“Show Me the Benjamin’s” – George Harris’ The Hit
By Bandit |
L.A.’s George Harris is the hard- driving force behind a multi-tasking company called Mean Machines Custom Bike Designs/Tap’d Out Studio. He’s no stranger to one-off bikes that often prompt the question….ah, why??? Basically it’s like asking a mountain climber why he wants to scale Mt. Everest, the answer being “because it’s there.” But in George’s case, relative to his unique bikes, his answer is “because it wasn’t there before.”
Just recently we got a call from George asking if we wanted to take a look at a new bike now ready for viewing. We were up for that and George suggested we ride over to the city of Northridge, famous for the monster 6.7 earthquake of January 17, 1994. Since he promised no quaking except the vibes sent through the pavement by the bike, we met.
We arrived at the designated location, a quiet, off the beaten path suburban street of upscale houses, but a few minute later we felt and heard George before we saw him. As it loomed into point blank view, our attention, our cameras jumped out of their bags. Suffice it to say, the radical chopper George had named The Hit was just that right down to the bullet hole scarred air cleaner, the switchblade fairing graphics and the “RIP” 3-D rose gracing the rear fender… plus the bankroll of 100 dollar bills decoupaged all over the bike…not to mention the incredible set of polished copper “organ” pipes reaching skyward from where you’d expect a gas tank.
We found a shady spot and George gave us the back story, his interest in customs starting with his Grandfather who built hotrods, then on to his late Father and inspiration, also named George, who was into cars as well. “When it came to me, I thought I’d be a little clever and build two wheels instead of four.” George laughs and adds, “Then I found out that half the wheels means even more work, but I stayed with it and believe I’m starting to make my mark as a custom bike designer. And through Tap’d Out Studio we’ve branched out to design about anything people can think of.”
So where did The Hit gets its inspiration since it doesn’t ring any comic book bells?
Says George, It’s got to do with the idea of The Hit behind the dirty money, the Benjamin’s plastered all over the bike. I did a job for a client and they paid me in cash, hundred dollar bills. When I went to celebrate, I stopped at a local tavern before heading for the bank. I handed the bartender one of these 100 dollar bills and he held it up to the light of the TV and said, hey, man, this is fake. What?!!! I went to the bank and they confirmed it. I had a pile of fake money. Afterwards I couldn’t sleep one night and the thought came to me, take those fake 100s and create some art out of it. And call it The Hit, like it’s from some old gangster movie, payback for the bad money. So that’s why you see some of them decorating the bike.”
As far as the bike’s components George got hold of an old Paughco frame then started bending and cutting on it, designing in two inches of stretch and a 42 degree rake. The first piece he fabricated was the rear fender, turning it into a hidden oil tank holding 6 ½ quarts. Besides adding more engine cooling, the placement of the weight helps the bike’s balance. It fills through the copper toned Allen head bolt just north of the Victorian style red rose designed and sculpted by George’s artistically gifted daughters, Kailee, 14 and Kaylen, 12. “That rose is my favorite part of the motorcycle,” says George.
The motor used to be a RevTech 110 to which George added a full menu of high performance internals retaining the highly reworked RevTech heads. A RevTech 6-speed tranny was also beefed up and as George says, “doesn’t miss a lick” no matter how hard you punch it. The next obvious question is what happened to the gas tank? George laughs and says, “This is an interchangeable set-up. The original tabs are still on the frame and I have a larger capacity regular gas tank I can bolt on in ten minutes when I need to go some distance.”
With those copper stacks filled, there’s a total of one gallon, just enough for this thirsty motor, fed by a Mikuni 48mm carb, to get you about 25 miles before you need to find a gas station. That six-pack of “organ pipes” was made out of 2 /12 inch muffler steel tubing fabbed up by A-1 Welding in North Hollywood, then George had them copper plated along with several other parts of the bike. He also got some much appreciated suggestions from his friends and master mechanics Edwin and Mad Mike.
The list goes on…BDL open primary and belt drive, Joker Machine Brakes, bars and fenders by George, modified H-D front end, twisted, copper plated 80-spoke wheel up front, solid H-D wheel in the back.
Summing it up, George says, “I’d say the bike is a ratter with a touch of class, like Mad Max meeting the future. It’s also a light motorcycle so handles really well and the power is off the charts. For me it’s the closest thing to flying. Just recently I got pulled over for going a little too fast. The officer walked over, looked at the stacks and the 100 dollar bills, didn’t say a word, just shook his head and walked away without giving me a ticket for which I was very grateful. So you could say the bike has gotten the CHP seal of approval.”
You can reach George via TapdOutStudio@gmail.com or 818.949.8475 or 818.645.7560.
School Daze
By Bandit |
Making my way onto the track I took a detour and came in from a different direction, as I got closer to the track I was surprised to see 8 to 10 school buses in the parking lot. Being somewhat sure it was Friday and therefore a school day I began to wonder what was up?
As I exited my truck I was able to confirm that Royal Purple raceway had been overrun by young people. It seems that a few of the school districts had sent their automotive vocational classes on a field trip. First off, WTH! I never got asked if I wanted to go spend the day at the racetrack, which may have something to do with me not being in that class? And a second thing, cool!
They were everywhere watching the races, in the pits checking out the cars and bikes. I imagine it was difficult at times for the crews to get a lot of work done with all the questions, but they all seemed to handle it very well. However as the morning progressed I started to notice a kid here and there wandering around with tires? Had some of these youths taken up a life of crime and then there were more kids with tires! Pretty soon I discovered the culprits, as it seemed that the Goodyear folks were giving up the old tires when drivers had them changed. Some teams also turned over used tires.
I can only picture what these buses must have looked like as they loaded up to make their way back to class, as many of these kids’ tire of choice was of course a rear slick! Sometime after lunch this swarm of Tire Locusts departed, with a few knowing what career path they were going to pursue!
Add to all the confusion with the students was inclement Houston area weather. Rain smacked the track for days prior to the races. This meant track officials had fewer areas for all the teams to park! Gone were the grouping of classes. It was a first come, first served sort of event. While they did try and keep them grouped, as best they could, I am still not sure how many Top Fuel bikes were actually there? My best count is 16, plus one, as a rider was completing his required passes for his license.
As I made my way around it was good to see familiar faces and teams from last year’s event. I also found Janette Thornley, whom I had come across on Faceplace and then saw her mentioned as well on Bikernet, very nice person. I met several new TF teams as well, with a number of them coming from north of the border, no not Oklahoma, but Canada! Then I stumbled across something I had never seen before, a see-thru trailer, it was cool! The owner told me he leaves the interior lights on at night when he travels, catches people off guard.
With rain a 100 percent certainty on Sunday, the NHRA moved up eliminations to Saturday afternoon and even this plan had its issues with several hour-long rain delays. Finally on Saturday evening about 9:30 when Super Street was just beginning to line up for final round it began to pour down again! The race was finally called and all the finals were moved to different upcoming events.
Tommy Grimes took home the Top Fuel Harley Wally the following weekend at Virginia Motorsports Park running a 6.368, 233.64 and Johnny Vickers grabbed the Pro Fuel Wally with a 7.269, 180.91.
Even though we lost a day it was still a great weekend of racing!
Till Next Time,
–RFR
JIMS 135-INCH TWIN CAM RACE ENGINE TO BE USED IN THE FIRST 5-BALL RACING STREAMLINED TRIKE
By Bandit |
JIMS is proud to announce the release of the brand-new 135-inch Twin Cam Race Engine! Based on the proven track record of JIMS race engines, we are proud to introduce this 2.2-liter monster which bolts right into a stock frame and incorporates some of the best high performance features in the industry.
Specially designed ‘thick wall’ Engine Cases & Timken bearings, Larger Cylinders with increased fin pack for better cooling, Increased Press & Race Welded Flywheels, Billet Cam Plate with High Flow Oil Pump, Forged Rocker Support Plate with Roller Rocker Arms, ARP Cylinder Studs and Case Bolts and much more.
Built around a 4-5/16-inch Bore x 4-5/8-inch Stroke, these engines can conservatively produce 136 HP and 135 TQ with proper intake, exhaust and tuning. Many of JIMS race engines are actually producing much more power with customer modifications. The JIMS 135-inch Twin Cam Race Engine is available in Black or Silver and fits all Touring and Dyna models ‘99-Present and Evo models ‘91-’99.
JIMS Race Engines are not street legal and are available exclusively through Authorized Harley-Davidson dealerships. For more information please visit us at www.jimsusa.com, find us on Facebook or call 805-482-6913.
To be completely legal, the Bikernet 5-Ball Race team is testing the JIMS 135-inch racing configurations against the slick and daunting Bonneville salt flats racing environment for the Bub event this year.
We are in the process of working with the JIMS crew on a complete tech regarding the improvements to this engine package. It should be out in the next couple of weeks.
–Bandit
The mainstreaming of mindfulness meditation
By Bandit |
Does it really work?
Why is mindfulness so popular?
It appeals to people seeking an antidote to life in work-obsessed, tech-saturated, frantically busy Western culture. There is growing scientific evidence that mindfulness meditation has genuine health benefits — and can even alter the structure of the brain, so the technique is drawing some unlikely devotees. Pentagon leaders are experimenting with mindfulness to make soldiers more resilient, while General Mills has installed a meditation room in every building of its Minneapolis campus. Even tech-obsessed Silicon Valley entrepreneurs are using it as a way to unplug from their hyperconnected lives. “Meditation always had bad branding for this culture,” says Evan Williams, co-founder of Twitter. “But to me, it’s a way to think more clearly and to not feel so swept up.”
What is mindfulness, exactly?
It’s a meditation practice central to the Buddha’s teachings, which has now been adapted by Western teachers into a secular self-help technique. One of the pioneers in the field is Jon Kabat-Zinn, an MIT-educated molecular biologist who began teaching mindfulness in the 1970s to people suffering from chronic pain and disease. The core of mindfulness is quieting the mind’s constant chattering — thoughts, anxieties, and regrets. Practitioners are taught to keep their attention focused on whatever they’re doing at the present moment, whether it’s eating, exercising, or even working.
The most basic mindfulness practice is sitting meditation: You sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes, and focus your awareness on your breath and other bodily sensations. When thoughts come, you gently let them go without judgment and return to the focus on the breath. Over time, this practice helps people connect with a deeper, calmer part of themselves, and retrain their brains not to get stuck in pointless, neurotic ruminations about the past and future that leave them constantly stressed, anxious, or depressed.
Does it work?
Scientific research has shown that mindfulness appears to make people both happier and healthier. Regular meditation can lower a person’s blood pressure and their levels of cortisol, a stress hormone produced by the adrenal gland and closely associated with anxiety. Meditation can also increase the body’s immune response, improve a person’s emotional stability and sleep quality, and even enhance creativity. When combining mindfulness with traditional forms of cognitive behavioral therapy, patients in one study saw a 10 to 20 percent improvement in the mild symptoms of their depression — the same progress produced by antidepressants. Other studies have found that up to 80 percent of trauma survivors and veterans with PTSD see a significant reduction in troubling symptoms. Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is also teaching mindfulness as a form of treatment for patients with substance abuse problems.
Why does it work?
MRI scans have shown that mindfulness can alter meditators’ brain waves — and even cause lasting changes to the physical structure of their brains (see below). Meditation reduces electrical activity and blood flow in the amygdala, a brain structure involved in strong, primal emotions such as fear and anxiety, while boosting activity regions responsible for planning, decision-making, and empathy. These findings have helped attract the more skeptical-minded. “There is a swath of our culture who is not going to listen to someone in monk’s robes,” says Richard J. Davidson, founder of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds and a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, “but they are paying attention to scientific evidence.”
Who are these converted skeptics?
Ironically enough, Silicon Valley’s tech geeks are leading the way. “It seems counterintuitive, since technology is perhaps the biggest driver of mindlessness and distraction,” says Ann Mack, a director at marketing communications brand JWT Worldwide. Google now has an in-house mindfulness program called “Search Inside Yourself,” and the company has even installed a labyrinth at its Mountain View complex so employees can practice walking meditation. Tech leaders flock annually to the Wisdom 2.0 conference, and there are now countless smartphone apps devoted to the subject. But these developments have led to a growing concern that mindfulness is being co-opted and corrupted.
Why is that?
A long-term adherent of mindfulness worry that what is fundamentally a spiritual practice is being appropriated by new age entrepreneurs seeking to profit off it. Others are concerned that Fortune 500 executives are pushing meditation so that overworked employees can be even more productive without melting down. But Westerners clearly need some sort of strategy to cope with a world now filled with the inescapable distractions of technology. The average American now consumes 63 gigabytes of content, or more than 150,000 words, over 13.6 hours of media use every single day — and all indications are that those numbers will keep climbing. For Janice Marturano, founder of the Institute for Mindful Leadership, mindfulness is not just a way of coping with the deluge of input; it’s a way of confronting the modern world head-on. “There is no life-work balance,” says Marturano. “We have one life. What’s most important is that you be awake for it.”
Rewiring the brain
Until recently, neurologists believed that a person’s brain stopped physically developing when they were 25 to 35 years old. From that point onward, the hardware was set. But a growing body of research points to the possibility of lifelong “neuroplasticity” — the ability of the brain to adapt to new input — and a 2011 Massachusetts General Hospital study found that those who meditate regularly for as little as eight weeks changed the very structure of their brains. MRI scans showed that by meditating daily for an average of 27 minutes, participants increased the density of the gray matter (which holds most of our brain cells) in an area that is essential for focus, memory, and compassion. Previous research had already shown that monks who had spent more than 10,000 hours in meditation had extraordinary growth and activity in this part of the brain. But it’s now clear that even relative beginners at mindfulness can quickly rewire their brains in a positive way.
–By Frances Weaver, The Week Magazine
First Annual Steel Horse Sisterhood Summit presented by Lady Road Dog.
By Bandit |
The first Annual Steel Horse Sisterhood Summit May 2nd-4th in Denver, Colorado was jam packed with tons of amazing women. Sisters gathered from all corners of North America. Coming all the way from California to Florida, and a few from Canada, where all sisters were given the opportunity to have a voice and connect with each other.
We kicked off the summit on Thursday with a meet and greet at the Sheraton Convention Center in Greenwood Village, Colorado. The first day wrapped up with a powerful presentation from Lisa Brouwer, Love the Journey. There was a little something for everyone all day Friday. Some topics covered how to stay balanced, live healthy, and stay safe while traveling on the motorcycle. Some of this included hands on activities, such as early morning yoga, where a small handful of us joined to start our day off on the right foot. Other topics included how to eat right when on the go, and how to stay hydrated on long trips. A big topic covered were various hazards on the road, including semi-trucks and trailers, riders riding outside their ability, and also knowing self defense for those women who travel alone. Some of the sisters met up Friday afternoon to participate in the Talking Stick event which allowed sisters to share their journey. It was a great opportunity to see how connected sisters can truly be even with such diverse backgrounds and of all different ages. The lesson I learned, we are more connected than meets the eye. So don’t judge your fellow sister rider. We are meant to empower one another, not impair each other.
Friday evening wrapped up with empowering presentations from Lisa Brouwer and Laura Klock. Each of these ladies made it clear that as we share a piece of our journey from the behind the bars of our motorcycle, don’t hold back, and live to the fullest in all areas of life. The biggest piece of advice they both had to offer was to find balance in life. Even if you don’t ride a motorcycle, this advice holds true. Many people run through life working so much they forget they have a family let alone a motorcycle. I find this true with many women. Find a balance between all areas of life and enjoy the journey!
The event even included a few guided rides and a poker run for the sisters to share the open road together. International Women’s Ride Day started with an early morning ride to the beautiful Red Rocks. Then a photo stop at Rocky Mountain
Harley-Davidson. Next was a guided ride through the foothills. Colorado provided the sisters with majestic scenery.
The Saturday afternoon symposium panel included Chelsey Hall, Jessi Combs, Sarah Schilke, Jasmine Bluecreek, Genevieve Schmitt and ……yours truly. Laura Klock covered a wide variety of questions concerning women in the motorcycle industry. From basics of how we each got started riding motorcycles to where does the courage come from to take the risks we take. I would repeat where I said the courage came from in order for me to drag race motorcycles, but it’s just not as funny the second time around-you should have been there! It was an honor to be a part of the symposium and get to know the other women and their opinions within the industry.
We got to meet the creator and stars of the documentary of Driven to Ride. Michelle Carpenter put together an awesome piece of footage for those inside and outside of the motorcycle industry to see women who ride and what it means to them. It was great to have the stars there, Masyn Moyer, Betsy Huelskamp, Julie Graff, and Debra Conroy to answer questions and get personal with the audience. Everyone, whether you’re a man or woman, and at whatever age has a different perspective on life behind bars. Some hop on to get rowdy. Some enjoy only long relaxing trips. Some just hop from bar to bar. Some ride for daily transportation. I think for most of us, it’s simply a way to get away from “life” and reboot your computer. Gathering this many women motorcyclists in one place gives you an opportunity to see lots of diverse views. The ladies in this film are strong, independent individuals who truly enjoy life behind bars.
The evening speakers included Eldonna Fernandez, Genevieve Schmitt and Jessi Combs. Eldonna gave a great story about how she was introduced into the motorcycle world. What a familiar story. Everyone starts somewhere, but following through and continuing to ride is a choice you have to want to make. If you ever get the opportunity to attend one of her speaking events, I would encourage you to take the time to do so. You won’t be disappointed. A lot of people share a similar story to Eldonna, but most don’t turn it around like she did, much less share the story with others. She is a hero in my eyes. I look forward to reading her book and attending her events in the future.
Genevieve has been a huge part of the industry for many years. I have always enjoyed reading her stories published on Women Riders Now. She let us know how important it is to find balance in all aspects of life. She warned us that life can catch up to you and wear you down fast if you don’t practice that balancing act that we all have to do. Jessi Combs gave us all a totally different view than any other woman. She showed us how great life can be if you don’t hold back, live life with no boundaries, and to push for your dreams.
For a first year event, there was a lot of excitement and many events to attend. To be quite honest, I had no idea what I was getting into. There wasn’t a lot of communication because everyone was so busy getting ready. When Joan Krenning asked me last year to be a speaker, I accepted the offer without much thought. As the event got close, I was starting to second guess if I was prepared or not. At the last minute, I decided to load up a drag bike and keep an open mind to go with the flow.
In between organized events, I took the opportunity to connect with many women. Hear their stories, talk about motorcycles and racing. Connections were made with people that were staying at the hotel for other reasons. A couple from Wyoming struck up a conversation over my drag bike. An interesting conversation took place one evening in the lounge with a gentleman who was at the convention center for a couples retreat. He had overheard several conversations between me and other ladies and wanted to know who I was. I shared with him my passion for drag racing and why I was there. When I finally got him to open up, he was a psychotherapist trying to reconnect with his wife. At one point in my life I owned a motorcycle named “the marriage counselor”. And the bike served just that purpose! I didn’t go to a retreat at a convention center; I went through the Black Hills of South Dakota!
Motorcycles can serve many purposes!
Now that the event is over, I have so many ideas flowing and can be better prepared for next year. After conversing with several ladies since the close of the summit, there will be so much more substance to bring to the summit next year. I look forward to seeing all the ladies I met this year again and meeting many more. Mark your calendars. June3rd – June 6th 2015 in Loveland, Colorado. See you there!
FIRST ANNUAL IRON AND ASH RIDE
By Bandit |
Hi, for those of you who do not know me I am Cat known as The One Legged Blonde.
Many of you know I am extremely involved with veterans. I am currently working on two projects at the same time. I have decided the best way to raise funds for both programs is to do a cross country motorcycle ride. I will be attending events and various gatherings, planned Cigars for Warriors Events, Cigar shops themselves and personal friends of the crew. I will explain more about these charities and my involvement, but first I want to back up and tell you my life events that brought me to this point, and led me to my passion and work for veteran outreach.
In 2006 I was seriously injured and almost killed on my motorcycle. The accident caused traumatic brain injury, amputation of my left leg, and other injuries I’m still dealing with today. At the time of the accident, I had a very good career in nursing, I owned a cigar shop, I had a large Victorian home in the suburbs, and of course all the toys that come along with a six-figure income.
In the blink of an eye it was all gone…. the house, the career, the cigar shop, a divorce, and a loss of many friends and more. During this period of my life, I was taken to visit and volunteered my time at a veteran’s homeless shelter. I was amazed by all of their stories. I was amazed at their personal sacrifices and the huge price they paid for me, to secure and protect my freedom. Being with these veterans affected me to such a degree, that it drove me to recover, getting on with my life, so I could commit to what I love helping those who have secured my freedom and liberties. I’ve been passionately involved with Veteran Outreach ever since.
I found out about Cigars for Warriors 3 years ago. It is an international nonprofit organization that sends premium cigars and products to our active military. After much research and liking what they did, I really felt it would be a good fit for me to get involved raising funds and work with this organization. I know how important a good cigar can be to those who are missing many of the comforts of home. Cigars are sent to the soldiers in many foreign places, offering a little respite and comfort. After owning my own shop, I can put my knowledge to good work and help those who have sacrificed so much for our country.
The other organization I have linked with is Veterans Outreach, also a non-profit 501c3. Our mission is to help veterans strive for normalcy in life by helping them furnish their new found homes while providing additional assistance as needed. We help the newly placed, previously homeless veterans make a home by providing household goods down to the towels, silverware and groceries. One hundred percent of our funds are used to keep this warehouse of hope open. I have donated countless hours of time helping them. We even helped a homeless veteran who refused housing if his dog could not come. The old dog needed veterinarian care, and we found a vet to donate his time, getting the dog and owner back on track. The dog was this man’s only family.
I don’t just do veteran outreach once a year, I live it. I don’t say this to pat myself on the back. I do it because they helped a broken shattered civilian get her life back and fill it full of meaning. I cannot pay it forward enough. I may hate politics and wars but I love our warriors!
The funds I am trying to raise would help execute my hopes, dreams and years of planning. Yes it is a long ride with many events along the way. The schedule has meet and greets, parties and events, but the purpose at each stop remains the same. I am not interested in fame, but I know it takes the right people, the right media and the right places to make things happen. So with that being said, I hope to collect cigars, raise money, give honor and show respect for our country’s veterans.
I have carefully chosen a crew of 2 others: John Rogue is a dear friend and an icon in motorcycle journalism. Dr. Ruth is my very capable road captain and another dear friend who will keep me on track! Both are true veteran supporters. The funds we raise will be for our overhead, spending very modestly and frugally, and for my chosen two project charities; Cigars for Warriors, and Veteran’s Outreach.
I would appreciate any participation, donations and ideas along the way. Please check the schedule updates coming daily and come see us, ride with us, and work with us. If you have gas cards or hotel points, we can use these as well. This is my passion…my mission, and I would love your help.
You can make donations with PayPal: cat_health@hotmail.com
Or Donate through our Fundrazr page at: https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/2hsu2
More information available at our Facebook page:
This ride will kick off at the C.A.T.S. 2 FEST in San Antonio, TX, May 29th and will travel along the Gulf, up the East Coast visiting Cigar shops, Harley-Davidson Dealers and Wounded Warrior Wards! Stay tuned for more information about this Epic Journey and how you can get involved!
Peace Out- Cat Hammes
Editors Note: We hope to bring you live up to the minute reports from along the route at each stop, while we follow this epic journey and the lives they touch along the way. Rogue will be the official photographer for the whole event.
Interview with Cat Hammes – read more about Cat right here on Bikernet in our Celebrate Women Section!
MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT SCENE MANAGEMENT
By Bandit |
It is not something that most people want to talk about and motorcycle media is often reluctant to report on. The reason basically is that it brings attention to a part of our lifestyle that none of us want to visit and it is also not good for motorcycle sales. But reality is there are all kinds of crashes, collisions and accidents that involve motorcycles. There are steps and programs that are attempting to resolve this through awareness, motorcycle rider education and other means but a fact of life is that it is still happening and has to be addressed.
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Just for the record, yes I have been involved personally in motorcycle crashes and collisions as well as other things in life that involve trauma and ended up with me requiring medical attention and also hospital care. I have also been at to many other scenes and in many cases though I helped the victims I felt I should be doing more. The thing was to keep that person alive until the people that are trained in this field got there to take over. In my case so far it has worked and no one died, but that does not make me stop being concerned that someday I might not have the training I need to do so. That led me to take a course to improve my knowledge. Yes I will still need the help of people with more experience and training but I also have raised my knowledge and experience level so I feel that I will be better able to keep helping an injured person until that help arrives.
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I chose the Bystander Assistance Program put on by Vickie Sanfelipo of Accident Scene Management based out of Big Bend Wisconsin. There were numerous reasons why I chose this course. First and most Important I feel it is the best in the country, besides that I have known Vickie for a long time and followed this program and what they were doing and teaching and have seen it make a difference. I had previously been at some of the courses while they were being taught and knew just enough that when the time was right I would take the complete course. I was also allowed to sit in on the instructor course even though I personally did not take it. The reason I did not take it was I did not have the required medical background. There are now 140 instructors around the world and 6 in Florida. Some of the 6 instructors in Florida are already teaching the programs and the new ones are putting together the supplies they need to put on classes. This is definitely a good thing for Florida and also riders everywhere as many of these people ride all over the country and will be able to help injured people no matter where they are.
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That opportunity for me to take the class came on May 2nd to 5th 2014 in Boca Raton Florida. The course was hosted by attorney Bobbie Celler of Celler Law in Boca Raton who supplied part of his office building for the classes to be held in and also paid for part of the fee for those taking the course. It turns out Bobby rides and has a previous motorcycle crash and that has led him to start the law firm and him continuing to help injured motorcyclist.
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This course is designed to help motorcycle riders because of some of the specific situations that apply to them but basically it can be used in other types of trauma as well.
For more information on Accident Scene Management go to www.roadguardians.org
ASMI – What It Is
Accident Scene Management, Incorporated (ASMI) is the leading international motorcycle trauma training association. We teach bystanders and EMTs what to do in order to prevent injuries and fatalities to motorcyclists.
The purpose of the Bystander Assistance Programs are to enhance the survival rate and reduce severity of injuries for the injured riders of all motorized vehicles. We expect to decrease the chance of rescuer injury due to inappropriate actions at the accident scene. We also expect to educate motorists how to protect themselves legally and financially should an accident occur.
Goals and Objectives
The program is directed toward the assessment and treatment of the injured as well as how to safely administer care. We teach scene management and the legal aspects of an accident.
Vickie Sanfelipo – I am very concerned about motorcyclists. I’ve been riding for well over 20 years and used to be able to enjoy the ride without knowing how vulnerable I was. I am not talking about protective gear or the fact that we are not surrounded by metal. I’m talking about what happens in the event we go down. Bikers are at much higher risk of dying in the event of a crash. I believe that something can be done to improve our outcome and it isn’t solved by mandatory helmets.
You can also follow ASMI on Facebook 
For information on Celler Law go to www.CellerLaw.com
Our Florida personal injury law firm in Boca Raton represents injury Clients in some of the largest Personal Injury cases in the state of Florida. Our personal injury attorneys represent clients against insurance companies who insure parties that cause injury to our Florida Clients. These type of at-fault parties can include drivers, business owners, private and public transportation or governments. We ensure that our Clients have adequate legal representation against the people or business that caused them harm. At Celler Law, P.A. our personal injury attorneys do not believe that most people intend on injuring our Clients, but we do believe we have an obligation to hold them accountable for their actions.
Vintage Biker Chicks!
By Bandit |
Few people would deny that biking has an inherently masculine image. Although many women are bikers, if you say the word “biker” to almost any American, the picture which pops into their head will be that of a bearded and tattooed man in dusty leathers and ragged denim, leaning against a chrome-gleaming status symbol of a bike. So ingrained is this image that it is hard to picture it any other way. But it was not always so. Though it may surprise many people to learn this, motorcycles preceded their hyper-masculine image by some years, and many early bike models were even marketed specifically at women. Many of our foremothers were dedicated bikers and played an important part in the early biking world.
Della Crewe and her Trouble
One hundred years ago, in 1914, Harley-Davidson enthusiastically promoted the image of the enterprising Miss Della Crewe, who had taken it into her head to Harley across the United States. Harley had been advertising bicycles to women since 1912, and were (in those days) very keen to expand their female ridership. Miss Crewe was a formidable character. In an age where the majority of roads were bumpy dirt tracks, and tires gave a considerably rougher ride than their modern counterparts, she traversed the States from Waco to New York City, a distance of over 5,000 miles. It took her six months.
Her steed of choice was a Harley-Davidson V-twin, and the sidecar was occupied by a Boston bull terrier named ‘Trouble’. Trouble was aptly named, as he got her in plenty during the journey. She was stopped twice in Chicago and Indiana as authorities were concerned that Trouble would spread foot and mouth disease, and she was forced to make him a rudimentary sweater to shield him from the biting cold of Ohio. Indeed, the weather was spectacularly bad during Crewe’s journey, snow, ice, and driving rain hurled themselves at her with enough ferocity and persistence to make even the most hardened Hells Angel turn back.
Not so Della Crewe. She battled on through meteorological extremes, conquered rough terrain, and stuck it out in the face of some particularly misogynistic attitudes (one farmer nearly refused her shelter, giving as his somewhat counter-intuitive reason the opinion that a woman should not be out in such weather). Upon her arrival in New York, however, Crewe announced that she was in perfect health, had enjoyed herself immensely, and would do it all again if she had the chance. Not long after that, she and Trouble set off to tour South America.
Effie and Avis Hotchkiss
The very next year, Harley-Davidson found another female figurehead. Effie Hotchkiss of Brooklyn had bought an 11-F with the inheritance left her by her father, and used her own mechanical knowledge to attach a sidecar. Then, with her mother Avis in the sidecar, she set off across the United States. Effie had dreamed of the freedom of the open spaces beyond NYC, and had been advised to take a rest by her doctors. Effie and Avis’s version of “rest” involved the kind of motorcycle trip which would have seemed daunting to almost anyone at the time. Heading south, they traveled through blistering Californian heat. They had a narrow miss with a rattlesnake, but Effie calmly shot the reptile with a handgun and traveled on.
When they ran out of inner tubes in New Mexico, Avis and Effie simply rolled up some blankets and stuffed them into the tire, which apparently worked quite effectively. They reached the Pacific at San Francisco and then turned and drove all the way back, crossing through Nevada and Utah as they went. They covered a total distance of around 9,000 miles, and made world records, although Effie, somewhat bemused by all the fame, insisted that her intention had only ever been to get out of Brooklyn and see the United States.
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The Van Buren Sisters
In 1916, Augusta and Adeline Van Buren decided to prove to the authorities that women were just as capable of serving on the Front Line during WW1 as men. Accordingly, they purchased a pair of Indian motorcycles (1,000 cc Indian Power Plus bikes with Firestone non-skid tires) and announced their intention to ride across the States. They not only wanted women to be allowed to serve at the Front, they also wanted to make a general statement about the capabilities of women, in the hope that female emancipation may follow.
They pioneered the “biker chick” look, choosing to wear military-style pants and jackets for purposes of practicality, although several regional police forces took objection to the idea of women wearing what was at the time seen as masculine garb. They battled their way through some truly appalling weather and road conditions, as well as remaining staunch in the face of misogynist ridicule and even abuse (which tended to be aimed at their clothing and suffragette stance rather than at their biking). They achieved their objective of crossing the continental United States, becoming the first women to do so solo. However, the US government remained skeptical about the idea of women serving as dispatch riders, and would take another four years to grant women the vote.
The Masculinization of Motorbikes
With the growth of Hollywood, however, motorcycles began to gain a distinctly masculine sheen. Actors like James Dean promoted the image of the motorbike as a rebellious vehicle, steed of choice for the brooding, dangerous man, a machine which could only be tamed by testosterone, to which women should respond with awe and desire, but not with participation. A distinctly masculine culture grew up around motorcycles, with all-male bike gangs bringing a reputation (often undeserved) of violence and aggression to the motorcycle. This was a culture of which most women wanted no part, and in which they would not have been welcomed anyway. In a way, this hyper-masculinization of motorcycles has worked in the favor of modern female bikers.
Just as married people tend to get lower insurance premiums due to (speaking purely statistically) being involved in fewer accidents than single people, so women bikers often find it easier to get cover for their rides, gaining lower bike insurance quotes due to the perceived notion that they are unlikely to behave recklessly upon the road. This is often an entirely erroneous notion, many women are just as big speed freaks and adrenaline junkies as their male counterparts, but the masculine aura which is only just beginning to fade from biking ensures that women are still seen as “safe” and even timid riders.
Encouraging Female Biking
Nowadays, the advance of feminism has re-opened the world of motorcycling to women. Female bikers are advancing into formerly male territory, and usually being welcomed. Though many women are still reluctant to take up a vehicle which still bears what they see as the tarnish of masculinity (and though some men may resent the intrusion of women into their No Girls club), women on bikes are becoming more common. This is something to be celebrated and encouraged, perhaps by bringing back into the spotlight those early pioneers of female motorcycling, who have often been brushed beneath the carpet by successive generations of masculinizing bike rhetoric.
More information on these women is available by clicking on their names:
The Fowlers Report
By Bandit |
Recently Fowlers Distribution of Waterbury, Ct. announced their support for Steve “Brewdude” Garn of Brew Bikes in Boone, N.C. In order to keep you up to “speed” on the progress of Steve’s efforts as he goes after speed records and enters bike shows through out the year, we have launched the Fowlers Report. We will send this out monthly as Steve reports back to us on the results of his efforts. As the monthly newsletter evolves, we will include many other items of interest in the motorcycle industry.
Below is the first report directly from “Brewdude” himself on this past weekend Ohio Mile in Wilmington, Ohio
The week ahead for the May event at the ECTA Ohio Mile started out on the dyno with the 1974 Yamaha RD350. Doing some high speed runs, checking temps, and the Lectron carb settings. The Lectron carbs made it easy to get the jetting spot on and had an increase of 13% Hp that day. The expansion chambers really flatten the power on top end but not sure how much the effect would be until the Ohio mile.
We started out early Friday morning for the East Coast Timing Association event in Wilmington, Ohio. We knew ahead of time there would be some winds but it was more than anticipated. The bike went through inspection and then we headed off for some rest at the hotel.
Saturday we arrived at the track at 6am and unloaded the bike and got it in line. We were the 15th vehicle in line. It was a nervous type of day. New bike with new design of a featherbed frame built with Reynolds 853 tubing. We had an engine that was just built and 25 mph headwinds swirling with some as crosswinds in areas of the mile. The bike only weighs 243lbs wet weight and this is the first time to have the bike up to full speed. The new Weiss leathers supplied by Fowlers Distributing fit perfectly to give the protection necessary as dictated by the ECTA. In addition the Speed and Strength helmet from Tucker Rocky was a perfect compliment to the riding gear needed to compete.
The first run was full of unexpected situations. About the ½ mile mark a gust hit so hard the bike felt like something broke and I sat up and looked at everything and put my head back down and proceeded. About 100 yard from the lights another gust hit hard and slowed the bike. The run was not at all what I expected. Speed was down but the bike actually felt stable with the winds. The winds made it unsafe to run the event so they shut it down for the day.
Sunday we were 8th in the line. Many spectators showed up and everyone was anxious to get the event started! Winds were 20 mph with some gusts and there was mainly a headwind. The bike felt very stable in these conditions but the gearing was a bit too high and could not get into 6th gear due to the flat top end from the expansion chambers.
At the end of the day the bike is the current record holder with a speed of 110.9mph. There is so much more potential in this machine and we hope to unleash that power in future events. The bike was stable, shifted excellent and made some good runs. But watch out! We located some expansion chambers that will give at least 10 more HP! Now we have to get to work in the shop to pay for them.
Many THANKS to our sponsors! Lectron, Fowlers Distribution, Wiseco, Avon Tyre, Bikers Choice, Pro Riders Marketing, Tucker Rocky, Spectro Oil, A All Animal Control, LC Fabrication, Mount Airy cyclery, and Loaded Gun Customs!
About Brew Bikes
BREW Bikes LLC is a machine and fabrication shop located in the mountains of northwest North Carolina. The name BREW is the acronym for Blue Ridge Electric & Welding. In 2008 Steve “brewdude” Garn won the Easyriders Old school Builder of the year! Then, in 2010, Brewdude built Pee-wee Herman a new bicycle.
Brewdude also does freelance writing and has a monthly tech article in The Horse Backstreet Choppers Magazine as well as a bi-monthly Safety article in American Iron Magazine.
In 2012 Steve took 2nd place at AMD World Championships at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
BREWdude currently holds 15 Land Speed records with the ECTA. I said currently, hopefully will garner more in 2013.
Go to www.brewracingframes.com for the rest of the story.
Harley-Davidson 500cc Street
By Bandit |
The reactions to the Harley-Davidson 500cc/750cc Street have been all over the chart. Like it, love it or hate it, I think this was the right move. The foreign bike sweat shops had been filling the demand for smaller bikes for years while Harley sat like an old hound dog on the porch licking its nuts. Sure the old dogs in Milwaukee have made some smaller bikes at various times during their more than 100 years of bike building, but they had conceded that market to outsiders for longer than I can remember.
I felt like the new bike was getting a bad rap from people who haven’t even booted up for a ride on one, so I started asking about the new bikes at Rommel’s Harley-Davidson in Durham, NC. I had my friend, Cindy, lay the ground work for me; i.e. “Mike isn’t some irresponsible psychopath that will run off with the bike or trade it for a ticket to Bangkok.” Rommel’s staff, John, Jack and Julian were agreeable about giving me a bike for a few hours to do a test drive and photo shoot for Bikernet. All set, just have to wait for delivery.
I had put the Street 500/750 project on the backburner for a few weeks, and then in early May, I came home from work and saw the new Harley-Davidson 500cc Street in my driveway, sitting pretty. Like a well oiled Benelli shotgun, slightly exotic, yet very familiar. I parked the Jeep and walked over for a closer look and developed an urge to jump railroads. Hell, the keys were in it, the tag looked right, so why not? I summoned Prince Najar and his eager henchman, T-Bag, so they could get a piece of this action too. They told me to bring it by the house for some video work and to check it out. A new bike is always worth taking a look at, and this one only had 38 miles on it.
I knew my daughter, Savannah, had just taken the last of her final exams that morning and would be up for a ride. We decided to meet at the walled compound, manned by Prince Najar and T-Bag, so she and I could go two-up for the videoed part of this test ride. I don’t recall ever reading a test ride done with a passenger, but it makes sense, unless you have a solo seat without a fender behind it, sooner or later you will take on a passenger.
With the camera rolling we hit the easy streets of western Durham, not much to worry about here except half-crazed mini-van drivers sipping thermoses of margaritas laced with prescription meds. The two-up ride went well, Savannah thought the Street 500 lacked an adequate passenger seat for longer rides and was extremely quiet (compared to my wake-the-dead two-into-ones on my Softail), but she thought it was a perfectly fine bike to take out on country roads or in town. Savannah would know she’s gone thousands of miles with me, camping in Colorado, the Outer Banks and a few Florida trips. What a good Daddy! Right? We finished up the video work and returned to the compound so she could go back to Raleigh and do whatever 18-year-olds do. It was time to speed this test ride up a bit.
Harley-Davidson has been pushing this bike as suitable for a wide range of riding and especially appropriate for the demands of urban pavement. My first plan of action was to go straight to the Canal Street speed bumps for a suspension test.
We fired past the gentrified outskirts of the hood and leaned hard onto Canal Street. I took it easy on the first bump, and then twisted it good on the second. The bike came down solid, no shaking parts, no sloppy bounce. I was safe here, the locals leave me alone because they think I’m crazy, and the police don’t know what this street looks like in the sunlight. After our tour of the hood, we hit 9th Street and rode by what’s left of Charlie’s Bar and the ghosts of baggers past. We then moved on to Main Street, along the edge of Duke University, past the dorm where Richard Nixon learned to screw his pants on every morning before class.
It was a good Carolina sunny day on a new motorcycle, perfect time for a cold one. The beer tastes good in Durham now, so many choices, so little effort and whammo, you’ve crossed into .08 BAC territory! I have to calculate my alcohol intake very carefully now because of the mad mothers and the amateurs with no driving skills. When I was in high school, ramming my Chevy Nova down the back roads of Central Pennsylvania, we treated drinking and driving as a sport. I was a champion! My sturdy Irish/Scandinavian genetic structure was my guardian angel well into the .20 BAC range.
After passing by some crowded hipster joints on Rigsby Avenue, we finally settled into Bull McCabe’s Irish Pub, you never go wrong with an Irish pub. Bull McCabe’s just put the finishing touches on an outdoor sheltered drinking area that overlooks a nice patch of lawn where the big dogs chase Frisbees, and about six parking spots that fill up with bikes during the warm Carolina summer nights. I downed two pints of Guinness, Prince Najar had four fingers of Tullamore Dew, a good Catholic whiskey, T-Bag had a tall Fullsteam IPA and we hit the streets again. We decided our buzz was just right to return to the back roads of Bahama; but not before a detour to the railroad tracks on Junction Road.
The pavement was steep and peaked at the near rail, you couldn’t drive an old-school Cadillac over these tracks without getting it hung up on the sharp angle, this was Jeep country. I felt like Evel Knevel when I made a few passes over the tracks to calculate my speed and landing situation. I figured I’d hit the ramp at about 30 then on subsequent passes, I’d increase my speed by five mph increments until I was satisfied that the edge was near; I was hoping to make GTP proud.
Prince Najar and T-Bag wanted nothing to do with this blatant abuse. After I dropped my demands for them to photograph my criminal acts, they agreed to at least stay to pick up the pieces if I dumped it. Then it happened, just as I was getting turned around for the first run, my spider-sense alerted me to trouble. I noticed an unmarked police car parked near a ball field on the other side of tracks. So, I figured this was a good time to head north to see what it can do on some ugly curves. We headed to Bahama, home of cold $2 beer and the site of eight motorcycle wrecks (one fatal) in the past year.
I figured I had put enough miles on the new tires to wear off the slippery new tire surface and expose some good rubber. So I hit the throttle some more halfway through the first curve on Bahama Road at the edge of Lake Michie, the bike’s suspension squatted as my speed increased around the curve. The 59.5 inch wheel base made its 480 pounds ride solidly within that sweet spot between stability and agility. The belt drive, the six speed transmission and low center of gravity all combined to keep the ride quick and smooth well past the 70 mph mark. The Street 750 hits 60 mph in just 4.6 seconds and can run the quarter mile in just under 14 seconds. I haven’t seen any numbers yet for the Street 500. There are faster bikes out there, but not everybody needs a high-dollar torqued-up rocket. Most of us just like to get around on two wheels without the need to blast through traffic and into the emergency room, or into handcuffs.
Bottom line, this bike has what it takes to move my 6 foot tall, 200 pound ass down the road, around curves, over speed bumps and train tracks and I like riding it. And I think it looks cool, in that 1970s XLCR Café Racer kind of way. Some of the specs that matter to me; How much gas does it hold? What’s the fuel economy? What’s the top speed with a 200 pound guy on it? When I pull a wheelie, will the front forks bottom out when I bring it down? I was surprised by the reviews I read about other new bike models coming out this year. Most of them were pure speculation based solely upon the manufacture’s info, like they had sat in a cubicle and phoned it in. What kind of punk would write about a new bike and NOT get on it for a ride? In my day job, we call that “pencil whipping.”
After I put the Harley Street 500cc through two more runs on the unforgiving Bahama Road “S” Curves, I ran a full throttle twist down Cassam Road and decided to get some attention when I pulled this little two wheeled Café Racin’ curve hugger into Van’s Bar. I came off the throttle, and then hit the rear brake enough to swing the ass end sideways across the gravel from the edge of the road to the front door. It was a reckless move, and will likely keep Rommel’s Harley shop from dropping these bikes off at the house anymore. I figured this may be my one and only chance to deal some calculated abuse to a brand new bike and brag about it.
After the cloud of dust settled, I saw some movement from behind the camouflage net draped over the lower level. The good folks at Van’s are used to me behind custom handlebars made by Hank Thibodeau, and they’re used to seeing me ride in very respectfully with, my girlfriend, Terre, looking over my shoulder. Van’s Bar is a rock solid-little country bar with cold beer, good people, three official bar dogs, and always a handful of bikes out front. The Andy Griffith show plays every afternoon. I knew I could rely on the wisdom of LD, Don, Fireman Glenn, TJ and Van to give me a good spectrum of opinions to aid my own judgment of this motorcycle. The consensus of the afternoon beer drinkin’ crowd at Van’s was all good.
They thought the horn sounded and looked funny but could be easily replaced by someone feeling strong enough about it. They also thought it would be a cool bike to customize because it had good basic geometry and a fairly familiar seating position. They agreed with Savannah’s recommendation for more of a passenger seat. I had read complaints about the brakes not being as responsive as they could be. My take on that is; these brakes are adequate for stopping the bike. I believe it is the rider’s responsibility to adjust their riding habits to their equipment, not the manufacture’s to turn the bike into something it’s not. Be flexible or you break.
The word around the campfire is this bike is tight, but it has some components that could use upgrades from the likes of Fab Kevin, Widowmaker or Led Sled before this bike wouldn’t be sneered at so quickly by the chopper crowd. My approach to evaluating this bike is enlightened with the strong belief that Harley had to do it to gain new customers. The Sportsters are okay, but they’ve had the reputation among the “lifestyle warriors” as a “ladies bike.” The “warriors” need to be tended to, they have some real money and are known to lay out $30,000+ for a big wheeled bagger to mount on their trailer and maybe strap down an 883L for the little woman to ride four miles from the hotel to Boot Hill Saloon during Bike Week. Right before the second oil change, they’ll sell the whole rig.
The Harley-Davidson Street 500/750s are a logical move based upon simple math. The bulk of Harley riders are aging out of their motorcycle riding years and the twenty to thirty fivers are not thinking $20,000 is a practical way to meet their two wheel transportation needs, especially if a new Dodge Dart gets better fuel economy than the big V-twins. These bikes will appeal to those young studs who’ve decided it’s time to ride off campus; they’ve sold their Vespa’s to incoming freshmen and need something more respectable to throw their leg over.
This age group has a dominate sense of unwashed pragmatism, and a smaller bike meets their basic needs without having to worry too much about anything but running out of gas. Not sensible to go into debt for what you WANT, makes better sense to buy what you NEED and avoid the interest rates.
This is a generation that has been raised without high school shop class. They haven’t been taught to respect machinery nor developed a desire to understand the role they should play to maintain their own equipment. They accept the fact that they need to pay somebody to work on anything they own, so the practical thing is to make sure there are fewer trips to the shop, less stuff to worry about. Fortunately, many of them are sensible enough to believe it is always better to buy American made products when given the choice. Add gas, turn it on, pay later, don’t worry be happy.
Motorcycle technology has run with two priorities since S. H. Roper’s 1869 Steam-cycle. The first priority is bigger and faster and the other is reliability. The earliest bikes needed to have their cylinders oiled with hand pumps which made the rider worry about how far and how fast they were riding between oil squirts. Since then, the engineers have reduced our worries by giving us fuel injection, self-canceling turn signals, gel batteries, electric starts and liquid cooled engines. I know I worried about my own bike overheating at the start of Long Road 2011 in New Orleans, when the dial on the dipstick went about a quarter turn further than normal.
At the end of the ride, I took one more look at the 500 Street and tried to visualize camping gear for two and my little hottie, Terre, on the back seat. Looks like it might be a tight squeeze, better keep this bike for running errands around town; half-day rides into the country or a quick ride through the French Quarter without thinking about the cylinders swelling to a stop.
The Street 750cc is due at Rommel’s Harley-Davidson in June, maybe I’ll give those train tracks another try.
Watch the ride on Utube:
