-hangers”. New Hampshire is currently among more than 30 states that limit the height of motorcycle handlebars.

Since 1967, existing statute prohibits handlebar grips “higher than the shoulder level of the driver when in the seat or saddle” and also prohibits riding a motorcycle with “improvised, defective, or repaired handlebars.”

“I applaud Senator Hosmer for sponsoring this bill,” said Charlie St. Clair, executive director of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association. “I have never heard the height of handlebars presented as a safety issue,” he told the Laconia Daily Sun. “There is no history of accidents caused by high bars.”

SHARE WHAT’S HAPPENING IN YOUR STATE
“At our annual NCOM board meeting in November, the board discussed what information would be beneficial to share with attendees at our annual NCOM Convention in May,” says NCOM Board & Legislative Task Force member Annette Torrez, who is also chair of the New Mexico Motorcycle Rights Organization (NMMRO), adding that “We decided on a session on state legislative victories and defeats. We all face similar and different issues in each state during our legislative sessions, and by sharing the outcomes on bills that were sponsored, passed, failed and the details, we can learn from each other. By the sharing of information we may be able to advance many of the same victories or avoid the pitfalls faced.”

The National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) welcomes your input, and encourages you to share your information with Annette Torrez at atorrez2@msn.com (505) 730-0435 and/or NCOM Board Member John Bilotta, also Operations Director of ABATE of Virginia, at abateregion3@yahoo.com.

The 31st annual NCOM Convention will be held Mother’s Day weekend, May 5-8, 2016 at Harrah’s Resort, located at 777 Harrah’s Blvd in Atlantic City, New Jersey, so reserve your room now for the special NCOM rate of $109 by calling (888) 516-2215.

NCOM CONFERENCE CONVENES IN UNITY, COOPERATION & RESPECT
The chill air in Kansas City, Missouri reverberated with the thunder of dozens of motorcycles as riders from a six-state area converged on the Holiday Inn KCI Airport November 21, 2015 for the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) Region 2 Conference, which comprises Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. This year, the Conference was hosted by the newly-formed Missouri Confederation of Clubs and Independents, and chaired by NCOM Region 2 Co-Directors “Tiger Mike” Revere, President of Central OK District ABATE and Liaison to the Oklahoma Confederation of Clubs, and Tony Shepherd of ABATE of Missouri.

Following is a conference report submitted by Tiger Mike:
“Riders from the Region 2 member states were both excited and thirsty for information on important issues, especially hoping for an update on the horrific Waco, TX event of May, 2015. Bikers were also apprehensive about whether the Waco tragedy might negatively impact attendance. As it turned out, the opposite was true, featuring a standing-room only crowd!

The Conference convened off with “Tiger Mike” Revere and Tony Shepherd, NCOM Region 2 Directors, welcoming attendees and addressing “Freedom of the Road throughout the Nation”, followed by NCOM Executive Coordinator “Sarge” Matthews covering “Discrimination among Ourselves/Outlawing our Existence as We Know It”. NCOM Attorney Joey Lester covered Court Case Updates, including judicial victories regarding “No-Colors” Policies at Fairgrounds where Bikers are ejected because of their Patch Insignia.

After lunch, attendees participated in a forum dealing with “The Tragedy of Waco”, featuring Joey Lester, TXCOC&I Chairman “Gimme Jimmy”, and Louie Nobs and Dwayne Gryder from NCOM Christian Unity. A lot of accurate updates were shared to combat the disinformation advanced by the Media and Law Enforcement, and the program to raise funds to assist Waco Victims and their families was outlined. Go to www.onabike.com and contact NCOM Christian Unity for more information. NCOM Christian Unity Texas will be getting a Special Award for their hard work at this year’s NCOM Convention in Atlantic City, and Christian Unity Liaison to the NCOM Board Louie Nobs is receiving the 2016 Ron Roloff Lifetime Achievement Award for his considerable efforts on behalf of Bikers everywhere over a lot of years.

Also featured at the Conference was “Gimme Jimmy” talking about the importance of the U.S. Defenders Program in the light of the Waco shootings; and “Double-D” and “Twitch” from the Washington Confederation of Clubs, who spoke on “Anti-Profiling Laws and How they Affect your State”. This was an important topic, since several COCs are very interested in getting this type of legislation passed in their states.

The Conference continued with the Regional Meeting, where Motorcycling Rights representatives spoke of Legislative and Legal Issues in their respective areas; and the Confederation of Clubs Regional Meeting, where COC Officers and representatives in attendance spoke of legal and lifestyle challenges and accomplishments.

MORE AIRBAG BIKES COMING
While automotive airbags first appeared in the 1970s, it took decades for the technology to spread to motorcycles, and now ten years after the introduction of Honda’s airbag-equipped Gold Wing comes another airbagger from the Japanese giant.

While the Gold Wing remains the only bike currently on the market equipped with airbag technology, Honda’s latest inflatable is revealed in a new patent and demonstrated with an airbag fitted to the firm’s NC750S, which isn’t sold in the U.S. marketplace.

The main difference from the Gold Wing bag is the shape and size, with the new design gaining a long, vertical extension above the balloon-shaped main part of the airbag to help counter the fact that most bikes will pitch forward in a frontal collision, throwing the rider upward as well as straight ahead. The idea is that the lower part of the airbag will cushion the rider’s chest and stomach, slowing him down before his head impacts the extended upper section.

As on the Gold Wing, the new system is specifically aimed at frontal impacts and is therefore triggered by a sensor in the bottom of the fork. Highsides, lowsides, or any other accident where the impact is not directly from the front will not engage the airbag system.

Although airbags are never likely to be as effective on bikes as they are in the confined space of a car, where drivers can be surrounded by them on all sides; Honda hopes that the combination of modern safety gear, including airbag-equipped leathers and airbags fitted to bikes themselves, will hold some promise of reduced injuries in the future.

E-MOTORCYCLE TAX CREDIT REINSTATED AND RETROACTIVE
The E-motorcycle Federal Tax Credit, also known as the 2-wheeled plug-in tax credit for electric motorcycles, was included in the “last minute” tax extenders bill approved by Congress and signed into law by President Obama on December 18, 2015. It covers 10% of the purchase price up to a maximum of $2,500, with an additional tax credit approved which covers electric motorcycle chargers with a 30% tax credit up to $1,000.

MOTORCYCLE THEFT STATISTICS
The National Insurance Crime Bureau has released its latest bike theft report, and while much of their annual report is predictable, such as most thefts occur in the summer, some statistics reveal some interesting nuggets of information:

Nationally, the NICB’s “2014 United States Theft and Recovery report for 2014 and 2015” is better than in 2013. There were 42,856 motorcycle thefts recorded in 2014 (17,757, or 41% of motorcycles were recovered) which is a 6% decrease from the year prior. Considering motorcycle sales have increased 4% from 2013 (465,783) to 2014 (483,526), this is good news. The number of thefts decreased is a sign of steady decline in motorcycle thefts since 2011, with 8% fewer thefts in 2014 compared to three years prior. The top three states for motorcycle theft last year were California (6,355), Florida (3,981), and Texas (3,274). The state with the fewest thefts was Wyoming, with a total of 23 last year. There are 16 states that saw an increase in the number of motorcycle thefts in 2014 compared to 2013, with DC having the highest increase (54%). There are 35 states that saw a decrease in the number of motorcycle thefts in 2014 compared to 2013, with Wyoming having the highest decrease (-43%).

WEIRD NEWS: RIDER LEARNS HARD LESSON IN JURISPRUDENCE
A California man who lost a lawsuit over an erection has had his hopes for justice deflated once again, as a state appeals court in San Francisco affirmed an earlier judgment against him in a 2012 suit he brought against two motorcycling companies.

QUOTABLE QUOTE: “If it can be destroyed by the truth, it deserves to be destroyed by the truth.”

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           Ahead the road ended at a short stretch of water and from there it would be necessary to take a little car ferry across the gap. For the years this bike and I had been together I could not remember all the small ships and huge freighters we’d boarded. Still, I always get a kick from riding one of these things.

In the town of Creole I stopped for gas and was soon talking with a man who drove a blue pickup. His Cajun accent was thick and friendly. Mark told me that he, friends, and mostly family, had come from Houma to do some shrimping along a nearby river. He invited me to stop by, hang out, have lunch, and maybe do a little shrimping. And although a time schedule hung over my head this day, it seemed impossible to ignore such an offer. For to me, one of the greatest attributes of drifter life has always been the copious amounts of time and freedom almost always allotted to simply follow whatever adventure presents itself from its beginning…till the eventual conclusion.

Again I relaxed in a chair on the dock. But the afternoon was growing late. And although I wanted to take Mark’s invitation and stay a night or two, at this time circumstances would not allow it.

I know it, and I am sympathetic to all our struggles, and I believe it’ll all be worthwhile, with any luck the next update will help bring on additional sponsors. 

Just sent the cop bagga bike home last week and almost finished with the Victory metal work, so I can start building the trike frame

–Kent Weeks
Lucky Devil Metal Works
Houston

A BDL primary drive and performance clutch is on it’s way and Adam Croft mentioned above want’s to get his hands on the seat.