Hello Bandit I ended up paralyzed after riding my Harley on Sept 2 2004.

I went around a sweeping corner at a high velocity and a woman talking on her cell phone hit me head on. I ended up bouncing off the wind shield and over the roof going like Superman without my arms out and hit the next car in the middle of the front rim head first. A month and a half later I woke up from a coma in the hospital bed not being able to get up to go take a piss. I was wondering what was going on so finally a nurse came in and just jokingly I asked her if I’m paralyzed and she looked at me and said, “Oh you don’t know?” and took off. WOW!!! I was in shock and a million things ran through my head as I was left there for half an hour to wonder. One of the things I worried about was how the hell am I going to be able to ride a Harley because that was what I lived for.

This is the story of how I built a Trike to ride again!

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Old-time Elvis Presley fans and lots of newer, younger ones flocked to a new exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Friday to see his stylish ID bracelet, custom-made motorcycle, eye-catching rings and military mementos.

The exhibit opened in conjunction with Elvis Presley Enterprises and includes more than 40 artifacts loaned by his Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tenn.

The items include a walnut-size 41-carat ruby and diamond ring, a 25.5-carat opal ring and a sapphire pinkie ring.

The rock hall inducted Presley in 1986 and calls him “the undisputed King of Rock and Roll.”

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Celebrating 88 years with Kars and Girls– The George Barris way
Photo’s by Art Hall, Text By Richard Kranzler

Known to millions of car enthusiasts and collectors worldwide, George Barris has been designing and creating cutting-edge cars for more than 50 years. His creations have dominated such hit TV shows as The Munsters, The Beverly Hillbillies, Knight Rider, and — most notably – Batman & Robin, which featured his Batmobile, the most famous TV Hollywood car of all time.

Barris has also created and featured vehicles for scores of movies and product promotions. He’s the winner of countless awards and accolades for his kustom creations such as the Hirohata Merc, Ala Kart, Barrister, and many legendary cars of the ‘50s and ‘60s.

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Veteran’s Affairs: Killing Machine Supports Our Troops 

One day, while we were moving some bikes out of the shop, two riders flew by on Highway 2 and locked ‘em up. They flipped a U-turn and came in the lot. It was two active duty Marines from the Inspector / Instructor staff at the Spokane Marine Corps Reserve Center.

One was a First Sergeant affectionately known as Bruiser and the other was a Gunnery Sergeant named Tarek which I dubbed the “Funny Gunny”. They were both riding hogs. I got to rappin’ with them and we immediately hit it off. My girlfriend the Hardtail Harlot knew all that military talk (she had once been married to a Jarhead) so she translated. We shot the shit, chewed the fat, bullshitted something fierce, had a few cold beers, and became fast friends.

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Thousands of visitors are descending on Invercargill for the 2013 Burt Munro Challenge, which starts today. More than 25,000 people are expected to watch the racing through to Sunday.

Early arrivals have secured prime spots at “tent city” at Oreti Park, the venue for the challenge. Greymouth couple Kenny Williams and Lesley Polatsek, said they were looking forward to the country’s best motorcycle rally. Motorcycling was more than a hobby for the couple, it was a way of life. Between them, they have owned almost 40 motorcycles, all of them Harley Davidsons.

“I’m onto my 31st Harley Davidson,” Mr Williams said while setting up camp. His partner said she was only onto her eighth Harley. The couple have not missed the challenge since it was first held in 2006. Mr Williams said he competed in the speedway in the first year but had since given up racing. However, a part of him would always remain on the Oreti Speedway track.

“I lost the top half of my finger in a crash that first year,” he smiled, holding up his hand. He got top treatment from Southland Hospital staff and has continued to enjoy Southland hospitality since. He said the Burt Munro Challenge was “awesome and I can’t ever tell enough people how well organised and well run it is”.

The speedway event was still the highlight of the challenge, he said. While Mr Williams shares his love of motorcycles with his partner, it is a little different for central North Island man Andrew Williams. Mr Williams and his friend Richard Baddeley arrived from Taihape, with Mr Williams acquiring a new bike between leaving home on Monday and arriving in Invercargill.

He said he was not sure his wife would understand his decision to get a new model. However, he put the blame squarely on his mate’s shoulders. “His Harley sprung an oil leak in Christchurch on the way down and the Ducati store was right next door,” he explained. Mr Williams’ new Ducati was the same colour as the old one he traded in, so Mr Williams “was sure his wife would not notice”.

The four-day event has attracted a record 530 entries.

THURSDAY

10am race start: NZ Hill Climb Champs, at Flagstaff Rd, Bluff.

6pm race start: NZ Super Cross Champs – Final, at the Cooper Super Cross Track, Ryan Rd, Winton.

FRIDAY

5pm race start: ILT NZ Beach Racing Champs, at Oreti Beach.

SATURDAY

9am race start: E Hayes & Sons Teretonga Sprint Races, at Teretonga Raceway, Otatara, Invercargill.

5pm race start: Motorcycle Speedway, at Oreti Park Speedway, Otatara, Invercargill.

SUNDAY

9.30am start: Southland Toy Run, at the Oreti Park rally site, Otatara.

10am race start: Wyndham Street Races.

How long does it take to steal a motorcycle?

A New York minute.

New York is the nation’s capital of motorcycle thievery, followed by swingin’ Las Vegas, the National Insurance Crime Bureau reports. Next comes San Diego, Indianapolis and Miami.

Overall, just like when it comes to car thefts, motorcycle thefts have been dropping. In 2012, the year in which the NICB bases its analysis, they amounted to 46,061 ripped-off bikes, down 1% from the year before.

Honda was the motorcycle brand stolen most often, with 9,082 for the year. It was followed by Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Harley Davidson. (We’re wondering if Harleys did relatively well in the analysis because thieves fear Harley owners.)

When it comes to states, thieves appear to prefer warm weather — just like all motorcycle rider. California was first, followed by Florida, Texas, North Carolina and Indiana.

Fewer stolen motorcycles are recovered than cars. While 53.9% of stolen cars were returned to their owners, only 39% of motorcycles found their way back. The NICB says that’s because its easier to “chop” bikes for their parts, hide them in barns or garages or ship them out of the country in giant containers

Source: USA Today

Well, here’s something to give you an interesting angle on this other American tradition that is Black Friday!