Welcome back for another news column, this week brought to you by the women. While Bandit is off to Alaska for week, we?re defending the headquarters from crack heads and meth zombies. Let me tell you about my day so far?

I had to get up at 3:30 this morning to take Bandit to the airport. Once back home, I had two hours to sleep before taking my daughter to school. I?m almost asleep when a ruckus breaks out across the street. Two homeless women and one man are screaming at a pack of dogs fighting, their dogs. Homeless people with dogs? whatever. This goes on for fifteen minutes then settles down. Now I?m up and can?t go back to sleep wondering if the dogs are all right.

Back from taking my daughter to school, my son calls. He?s up the street, out of gas. I grab a gas can and head out, but one step out of the gate and the local Meth Queen greets me. Toothless and twitching she asks for someone who used to live here/deal here, I don?t know. She?s looking at me talking but I can tell nothing I?m saying to her is registering. I end up walking away from her pissed that I have to waste my time explaining there is no ?Cindy? here. When she finally realizes she?s not getting anywhere she tells me she?s got a problem and do I want to hear it. Fuck no I don?t want to hear it! I have to get my son some gas so he can go to school, then get my bootay back home and get started on the news.

Usually I?m a very patient person and I will try to help anyone to the best of my abilities. However, I have no patience for people who just want to get loaded all day then beg for help or money. They choose that life, the life of the streets and I?ll be damned if I hand over one penny to them. OK, I?ve vented, I feel better. Now for the news?

SCREAMIN’ EAGLE DRAG TEAM IN SEMI-FINAL ROUND AT U.S. NATIONALS–Andrew Hines Holds NHRA Pro Stock Bike Points Lead after Big Weekend at Indy.CLERMONT, Ind. (Sept. 6, 2004) – The Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines drag racing team put riders GT Tonglet and Andrew Hines into the Pro Stock Bike elimination rounds at the 50th Annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park-the most prestigious stop on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Hines rode his Screamin’ Eagle V-Rod to the semi-final round of eliminations and maintained his lead in the chase for the NHRA Pro Stock bike season championship.

Five rounds of qualifying runs put 16 of 34 Pro Stock Bike entries into the U.S. Nationals elimination rounds. Tonglet qualified his Screamin’ Eagle V-Rod fourth with a run of 7.191 seconds at 186.92 mph. Hines was right behind his teammate with a 7.194/186.10 run, which was good for fifth position. Chip Ellis was the top qualifier with a run of 7.115/186.85

Hines and Tonglet faced off for the fifth time this season and for the second race weekend in a row. Tonglet took a shot at a quick light but was just early, handing the red-light win to Hines, who had his best run of the weekend with a 7.145/187.96 pass.

The semi-final round found Hines facing Shawn Gann. Both riders had amazing starts with identical 0.004-second reaction times and it was a dead heat for the first 330 feet before Gann pulled slightly ahead. At the line, it was Gann (7.264/183.37) just beating Hines (7.268/183.99) to take the win by 0.0046-seconds, or about 15 inches.

In the final round, Gann (7.238/185.74) lost to Antron Brown (7.213/185.77), who claimed his second final-round win in a row.Brown now trails Hines by 153 points in the Pro Stock Bike championship race with three events to go on the season. After 12 of 15 rounds, Hines has 1038 points, followed by Brown with 885 points, and Gann with 839 points. Savoie is fourth with 821 points, followed by Craig Treble with 789 points and Tonglet in sixth with 695 points.

On Sept. 4, Hines and Tonglet faced off in the final round of the 14th Annual K&N Filters Pro Bike Klash, a special bonus event for Pro Stock Bike competitors held during the 50th Annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. Eight riders qualified based on points earned for qualifying performance during the year. Hines defeated Michael Phillips and Brown to make the final, while Tonglet advanced by beating Scali and Angelle Savoie. Hines (7.203/186.10) beat Tonglet (7.270/183.99). The Screamin’ Eagle teammates agreed to split the $20,000 purse evenly beforehand, so the race was for bragging rights only.

The next Pro Stock Bike event on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series is the 20th AnnualLucas Oils NHRA Nationals, Sept. 16-19, at Maple Grove Raceway near Reading, Pa.

Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts are inspired by and built in the spirit of the raw adrenaline and power of motorcycle racing. Screamin’ Eagle Pro parts are specifically designed for race-use applications, while Screamin’ Eagle parts offer street-use performance options for the Harley-Davidson motorcycle owner. Visit www.harley-davidson.com for more information.

The Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines Pro Stock Bike team is sponsored by Dunlop, Ford Quality Checked Certified Pre-Owned, Matco Tools and S100.

ORIGINAL NARROW SPRINGER FROM PAUGHCO– WITH the introduction of the latest version of its springer forks, Paughco has updated one of the most enduring products in its catalog.

The choice of sizes covers just about all style options as the new forks are offered in stock length as well as 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 and 21 inches over.

Using 4-? ins bar centers, the forks are suitable for both dog bone and Glide style risers.

Original springers can be ordered with an additional three degrees of rake, although forks of 15 inches over, or longer, are supplied to this specification as standard.

Finish can be chrome plated or black powdercoat.

PAUGHCO
Carson City, Nevada, USA
Tel: 775 246 5738
Fax: 775 246 0372
E-mail: info@paughco.com>info@paughco.com

BIKERNET STEALTH REPORT–Hey Bandit,Here is a little something for the Thursday News(9-9-04)

This is going to be short and sweet this week or maybe not so sweet. I finally got back to work this week (4 hours a day), still getting over my back surgery. It has been good to get out of the house.Since I have been stuck in the house though I have not had a chance to get out and find things to write about.

It has been a tough time all around and not being able to ride has taken a toll on me. So I am going to end for the week right here. No need to bore you any longer! I go back for a check up next week and maybe I will be able to ride after that. Sorry for such a SORRY report!

Until next week!
Later!
STEALTHMAN

BROS CLUB ? INSURANCE INFO YOU WON?T WANT TO MISS–BROS Club National Director?s Take on Motorcycle InsuranceBy E.Villaverde

Motorcycle Insurance is just plain boring. But in my recent interview with BROS Club?s National Director, DJ Coates, you?d think he was a friggin CRUSADER FOR JUSTICE for their members.

Coates has managed the BROS Club and CycleServices MOTORCYCLE INSURANCE division for the past 14 years. ?Over the years I?ve seen some pretty interesting things happen in the MOTORCYCLE INSURANCE marketplace. My job is to help keep things generally stable for our members; the companies we work with have been genuine in their efforts to help us to do just that.

Coates went on to say that he pretty much thinks ?INSURANCE SUCKS, but to be without it when the incident happens, is a lot worse than working through the initial placement of coverage or making the monthly payments to keep the coverage in place.? Not to mention the reality that IT CAN AND DOES HAPPEN TO YOU.

On July 4th, 1981 Coates survived a serious freeway accident wherein a drunk driver crossed four lanes and clipped the front wheel of his motorcycle sending him and the bike into a 70 mile an hour slide in the No#1 lane of the 210 Fwy.

Coates recalls, ?It was like everything went into slow motion, I felt like I had all the time in the world to react. I basically hopped on top of the shiny side and road it till it stopped. It was a while before I even realized the injuries I had sustained in the initial impact. As the bike slowed down I heard this voice say, ?Move fast when you stop.? as I scrambled off the highway, an 18 wheeler zoomed by and totally demolished my bike which was directly in the path of the truck, there?s no way he could have avoided me.? Coates says, ?That?s when I got a peak at the Holy City, and truthfully, my life was changed?.?With the help of a good samaritan, the witnesses and I found the drunk hiding out; a bystander had tailed him as he tried to flee the scene of the accident. After the crap was beaten out of him, he spent the night in jail, but the guy didn?t have a pot to piss in. I was glad for the insurance coverage I had arranged.?

Coates pointed out that some of the modern day policies are better than the ones that were available back then. BROS Club?s program includes an option for something Coates says many of their members really like, called ?Full Value? coverage. This changes the ?depreciation? wording in the policy and makes the coverage more favorable to the policyholders that purchase it.

After speaking with BROS Club and CycleServices National Director, I joined. These people seem truly dedicated to the well being of their members, right down to their quality control survey following each dispatched emergency rescue call.

Recently BROS Club and CycleServices announced how the surveys they conduct impacted their organization by uncovering a service problem within their (former) dispatch team. On September 1st 2004 they announced the termination of their former dispatch service in favor of the No #1 quality rated dispatch service in America, as rated by J.D. Power & Associates. Coates, as usual, is enthusiastic about how this change will help their members to receive even better service in their times of need.

BROS Club and CycleServices seem to have found their true niche, providing quality service and attention to the details on behalf of their members, all across America & Canada, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

Don?t take our word for it, check out their website and call for yourself. See if Bros Club is just what you need for Bikers Insurance peace of mind.

Hey all,
Here’s a landmark that I photographed today on the way back from the4-Corners rally in Durango, Co. This is actually in Farmington, New Mexico.

Too Funny.
John

Very cool JD bobber I brought back from Davenport

–Don Whalen

Subject: Top 9 comments made by the NBC Olympic commentators–Here are the top nine comments made by NBC sports commentators during the Summer Olympics that they would like to take back:

1. Weightlifting commentator: “This is Gregoriava from Bulgaria. I saw her snatch this morning during her warm up and it was amazing.”

2. Dressage commentator: “This is really a lovely horse and I speak from personal experience since I once mounted her mother.”

3. Paul Hamm, Gymnast: “I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother and father.”

4. Boxing Analyst: “Sure there have been injuries, and even some deaths in boxing, but none of them really that serious.

5. Softball announcer: “If history repeats itself, I should think we can expect the same thing again.”

6. Basketball analyst: “He dribbles a lot and the opposition doesn’t like it. In fact you can see it all over their faces.”

7. At the rowing medal ceremony: “Ah, isn’t that nice, the wife of the IOC president is hugging the cox of the British crew.”

8. Soccer commentator: “Julian Dicks is everywhere. It’s like they’ve got eleven Dicks on the field.”

9. Tennis commentator: “One of the reasons Andy is playing so well is that, before the final round, his wife takes out his balls and kisses them… Oh my God, what have I just said?”

–from Kendra

Continued On Page 2

Continued From Page 2

CONDER PAINT SHOP IS UP– Here’s a brief list of prices for future reference….

Labor rate – $70 per hour until Jan 1 ’05.
Plastic filler work is a $150 minimum

Minor welding a.k.a fender rivet removal, hole filling or cracks is a $150 minimum

* Average stock 4-piece H-D, NO BODY WORK NEEDED, multiple clear, cut, polished, rock gaurded…

* Solid color (no candy) – $1000

* Candy with pearl, metallic or metalflake base – $1500

* Ghost flames (mine come detailed with a ghost pinstripe out line for a more finished look.) – $1200 to $1500

* Old school flame/scallop/panel jobs – $2000 and up

* Airbrush – $1500 and up

* Conder Custom blown glass style multi-layered candy job – $3000 and up.

* Wild ass stuff no one has seen before, with conceptual renderings of the paint throughout the project – $4000 and up

— Tim
The Conderosa
http://www.armageddontopfuel.com

BIKERNET RELIGIOUS MOMENT–“Lord, I have a problem.”

“What’s the problem, Eve?”

I know that you created me and provided this beautiful garden and all ofthese wonderful animals, as well as that hilarious comedic snake, but I’mjust not happy.”

“And why is that Eve?”

“Lord, I am lonely, and I’m sick to death of apples.”

“Well, Eve, in that case, I have a solution. I shall create a man for you.”

“Man? What is that Lord?”

“A flawed creature, with many bad traits. He’ll lie, cheat and be vain; allin all, he’ll give you a hard time. But he’ll be bigger, faster and willlike to hunt and kill things. I’ll create him in such a waythat he will satisfy your physical needs. He will be witless and will revelin childish things like fighting and kicking a ball about. He won’t be assmart as you, so he will also need your advice to think properly.”

“Sounds great,” says Eve, with ironically raised eyebrows, “but what’s thecatch Lord?”

“Well…..you can have him on one condition.”

“And what’s that Lord? “

“As I said, he’ll be proud, arrogant and self-admiring….. so you’ll haveto let him believe that I made him first. And it will have to be our littlesecret……..you know, woman to woman.”

–from M. Hart

Hart, you’re in trouble.–Bandit

BROS CLUB ANNOUNCES MAJOR CHANGES–___Chillocothe, OH / Pasadena, CA: Bros Club and CycleServices North America announce major changes to enhance benefits to members.

September 1, 2004 – Bros Club North America and CycleServices North America officially announced the termination of their dispatch service after continuing unresolved reports of bad service threatened to mar Bros Club?s otherwise excellent reputation.

In an interview with Bros Club’s National Director, DJ Coates, Coates explained, “After each and every dispatch, members receive a quality control survey. We were shocked to hear the way some of our members had been treated in recent months and despite efforts to resolve the problems with the former provider, determined it was time for a change.”

Coates reported, “After months of investigation, we have teamed up with the JD Power & Associates NO#1 rated Motorcycle Emergency Service Provider. Along with providing better service to our members, Bros Club and CycleServices can now provide enhanced benefits to current and new members.”

Full details of the expanded benefits are available at the BROS Club and CycleServices websites or from links on other popular Biker related sites. http://www.brosclub.org

HELP REQUESTED, CHECK IT OUT–I need all the Biker help I can get. I made a trip to the state of California from Alabama for a visit and to attend the Hollister Independence Day Rally. I have seizures and have a seizure alert dog (medical alert dog) that is recognized by the Americans with Disabilities Act because she is able to alert me up to two hours prior to my having a seizure. When in Hollister we were asked to leave because we couldn’t have the dog! I tried to explain to the officer that she was a medical alert dog – not just a pet – and he was adamant that I leave the city. This was a very expensive trip! Please have all bikers take 5 minutes and write an email to mailto:hirc@hollisterrally.com, or hirc@hollisterrally.com. g

Go to the website www.hollisterrally.com , or take the time to call 831.634.0777. If you can take the time to write an e-mail, these can be printed and the committee can take the outpouring to the city council to try to make a difference.

I know that I can “do something with the law” but that only helps one person – help me help others! Thanks.

–Rita Patrick

HELMETS AND HEAD INJURIES–We recently received several complaints about the media coverage of Indian Larry’s accident. I responded and said, “Fuck helmets and the way society tries to shove them down our throats. It’s bullshit. If they want to truly save lives make ’em wear them in cars.” But here’s another response from a Bikernet Reader.

You got that right! My wife and I were watching motorcycle mania 3, part 3 on Discovery channel a night or two back. Jessie and Kid rock were riding in Mexico and talking about this one area they were overlooking on how overregulated such a place would be if it were in the states. How true!

It goes back to personal responsibility and that is where helmet laws should be….If you want to wear one fine, but if not, well that’s fine too. Here in ND a few years back the voters passed mandatory seat belt usage. Well, we were hip to what they were doing and now it has happened. At first no seat belt usage could not be a stand-alone scenario where the cop would pull you over, it had to be in correlation with some other violation. Now a few years later, it is NOW a crime (a stand-alone offense) if you are caught without a seat belt on. And that means more cash in the man’s pockets to use whatever they use ticket money for.

Have to be very careful when such initiatives as seat belts, helmets, etc., items are tried to passed by the states. It usually comes back to bite you in the ass no matter how much good you think the new statute will be.

–RD
Fargo

BIKERNET COMPUTER TECH SUPPORT–Last year I upgraded from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0 and noticed that thenew program began unexpected child processing that took up a lot of newspace and valuable resources. No mention of this phenomenon was includedin the product brochure.

In addition, Wife 1.0 installs itself into all other programs and launchesduring system initialisation, where it monitors all other system activity.Applications such as Poker Night 10.3, Drunken Boys Night 2.5 and SaturdayFootball 5.0 no longer run, crashing the system whenever selected.

I cannot seem to keep wife 1.0 in the background while attempting to runsome of my other favorite applications. I am thinking about going back toGirlfriend 7.0, but the uninstall does not work on this program.

Can you please help me !!!???

Thanks,
A TROUBLED USER

Dear TROUBLED USER,

This is a very common problem men complain about, but is mostly due to aprimary misconception. Many people upgrade from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0with the idea that Wife 1.0 is merely a UTILITIES & ENTERTAINMENT program.Wife 1.0 is an OPERATING SYSTEM and designed by it’s creator to runeverything.

It is unlikely you would be able to purge Wife 1.0 and still convert backto Girlfriend 7.0. Hidden operating files within your system would causeGirlfriend 7.0 to emulate Wife 1.0 so nothing is gained. It is impossibleto uninstall, delete, or purge the program files from the system onceinstalled. You cannot go back to Girlfriend 7.0 because Wife 1.0 is notdesigned to do this.

Some have tried to install Girlfriend 8.0 or Wife 2.0 but end up with moreproblems than the original system. Look in your manual under “Warnings-Alimony/Child support”. I recommend you keep Wife 1.0 and deal with thesituation.

I suggest installing background application program C:YES DEAR toalleviate software augmentation. Having installed Wife 1.0 myself, I mightalso suggest you read the entire section regarding General PartnershiphtFaults (GPFs). You must assume all responsibility for faults and problemsthat might occur, regardless of their cause. The best course of actionwill be to enter the command C:APOLOGISE. In any case avoid excessive useof C:YES DEAR because ultimately you may have to give the APOLOGISEcommand before the operating system will return to normal. The system willrun smoothly as long as you take the blame for all the GPFs.

Wife 1.0 is a great program, but very high-maintenance. Consider buyingadditional software to improve the performance of Wife 1.0. I recommendFlowers 3.1 and Diamonds 2K. Do not, under any circumstances installSecretary with Short Skirt 3.3. This is not a supported application forWife 1.0 and is likely to cause irreversible damage to the operatingsystem.

Best of Luck,
Tech Support

BIKERNET CARIBBEAN REPORT–Indian Larry is dead, Long Live Indian Larry !

If you have been following the news, my friend, my brother, Larry is with us no more. It?s a sad, sad event, but as everyone has paid their respects and stated their condolences, I am dedicating the news to the memory of his life, not his passing away. In the few years I really knew Larry, I dare to say that he was one if not the truest most humble person in this industry. He was there for his fans and his friends, always. He was the guy that would stay from 10 am to 10 PM at his booth in Daytona, shaking hands, taking photos and signing autographs, non stop, he was always there, no matter what. Needless to say I feel a great admiration for Larry, as a bike builder but more so as a human being.

So where do I begin?

As you might know, I had the fortune of spending a lot of time with Larry during the last couple years, so the stories are long and many, but everything has a beginning, so let’s get rolling.

Many moons ago, chance took me to New York City, as I became a “permanent” resident. I had heard of a guy people called Indian Larry, this is way before I was building bikes or had a business, that’s when we where all riding old clunkers. So I got a cab and gave them an address deep inside Alphabet city. When I got there, a place called Psycho Cycles, even the cabby took off in a hurry. I walked in and met someone, they had a really bad attitude, but I could deal with that, it was NY after all. So I got a shirt and got out. As I walked behind the building the shop was corded off but I just stood there and watched the guys work on some very cool bikes. It?s such a long time ago and my memory is not clear, but I stood there for some time and watched the guys work, and yes, you guessed it, one of them was a fellow named Indian Larry. I walked to the next subway station, it was dark already, I did not care, but I dare to say those bikes changed my life. I had a sudden urge to go back home and start tearing my bike apart, make something as cool as what I saw that Summer day in the bowels of NY.

Fast forward many years, it seemed like I saw Larry and Paul everyplace I went. Sure I was in the biz now, way deeper, so by chance and I would say luck, we would say hi, talk a bit and go our ways. He was famous, but famous in a way that you are when you happen to be in the underground, no TV, no hordes of well wishers and fans, famous as you respect an elder who’s on top of his game and with tons of talent, just waiting for the monetary chance to shine, and shine it did. Indian Larry became a world- wide name after Motorcycle Mania 2. I don’t know the details, nor remember how, but we became friends, good friends.

So let’s go to the stories. Even in Sturgis last year, we asked Larry to marry my friends Wicho and Keren, which he gladly did. It was a very impromptu ceremony, I will never forget, they stopped the music on the main stage, Larry got up and got them hitched. His exact words before that, “you love each other? You are married, go fuck? typical……He told us that wedding had made his trip and I knew he meant it.

Or in Puerto Rico, breaking every single law created by whomever creates them, riding wide fuckin’ open down the highways, just having as much fun as possible without getting arrested, or the side by side burnouts, while he laughed as a mad man and just cranked the throttle ’till my ears felt like they were popping, people here love him, he was kind to everyone and certainly enjoyed his time in the island, we will miss him dearly.

Or Miami, when we went to a bar and the drunk guy was calling him Crazy Larry, Larry Indian, and everything else, he just calmly smirked and put some distance between the drunks and himself, with us in the middle, just in case. At the same show, he was so happy with his new throne; to him it was so cool, to me too. To tell you the truth, he was the king, and he is the king. He was enjoying the success due after 30 odd years of busting his ass and his knuckles. The recognition he deserved and was way overdue. In a certain way I am very glad that he was able to enjoy these couple years, and he went on top of his game, no doubt about it.

So let’s keep going, in Daytona when people would not even let him take a piss without opening the port a potty door and we had to stand watch, or the time he took off just to get into WCC’s trailer and help Bill put his bike back, that was Larry. The only way he got away from his fans was to help his friends, even stop eating halfway through his lunch, just to say hi to someone and get a photo. Even his party in NY, he offered the Grease Monkey for me to ride while there, the bike that I had always drooled over, the bike I got to relate Larry with, I did not say no, but I could not do it, to me that bike was him and it is his. I remember Hawaii, we rode like madmen around the island, enjoyed each others company and managed to raise some hell while there. He was the last one to leave the event and was so stoked to be there. I will never forget when Billy blew the motor up and we were debating if the Fat Boy signal light bar would hold the towing, Larry walked over tugged the shit away of them and said” yeah they will hold” with his typical smirk/ grin, then we took off, the master had approved it. The guys in Hawaii enjoyed our rides, and Larry loved life, we all knew it.

Or two weeks ago, in Sturgis, when he said he will come by the house to eat and never showed up, typical, but still we wanted his company up there, amongst friends and away from the crowds. It?s what we all enjoyed, being able to shoot the shit about whatever, just friends hanging out. At the journey Larry pulled me aside and he said he loved my bike, I never did tell him but his words made my proud, like the teacher giving the thumbs up to the pupil. I know he always liked what I did, even if he would not, he was too good of a human being to say otherwise, and I also know he always pushed for me to be on TV. He thought I deserved it. Why do I say this, simple, besides being a great human being, he was a great friend to me. I had a hunch that he had been “trying to make it” for such a long time and wanted to bring everyone up with himself. I’m sure he was also proud of my bike and me.

I do feel proud of him and his legacy. More so, the last Saturday of Sturgis, we stopped by the booth to say hi. My mother wanted a photo with Larry and Paul. I jokingly said that she wanted a photo with a famous builder so Larry took the camera, shot us and said “Here’s your shot with a famous builder”. To me that said it all, and needless to say , floored me. Sadly that was the last day I talked with him, as a person alive, with the excitement on his behalf of coming back to Puerto Rico, and having a hell of a time to continue the mayhem and burning the tires that were left. We would have met in any upcoming event, like we always did, and to tell you the truth, as with many other friends, something I was looking forward to, but now, it will never happen, unless the event is someplace that we don’t know of yet, but he does.

What did I know that last Saturday, when I picked up my phone to say hi to a friend, just because, I would never be able to do so, ever.

We need to celebrate the life and achievements of a person that was important to us, not a hero, since they are only in books and movies, a real human being with downfalls and success. An example to us and everyone, just a really good addition to what we call life. I know many of you will miss him, I know I do, in a selfish way, since I know he is having a better time than us in a place that we wish we will be allowed to some time in the future. We need to enjoy and keep his legacy alive. Larry never compromised, he built what he liked, he followed his dreams and left us when he was enjoying the fruits of his hard labor. I will miss being able to talk to him, or have him on our side the next ride. I will definitely miss not being able to see him again, smirking and giving us the thumbs up. I know all of us will miss him dearly.

That night in NYC after his party I was standing outside Hogs and Heifers, I heard a thunder like noise coming down and echoing in the canyon like streets, from one moment to the next , there was Larry. He parked his bike, got off and dropped a smile, a wicked smile, just like a kid that had done something wrong and knew it. I’m sure that is what God saw at 3:40 am August 30th, and I’m sure that God as I did, gave him a hug and was really glad just because the simple matter of seeing him.

His family, crew and friends will celebrate Indian Larry’s life the 19th of September at his shop in Brooklyn. At their request, please send donations instead of flowers and such to the following charities, please do it in Indian Larry’s name, http:// www.ASPCA.comand or The national council of Alcoholism, 1675 White Horse-Mercerville road, Suite J, Hamilton NJ 08619tel # 609-689-0121, or the same at NYC.

If you feel the need to show your support and help out, go to his site http:// www.IndianLarry.com and purchase his stuff, show how much you loved him and admired him, it’s a large machinery and it needs to keep on rolling in order to keep his life’s work.

I will take the liberty in name of Bambi, Bobby, Elisa, Paul, Anne, and the rest of the crew and family to thank everyone for the well wishes, e-mails and calls, and last but not least, that great man I am paying tribute to, tonight, Larry.

To end this, and tell you the truth, I have never ever been so flattered, humbled, nor proud as that night at the Journey, when Larry asked to buy my Bobber, but I could not sell it to him. I truced for a swap, and left it at that. 15 minutes later, Bobby asked me about the swap, Larry was dead serious and again I took it as a joke, you know what, every single time I get on that bike, it will be with you in mind, it’s yours my friend, and you don’t owe me jack, the one that owes way too much to repay is me.

Jose

Continued On Page 4

Continued From Page 1

FROM THE BIKERNET BLONDE FILES–A guy walks into a bar with a pet alligator by his side.He puts the alligator up on the bar. He turns to the astonished patrons.

“I’ll make you a deal. I’ll open this alligator’s mouth and place mygenitals inside.Then the ‘gator will close his mouth for one minute.He’ll then open his mouth and I’ll remove my unit unscathed.In return for witnessing this spectacle, each of you will buy me a drink.”The crowd murmured their approval.The man stood up on the bar, and dropped his trousers, placing his privatesin the alligators mouth.

The gator closed his mouth as the crowd gasped. After a minute, the mangrabbed a beer bottle and rapped the alligator hard on the top of its head.The gator opened his mouth and the man removed his genitals unscathed aspromised.

The crowd cheered and the first of his free drinks were delivered.

The man stood up again and made another offer.”I’ll pay anyone $100 who’s willing to give it a try. ” A hush fell overthe crowd.

After a while, a hand went up in the back of the bar.A blonde girl timidly spoke up. “I’ll try, but you have to promise not tohit me on the head with thebeer bottle so hard.”

–from Bob T.

AUSSIE CONNECTION AND LARRY– Really sad to hear the terrible news. I only had a brief encounter with Larry in Hawaii and I feel like I’ve known the guy for years. He would’ve touched a lot of people’s lives with his nature and it will be a huge loss to the people who loved him and the people who had the pleaure of meeting him.

–Regards Glenn.

READER’S SHOWCASE BIKE COMING–Here’s one for readers rides . He’s come along ways since this photo was taken but what the hell it’s mine I own it and he will be one bad assed shovel when he’s done .

–LTR ArtKeep in mind that you can share any bike with Bikernet readers. Create your own feature in the Reader’s Showcase area. –Bandit

INDIAN LARRY TRIBUTE–I just wanted to say how sorry I was to hear of the accident. The motorcycle world will never be the same again. It is truly a devastating loss to the industry. We have lost one of the truly nice guys in the business, one that was always there for his fans. I want his family to know I will keep them in my thoughts during this incrediblly hard time.

–Larry Brown

INDIAN LARRY TRIBUTE PARTY–There are plans for a party in celebration of Indian Larry’s life on Sunday the 19th of September outside his shop at 151 N.14th St in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NYC come by any time during the day.

–TBear

INDIAN LARRY PHOTOGRAPHY–FROM HIS RECENT ENGAGEMENT IN HAWAII AT THE CHOPPERS ONLY SHOW.

KINDA HARD FOR ME TO LOOK AT…BUT WORTH REMEMBERING HIM….THOUGHT PEOPLE MIGHT LIKE TO SEE LARRY IN HAWAII…HE SURE LOVED IT HERE.

ALOHA,
–JIM

A MEMORY OF INDIAN LARRY–I first met Indian Larry back in the early 1970’s, although he had not yet acquired the “Indian” moniker at that time. I was a young dude that wanted to be a biker so bad I could taste it. I just got my hands on an old 1950 Panhead EL and didn’t know anything about wrenching yet and I was broke down in front of our local “biker bar” at 2am. There I was, kicking till it felt like my leg would fall off. All the older regulars were standing out side the bar laughing at the “newbie” and didn’t offer any assistance at all.

This guy I’d never seen before then pulled up and parked along side me on his Panhead. “Great”, I thought “someone else to laugh at me”.

He said”Having trouble”? I told him that I had just had gotten the bike a week ago and was really stumped as to why she wouldn’t fire. Well, He took a spark plug from the rear head and had me kick the bike over as he checked for spark. There was none so he checked my wiring and looked here and fiddled there and informed me that he was pretty sure my coil was fried.

“Fantastic, where the hell am going to get a new coil at 2 a.m?” He told me to wait right there and he’d go see what he could do. Truth is I never expected to see the guy again, but back he rode about 45 minutes later with a brand new coil tucked in his jacket. He took out his tool kit and replaced it for me right there on the spot. I tried to pay him for his troubles but he wouldn’t take it. I argued with him to at least let me pay him for the new coil.

“Nope,” he said. “Us dirt bags have to look out for each other.”

He told me his name was Larry and that he had to go because he didn’t feel like hanging around with the bunch of dudes at the bar that would let another biker sit there broke down with out trying to help out. We’d run into each other from time to time after that. We’d have a brew together and take a ride around town to hook up with mutual friends. Larry was just that kind of guy. He’d help out anyone any way he could. He had opened a shop in NYC and every one he knew would show up at his shop at one time or another, broke down and cash poor. Larry always took time away from a cash job to make sure that his buddies got back on the road.

You did not have to know Larry well to know him. Even years later when he was finally recognized as a master builder and was on the Discovery Channel’s Biker Build Off shows, Larry would take the time at his personal appearances to shake hands, talk to fans and answer tech questions from aspiring young builders and try to guide them down the right path in their building. Larry epitomized the term “Old Skool” in his work. Many have come before and I’m sure that many will come after, but there never be another Indian Larry and I, for one will never forget him.

–TBEAR

SCOTT JACOBS LOOKS FOR ARTISTIC INPUT–First of all we send our sincere condolences and deepest sympathy to Indian Larry?s family and friends; he was a great guy and will be missed tremendously. May he rest in peace and our prayers are with him.

Harley-Davidson Artist Scott Jacobs would like some feed-back on a couple of new ideas for paintings so please respond and let us know your feelings. The question involves subject matter for upcoming works. Keep in mind that each painting takes upwards of 4 to 8 weeks to complete and the criteria is basically desirability. Here goes: 1. Do you like the idea of a new race painting depicting Rich King? (Possibly of his latest win at Springfield)

2. How about a painting depicting a Servi-Car? (not been done)

Your answers will definitely be taken into account and greatly appreciated. If you have other ideas lay them on us.

Kindest Regards,
Ron Copple
Artists Riding Together (A.R.T.-Inc.)
“ron copple”

Many of the comments and news items this week will revolve around the tragic loss of Indian Larry. I’ll let our readers from all over the country express their feelings. I’m writing a short tribute to Larry for Hard Core Choppers in Japan. Larry touched many riders all over the world and the respect is evident by the many heartfelt reactions. Hang on. Let’s hit the news:

INDIAN LARRY DIES IN STUNT RIDING ACCIDENT–WELL-KNOWN custom bike builder ‘Indian Larry’ (Larry Desmedt), died on Monday, August 30th, as a result of injuries sustained after a motorcycle accident.

Indian Larry was appearing at the Liquid Steel Classic and Custom Bike Series, taking place at the Cabarrus Arena and Events Center, North Carolina.

The event was being filmed as part of further appearances for Larry in Discovery Channel’s ‘Biker Build-Off’ program.On Saturday, August 28th, he was performing stunts in a parking lot before a huge crowd when he lost control of the motorcycle.

Indian Larry became a legendary figure in the custom bike scene, with his work featured in movies, video, TV and in many magazines.

He claimed his influences were the choppers of the Fifties and Sixties, especially those from the West Coast scene where Ed Roth and Von Dutch had achieved cult status.

He was also much in demand for personal appearances and the popularity of Biker Build-Off increased his standing.

Born in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York, Larry became fascinated by the chopper movement by the time he was a teenager, riding his own Knucklehead.He re-located to the West Coast for a time, to learn his craft from Ed (‘Big Daddy’) Roth.After being involved in numerous projects, he eventually settled in Brooklyn in 1991 with the stated aim of becoming ‘the best chopper builder in the world’.

His business was located at Gasoline Alley, in Williamsburg.

Indian Larry was 55. He leaves a wife, Bambi, and his mother and sister.The family has requested no flowers, but donations, if desired, to the National Council on Alcoholism.

INDIAN LARRY
Brooklyn, New York, USA
www.indianlarry.com

WE’LL START BY PISSING OFF SOMEONE: What’s the difference between a porcupine and BMW?
>A porcupine has the pricks on the outside.

What’s the difference between Beer Nuts and Deer Nuts?
Beer Nuts are $1, and Deer Nuts are always under a buck.

Did you hear about the dyslexic Rabbi?
He walks around saying “Yo.”

BIKERNET SIGN IN THE MAKING–Kevin Baas is making a steel sign for Bikernet and you’ll see the tech tomorrow right here. Come back and check it out.

BIKERNET LEGAL DEPARTMENT MEMO– You’re 66 times more likely to be prosecuted for a crime in the USA than in France.

Rogue
http://www.bikerrogue.com

LAYLA’S RIDING EXPERIENCE– That’s a real sharp little gal you have there. Nice to see a pic of her. I read the story “If She Can Ride”. My daughter here in Vegas is about her size and went through the same experence. I Sold the Ironhead she rode. It scared me to death to see her take off on that thing. Maybe one of those new Triumph Bonneville Americans lowered a bit. Anyway you might have to settle down now…

After Laughlin I went to Dallas and got aquainted with Rick and hung out at the Icehouse a bit. I came back and put my house up for sale. It sold in five days for almost 100 grand profit. I found five acres in the woods, just east of Norman, Oklahoma, for 30G with a trailer and stuff. Going to build bikes and play Music.

Here is a shot of the Softail I bought wrecked and fixed up for my friend John. Total cost for what you see was $7500. It is a ’92 with 10K on it. Now I need to build one for me. I also bought this Black Pan.

I like your new Place. Are you going to have a real Cantina? I am available for gigs. I’ll send a CD as soon as I make one.

Ride on Bro,

–Bill
ioobill@juno.com

COPS DISCIPLINED FOR TASERING GRANDMOTHER–KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Police said Friday two officers have been disciplined and department policy changed following an investigation into the officers use of a taser when arresting a 66-year-old grandmother who honked her car horn at a police cruiser.

Louise Jones was arrested in June on charges of misuse of a car horn on a city street, resisting arrest and intentionally inflicting bodily harm on an officer. Her husband, Fred Jones, 74, was also arrested and charged with interfering with an arrest.

Police said Louise Jones tussled with officers when they tried to give her a ticket for honking the horn. One of the officers used the taser, which is capable of issuing a 50,000-volt shock, to stun her. The officers said Fred Jones then came downstairs and jumped on one of the officers’ backs.

Louise Jones said she pulled away from the police when one of the officers grabbed her arm, and her husband said one of the officers had his knee on his wife’s chest.

As a result of an internal investigation, the department has increased the threshold for when taser use is appropriate and now requires a field commander to look into each taser deployment. Police also have developed a task force made up of community members and department personnel to look into the department’s current taser-use policies.

–from Rogue

POLICE CHASE ENDS WITH TRACTOR CRASHING INTO TREE– ROLETTE, N.D. – Rolette County authorities say they chased a man across more than 20 miles of roads, corn and wheat fields after he took off in a stolen all-terrain vehicle, then a truck, and finally drove a tractor into a tree.

The 20-year-old Belcourt man could face a string of charges, Sheriff Tony Sims said.

“He could be charged with anything from reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, unauthorized use of motor vehicle, burglary – I don’t have all the reports in yet,” Sims said Wednesday.

Sims said the chase began about 6 a.m. Wednesday, after a four-wheel ATV was reported missing in Rolette. The four-wheeler was abandoned, and a truck was reported missing moments later in the city, authorities said.

Sims said he found the truck being driven by the suspect, and it did not stop when he signaled for the driver to pull over. Authorities chased the truck several miles west on state Highway 66 in Rolette County, he said.

“The driver threw tools, an air compressor, whatever he could, out the windows,” Sims said.

Rogue
http://www.bikerrogue.com>

TRUCKER CHARGED IN BEER HEIST–TORONTO (Reuters) – Somewhere in Canada there are thieves with nearly 50,000 cans of beer they will have a hard time selling, although police said on Thursday the truck driver who disappeared with the loot has been arrested.

The shipment of Moosehead beer, worth over C$75,000 ($57,000), was on its way to Mexico from an East Coast brewery when it went missing, along with the driver.

The transport truck was recovered last week — still running — in Grand Falls, New Brunswick, but with most of its cargo missing.

The 30-year-old driver was picked up in Lindsay, Ontario, about 1,000 miles from Grand Falls. He has been charged with theft but police reported he did not have any beer with him.

The shipment of Moosehead was labeled in English and Spanish for export to Mexico, so it could not be sold in Canada. Nor could it be shipped into or through the United States without proper documentation.

“Its one of these classic, dumb-crook stories,” said Joel Levesque, a spokesman for Moosehead.

“They can’t sell it anywhere in Canada without giving away the immediate fact that it’s been stolen… So we have crooks stuck with 50,000 plus cans of beer that basically they can’t fence.”

Very little of the stolen beer has been found. Four cans, three of them empty, were found in various parts of the New Brunswick province, according to the police and media reports.

On Monday, police found another 5,000 to 8,000 cans after a half-ton truck with a homemade trailer went off the road in New Brunswick. The driver of that truck fled the scene.

–from Rogue
http://www.bikerrogue.com

SCREAMIN? EAGLE RIDER RICH KING EIGHTH AT SEDALIA HALF-MILE–Determined Racer Competes in AMA National with Injured Shoulder. Sedalia, Mo. (Aug. 29, 2004) ? Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts rider Rich King finished eighth in the AMA Grand National main at the State Fair Speedway half-mile, riding with a painful shoulder injury he suffered in a near-crash at the Peoria TT on Aug. 22. The Sedalia event, the 12th stop on the AMA Progressive Insurance Flat Track Championship, was held on Sunday afternoon after the original Saturday-night program was postponed by rain.

?Rich is still riding with some pain after the incident in Peoria, so this was another gutsy performance by a veteran rider who?s dedicated to his team and his fans,? said Harley-Davidson Racing Manager Anne Paluso. ?The Screamin? Eagle team put him on a good bike this weekend and Rich rode as hard as he could.?

King qualified for the main by winning a semi-final heat race after placing fifth and failing to transfer during the first heat. He ran as high as 8th place in the main.

Coziahr Harley-Davidson/National Cycle rider Johnny Murphree won the main event aboard a Harley-Davidson XR750. Murphree took the lead when the race was re-started after SuperTrapp Racing rider Mike Hacker and Gerencer?s Harley-Davidson/Kerstings Cycle rider Kevin Atherton bumped on lap 20. It was Murphree?s first win of the season. KTM USA/Jones Powersports/Mid-America Harley-Davidson rider Joe Kopp was second, followed by his teammate, Ken Coolbeth, in third. The series points leader, Quality Checked Pre-Owned Ford/Lancaster Harley-Davidson rider Chris Carr, finished fourth.

With four straight podium results, Kopp continues to reel in defending AMA Grand National champion Carr in the season points standings. With five races left on the schedule, Carr still leads with 213 points, but is just 19 points ahead of second-place Kopp. Coolbeth is third with 162 points, followed by Murphree with 149 points.

The next stop on the AMA Progressive Insurance Flat Track Championship series is the annual Springfield double-header at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, with the Springfield TT scheduled for Sept. 4 and the Springfield Mile set for Sept. 5.

The Screamin’ Eagle Flat Track team is sponsored by Matco Tools.

BIKERNET OIL FILTER INVESTIGATION CONTINUES–THE BEST FRAME OIL FILTER TO USE WITH AN AFTER MARKET REMOTE OIL FILTER SYSTEM IS THE HP1 OR EQUIVALENT. IT IS A HIGH FLOW LOW RESTRICTION RACE FILTER THAT WORKS GREAT WITH THE BIKES.

THAT IS THE SAME ONES PAUL COX AND INDIAN LARRY TOLD ME TO USE WHEN I WAS BUILDING THE SCHOOL PROJECT ’57 PAN.

–Kevin

MIDWEST MOTORCYCLE SUPPLY–OPEN HOUSE– MIDWEST MOTORCYCLE SUPPLY Open House #8 is on Saturday, October 2nd, 2004, and we are told this one will be bigger and better than before.

As well as products from other manufacturers, Midwest is anxious to show off the additions to its own Ultima brand lines and many other new products.Some of these are the work of the Doc Havoc CAD-CAM design team.This is Midwest’s own in-house group of engineers, who are constantly looking to improve existing parts or develop new products.

The Vinegaroon range of seats has been expanded and there are new highway bars and starters.A new inner primary has just been introduced for Softail models.On display will be the award winners in the Black Cloud, Silver Lining competition.

Further product developments expected to take pride of place include the latest 127 cubic inch El Bruto motor.This was not expected to be ready in time for the show but a big effort by all concerned means it can now be prominently displayed.See them all, and more, on October 2nd.

MIDWEST MOTORCYCLE SUPPLY
Arnold, Missouri, USA
Tel: 636 296 2200
Fax: 636 296 4430
E-mail: midwest@midwest-mc.com
http://www.midwest-mc.com

Continued On Page 2

Continued From Page 3

MOTORCYCLE SAFETY TIPSFOR LABOR DAY WEEKEND RIDING– With 64 percent of motorcycle fatalities alcohol-related and 50 percent taking place at crowded intersections, both motorcyclists — and the auto drivers who can hit them — need to be particularly cautious during holidays.

So says Keith Code, the world’s top motorcycle instructor, who has trained more than 125,000 motorcyclists at his California Superbike School in 12 countries to date. His bestseller books are in five languages and recommended reading for all riders enrolling in Norway’s national motorcycle operator’s licensing program with applicants directed to visit his Website, www.superbikeschool.com

During holiday weekend riding Code recommends the following:Booze and bikes don’t mix.

Next to alcohol-related deaths, intersection collisions are still the major source of accidents, when a car makes a left in front of the motorcycle. A motorcyclist has to take safety precautions at an intersection other than eye contact. ”A driver may look right at you and not even see you,” Code said.

Let a car run interference for you at an intersection. If you have a choice,run off the rear right fender of the car in front of you. Other autodrivers are geared to look for cars, not motorcycles which have a muchsmaller profile to the eye.

Use your front brakes. They provide 90 percent of the stopping power. The tendency in a tight situation is to use your rear brakes only, but they are 20 percent as effective and can actually cause accidents from misuse. Stopping with your front brakes is much more reliable and effective.

Code says that riding defensively can make motorcyclists even more invisible.”That means you’re going to have to have 360-degree vision, and knoweverything that’s going on around you,” said Code, “Assume cars neversee bikes because ‘it’s not their job’.” He advocates aggressivemaneuvers–speeding up and slowing down, moving back and forthwithin a lane–to create visibility. “I don’t mean ride illegally, Imean use your advantage of maneuverability to put the bike whereyou want it and do it in a positive manner that lets drivers know youare there,” he said.

Code also cautions riders not to rely too heavily on wearing brightcolors–or installing loud muffler pipes. “There are too many thingsin the environment that compete with bright clothes, including brightlycolored cars,” he said. “But a rider with a brightly colored top andloud pipes who’s moving around in his lane, is going to improve hischances of recognition.”

2005 INDY BOOGIE–For those interested in attending the 25th annual “BOOGIE” ,next year, save the third week-end in July. Sponsered by ABATE of Indiana, it’s in Lawrence county, at the Lawrence County Recreation Center. Highway 37 south out of Indy, about 25 miles south of Bloomington. Follow the signs.

It’s well marked. Or follow the bikes. They’re all headed to the same place. You can find event listings, bands scheduled, and all pertinent information at their webb site. www.abateofindiana.orgSee you at the party!

The 1953 K Model

READER TECH QUESTION–I have been reading your web site for awhile and like it alot. I am sending this e-mail in hopes that you may be able to help me. If not, that’s cool too. I have a ’73 Sportster that I am building from the ground up for my wife. I would like to do away with the chain drive. My question is, do you know of any companies that build the parts for the belt drive conversion?

–Bobby Epling
bepling@eng.auburn.edu

LATEST CATALOG FROM COLONY– COLONY MACHINE is a distributor to the wholesale trade and its latest catalog features the continually expanding range of products.

The company’s main specialty is hardware and it has a selection of fasteners for Harley models from 1911 up to present day.Colony Machine can supply bulk hardware, or fasteners packaged as kits.

These have specific applications and contain all the necessary parts to secure individual parts, or sub-assemblies, to a particular model.

Many catalog items are offered in chrome-plated finish, including dress-up kits of fasteners for later models.

As well as regular hardware, the catalog lists a range of engine components as well as many small but essential parts such as mounting brackets.

COLONY MACHINE

Brunswick, Ohio, USA
Tel: 330 225 3410 (Toll Free 800 321 3412)
Fax: 330 225 9412
E-mail: info@colonymachine.com
www.colonymachine.com

IDAHO STATE VETERANS FUNERAL FOR SPC. BRANDON TITUS–More than 130 motorcycles roared onto the grounds at the new Idaho State Veterans Cemetery Monday afternoon for Spc. Brandon Titus’ funeral. Tom Titus, Brandon’s father, is active in Run for the Wall , a motorcycle ride to the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C.

About Idaho’s Veterans Cemetery
? Dedicated: July 31. Idaho was the last state in the nation to get a veterans’ cemetery.
? Where: North of West State Street, off North Horseshoe Bend Road. Take North Horseshoe Bend Road to Dry Creek Cemetery. The address is 10101 Horseshoe Bend Road.
? Size: 77 acres. The cemetery has room for close to 9,000 graves and cremation sites, including a place to scatter ashes.
? Officially opens: In October. An exception was made to allow Titus to be buried before the official opening.

–from Rogue

BIKERNET TECH RESEARCH ON OIL FILTERS– Pre Twin Cam big twins (EVO) and Sportsters can use the same oil filters. Dynas use that long filter, EVO’s only. The Dyna filters are good for Sportsters pre ’04 and “Tube” frame Buells for added capacity. Twin Cam filters have a finer filter meduim, Orange in color. Evo color is black.

Then we have the V-Rod, Buell (cast frame), and the Buell Blast. Buell firebolt and Blast use the same filter. V-Rod has it’s own filter also.

Oh yeah for the Chromosexuals. The plain black finish is better than chrome on an oil filter for what it’s worth.

— Pablo

See the Sportster Filter article in the Sportster Department for more info. Our research is on-going.–Wrench

INDIAN LARRY TRIBUTES–As a request from family, crew and friends, rather than flowers please make donations on his name to the following charities:

www.ASPCA.com and /or
National Council of Alcoholism
1675 White Horse-Mercerville road, suite J
Hamilton, NJ 08619
tel (609)689-0121

I talked to Paul, and he said Larry would be honored if I built a bike tribute to Larry.

–Jose

BIKERNET HISTORIC RESEARCH–A chicken and an egg are lying in bed.The chicken is leaning against the headboard, smoking a cigarettewith a satisfied smile on its face.

The egg, looking a little ticked off, grabs the sheetand rolls over and says,

“Well, I guess we finally answered THAT question!”

–from Skooter

THE STEALTH REPORT–This past week has been a tough one. I looked forward to going to the Liquid Steel Bike Show. The first time I got out since my back surgery, and I was really looking forward to being around people and the bikes.

On Thursday I received a phone call from my brother Gary back in Virginia telling me that we had lost a friend in an accident. His best friend Tim had lost control of his bike in a curve and went into the ditch and hit a drain pipe. This hit home hard. Our friend Tim was only 35 years old. I was not able to attend the funeral since I can’t travel long distances right now. Tim, I hope you are riding the highways in the sky right now.

I was still looking forward to the Liquid Steel Show. The “Meanest” arranged for a wheel chair and we planned on going Sunday. Saturday afternoon I got another call from my friend Phil, telling me that Indian Larry had an accident. At the time no one knew how serious the accident was or what his condition was. When we arrived at the show everyone was telling us what had happened and it was apparent that it was not good. Everyone at the show was concerned for Indian Larry and everyone was hoping and praying for the best.

All of the local TV channels had coverage of the accident on the news and it seems that each one would over emphasize how he was not wearing a helmet. That was his choice and his style. He would not have done it any other way and that is what the news people did not understand.

By now everyone knows it didn’t turn out as we all hoped. I had the pleasure of meeting Indian Larry this past spring at Daytona Bike Week. To me he was friendly and genuine, nothing fake. He was the real deal.

Because I love old school bikes, Indian Larry’s bikes were my favorite on all the bike build-offs. I am glad I told him that while in Daytona.

With the loss of Indian Larry we all lose. He was bigger than life. I think he lived life to the fullest and got the most out of his time. It reminds me of a saying I heard, “You plan your life like you are going to live forever, but you live your life like today is your last day!” Life is precious and fragile!

From everyone here in the Charlotte area, our thoughts and prayers are with Indian Larry’s family.

I don’t want to end on a down note so I would like to mention that I had the pleasure of meeting Deacon from the Choppers Only show in Hawaii. It was fun to eat lunch together and talk. I also got to talk to Crazy Horse for a few minutes. There were top name builders at the show and the bikes were cool.

In closing, a suggestion for the weekend. Everyone go for a ride as tribute to Indian Larry in honor of the way he lived. Think about it!

Until next week!
Later!
–Stealthman

BIKERNET DRUNK DRIVING TEST– A Pennsylvania State Trooper pulled a car over on I-81 about 2 milesnorth of the Pa/Md State line. When the Trooper asked the driver why he was speeding, the driver answered that he was a magician and a juggler andhe was on his way to Harrisburg to do a show that night at the ZemboShrine Circus and didn’t want to be late.

The Trooper told the driver juggling fascinated him, and if the driver would do a little juggling for him that he wouldn’t give him a ticket. The driver told the Trooper that he had sent all of his equipment onahead and didn’t have anything to juggle. The Trooper told him that he hadsome flares in the trunk of his patrol car and asked if he could jugglethem.

The juggler stated that he could, so the Trooper got three flares, litthem, and handed them to the juggler.

While the man was doing his juggling act, a car pulled in behind the patrol car, a drunk got out and watched the performance briefly, he then went over to the patrol car, opened the rear door, and got in. The Trooperobserved him doing this and went over to the patrol car, opened the door andasked the drunk what he thought he was doing.

The drunk replied, “You might as well take my ass to jail, causethere’s no way in hell I can pass that test.”

–from Skooter

BIKERNET DUNGEON INFO–The United States incarcerated 2,166,260 persons over the past twelve months. This total represents persons held in:

Federal and State Prisons 1,361,258
Territorial Prisons 16,206
Local Jails 665,475
INS Facilities 8,748
Military Facilities 2,377
Jails in Indian Country 1,912
Juvenile Facilities 110,284 Rogue

HOLLEY CARB CONNECTION–TERRY COMPONENTS– Web site is http://www.terrycomp.com/ Phone is Toll free 1-866-388-3779 and the shop is 1-605-642-5300

Darrell was talking about a Holley and I have never used one because somany people have had problems with them. Weber’s are another story. I have run them for years and have a bunchof info on them. Smitty at Spirat is good with them also.

Tell Darrell good luck.

–ROGUE

BIKERNET SPORTING NEWS–

The Englishman’s wife steps up to the tee and, as she bends over to place her ball, a gust of wind blows her skirt up and reveals her lack of underwear. “Good God, woman! Why aren’t you wearing any knickers?” her husband demanded.

“Well, you don’t give me enough housekeeping money to afford any.”

The Englishman immediately reaches into his pocket and says, “For the sake of decency, here’s $50. Go and buy yourself some underwear.”

Next, the Irishman’s wife bends over to set her ball on the tee. Her skirt also blows up to show that she is wearing no undies.

“Blessed Virgin Mary, woman! You’ve no knickers. Why not?”

She replies, “I can’t afford any on the money you give me.”

He reaches into his pocket and says, “For the sake of decency, here’s $20. Go and buy yourself some underwear!”

Lastly, the Scotsman’s wife bends over. The wind also takes her skirt over her head to reveal that she, too, is naked under it. “Sweet mudder of Jesus, Aggie! Where the frig are yer drawers?”

She too explains, “You dinna give me enough money ta be able ta affarrd any.”

The Scotsman reaches into his pocket and says, “Well, fer the love ‘o Jasus, ‘n the sake of decency, here’s a comb. Tidy yerself up a bit.”

–from Skooter

WOMEN RIDERS WEBSITE– My friend Petra in Carson City has what is probably the best website on the net for women and new female riders.Everything from how to keep your hair looking nice under a helmet, to how to pick a bike up.

http://www.vtwinmama.com

My wife is a ex-motorycle instructor in Sydney she has some advice for Layla.

–Jaqhama
jaqhama@yahoo.com

QUOTE OF THE RACECAR DAY:“Auto racing is boring except when a car is going atleast 172 miles per hour upside down.”

– Dave Barry

THAT’S IT–Life is nuts. We send our thoughts to Larry’s family. Then this crazy world continues to turn. Shortly we’ll have Sturgis Reports up, a Buell top end tech from Jett who sent the report on Sportster oil filters. And tomorrow we wake up to a wild Labor Day Weekend.

Be careful out there, will ya, goddamnit.

Ride Safe,

–Bandit

Who needs to see another goddamn Jack Pine tree. We experienced one of the quietest Sturgis nights ever this past August. Itmight have had something to do with the temperatures sinking down into thelow 40s setting a lowest temperature known since the late 1930s.

Theexact night was either Tuesday or Wednesday. Instead ofheading for the sack with the constant rumbling multitudes of twin exhausts reverberating in thethe chincy motel walls, there was only the occasional blast of a lone rider searching for thewarmth of a shared sleeping bag in some outlying campground or maybe aclose-by motel room and a hot shower to release the chill from his or her bones.

The entire week was one of cool temps over the Badlands, hot chicks and bitchin’ bikes. Addedto the overall experience was a new show touting the top 50 custom bikes inthe country, sponsored by Legend Air Suspension and held intheir parking lot down in Rapid City. The Journey Museum also housed a new exhibitcalled “Bob is Back” featuring Dave Mann art work and a plethora of bobberstyle bikes, the Journey Museum is also in Rapid City just east of theconvention center where H-D displayed their new line of ’05 bikes andaccessories.

We're not messing around now. You've read about the shows, downtown, Buffalo Chip bands, politics and a couple of ride stories, let's cut to the chase. Here's the best bike and babes I was fortunate enough to capture with this long-assed lense.

We ran across this trick shovel at the Top 50show at Legend Air Suspension’s facility, there are a ton of handmade partson this bike such as the truss mounted rear fender and modified pistonheadlight. Check out the VL I-beam front end, handmade footboards, controls,and the oil tank set into the top of the gas tank. The engine is sporting anearly style L-series S&S cab with a handmade velocity stack.

S&S Cycle from Viola, WI had founder George Smiths dual carbPanhead on display at the Journey Museum show. This is a true period bobberwith cut down fenders homemade foot peg mounts, buckhorn handlebars and ofcourse, some go fast goodies in the S&S motor. The most distinctive feature isthe dual DC Linkert carbs bolted to the modified heads. S&S was one of thefew companies that modified stock H-D heads for dual carbs. The story goesthat George Smith melted down broken fins from other heads to make weldingrod to weld up the stock intake ports and make new ports facing out the leftside of the bike.

This Indian Chief bobber was one of Steve McQueen’s bikes fromhis extensive collection of old motorcycles. This bike is a true era bobber,stripped of the huge fenders the bike takes on a racy look. The muffler hasbeen removed with the head pipe left open to announce the bikes arrival.

Ted Tine of Essex Motorsports, in CT, was buzzing around Sturgis onthis bright green metal flake Softail. All of the bodywork is metalconsisting of close fitting panels easily removable for service. More metalsculpting is seen on the rear fender with frenched turn signals, licenseplate and seat area.

From the Sucker Punch Sally shop, in Ohio, comes this tight littleShovel with high mount Sportster gas tank, Moon oil tank and two-into-oneexhaust system with “cocktail shaker” muffler. No front brake but dual rearcalipers provide enough stopping power. We shot these photos at the Metzlershow held in the parking lot of the Journey Museum.

I spotted this rigid frame Sportsterat the Metzler show, not inthe show but parked at the curb. The Ironhead engine fits the rigid frameperfectly. The round oil tank, abbreviated rear fender with the shorthandhold fender brace looks clean. An early aftermarket springer front endwith a spool front wheel and only the original drum rear brake probablymakes for an interesting ride. The seat appears to be a Bates mounted to theframe and the air cleaner looks handmade.

Out in front of the Journey Museum was a great line-up of bikes,Indian Larry’s Discovery Channel bike, Jeff Decker’s CFL, Big Chris fromNY’s new Panhead project and a couple of bikes from WCC.

Keino, out of Indian Larry’s shop, in Brooklyn, NY just got his newbike up and running. We really liked this Panhead with the single down tubeframe, midmount controls, high straight pipes and handmade gas tank. The oiltank is in the rear fender and the late model narrow glide front end adds tothe sleek lines.

Check out all the drilled holes for reducing weight, even thereinforcing rails welded to the front down tubes of the frame. We couldn’tfind out what size the engine was but it breathed through an S&S two throatcarb into a set of trick knuckleheads. Check out the hand shift and footclutch along with the adjustable height rear foot pegs.

Matt Hotch of Hot Match had his Biker Build Off winning bike ondisplay at the Top 50 show where it always had crowd huddled around it. Witha unique air suspension system front and rear, people were on their handsand knees looking for air under the frame.

Talk about a long bike, we spotted this guy riding around theLegends show toward the end of the day. The bike is a big twin with every goddamn thing handmade The frame is a mono-shock set-up with the shockmounted down and behind the solo seat. The bike sports a right hand drivetransmission and a decent size nitrous bottle just forward of the rearwheel.

This evo rigid looks as if it rolled out of the late60s or early 70s. The gold plating hidden fender supports, sissy bar andreverse paint job elements are wild. The give away that this bike was newlyconstructed is the right side drive transmission, 3-inch belt drive and whatappears to be 80-spoke wheels. No matter when it was built, it is still asharp bike.

We caught this Sporty cruising down Lazelle Street. The springerfront end with what looks like an early K model front hub, fits therigid framed Ironhead, so does the coffin tank and the long rear fender. Thebattery sits on the side of the frame behind the primary with a big twin oiltank mounted beneath the seat.

There is something about this Shovel that made our eyes follow ittill it was out of sight, it may have had something to with the blonderiding pillion. A stock 4-speed frame with a cone motor shovel, loweredfront and rear suspension and a nice mix of new custom parts such as theside mount plate holder, mirrors and tapered turn signals on the rear fenderstruts. The triple trees are billet, the tanks have been extended and thefenders are custom.

Just a couple of guys having fun on Main Street in Sturgis. TheEvo Softail closest to you is a nice clean road-bike in basic black with anice mix of custom and performance parts. The Thunderheader and S&S aircleaner lends one to believe it moves out smartly, while the 80-spokewheels, custom fenders, extended tanks, t-bars, and headlight enhance thecosmetic image. The red bike in the back of the photo appears to be a custombuilt unit with a big inch S&S motor and inverted front.

There were plenty of good-looking Indians in town, this is butone. The ape hangers look comfortable, and the black paint with flames andupswept fishtail exhaust were right at home in Sturgis.

That's all you're gonna get outta me this year. The finest bikes I could find from Wyoming to Rapid City. That's my job, and I can't wait to do it again.

–Frank Kaisler

Continued From Page 3

SUMMER ISSUE OF ENTHUSIAST IN HOMES–The Summer 2004 Enthusiast landed in readers? mailboxes this week announcing the new 2005 Harley-Davidson and Buell models.

Also included in this issue is a special ?Enthusiasts? article on two Vietnam veterans who found each other years after the war ended and are now friends and riding companions. Regular departments include the editor?s column, new Genuine Harley-Davidson Motor Accessories and MotorClothes items, Harley-Davidson news, letters from readers and photos of Harley People.

HARLEY-DAVIDSONS SEIZED AT POLICE CHECKPOINTS–A carefree cruise to a Harley-Davidson Rendezvous in Duanesburg turned into a nightmare journey for two Delaware County men after the state Department of Motor Vehicles Auto Theft Unit seized their motorcycles.

Jim Healey, 35, of Walton and Dave Bailey, 35, of Hamden were about a mile from the Rendezvous on June 25 when they passed through a state police vehicle checkpoint.

They were pulled over and told that their motorcycles might be stolen because the vehicle identification numbers had been altered.Their motorcycles were loaded onto a flatbed truck, Healey said, and they were left standing on the side of the road.

After more than six weeks with no word about the status of the investigation or when the motorcycles would be returned, the men hired lawyer Terence O’Leary of Walton to help them reclaim their property.”We just thought they were checking registrations and inspections, so we were surprised when they motioned us over,” Healey said.

Healey said the men were told to scrape paint off the frames of their bikes to make the vehicle identification number tags more visible.Healey, who has owned his 1971 Harley-Davidson Sportster for four years, said an officer compared the numbers on his VIN tag with a template.

“He said my numbers appeared to be altered because they didn’t fit the profile on the sample he had,” Healey said. “My numbers matched my registration and the numbers on the frame matched the numbers on the engine, but they seized the bike anyway.”

“This motorcycle is my American dream,” Bailey said. “It’s the first one I ever had, and I planned on keeping it to pass on to my children.”

“We wouldn’t be fighting this if we had done anything wrong,” Healey added. “How can New York state just snatch your stuff?”

Investigator Ken Theobald, of the state police Auto Theft Unit, said Tuesday that if the motorcycles have not been returned at this point, they probably wouldn’t be.

“We take great pains to ensure that we are not seizing bikes without cause,” Theobald said. “If there wasn?t a good reason for the seizure, they would have had their motorcycles back by now.”

“Antique-car collectors, street-rod builders and anybody else who has ever changed a transmission or an engine is in danger of having their vehicle seized,” Bailey said.

Christine Burling, DMV public relations spokeswoman, said Tuesday that if the motorcycles are found to be stolen or unidentifiable, the owners in most cases can’t get the motorcycles back. The vehicles are sent to a state police impound where they are issued a replacement VIN and are auctioned off.

Inv. Antoine Rainville of the state DMV Division of Field Investigations Auto Theft Unit signed the vehicle impound receipts for the motorcycles. Rainville gave each of the men a business card with his phone number on it, but Bailey said repeated messages left on Rainville’s answering machine have not been returned.

–from TBear

SCREAMIN’ EAGLE DRAG TEAM MAINTAINS MOMENTUM IN MEMPHIS–Hines is Top Pro Stock Bike Qualifier and Pads His Season Points Lead. MILLINGTON, Tenn. (Aug. 22, 2004) ? The Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines drag racing team increased its points lead in the Pro Stock Bike season championship at the 17th Annual O’Reilly Mid-South NHRA Nationals where riders Andrew Hines and GT Tonglet each advanced in elimination rounds. Hines rode his Screamin? Eagle V-Rod to the top qualifying spot for the seventh time this season and advanced to the semi-final elimination round for the fourth consecutive NHRA event.

Hines was quick from the start at Memphis, posting a run of 7.132 seconds at 188.17 mph in his first qualifying run on Friday, an ET and top speed that were not topped throughout the weekend. Tonglet qualified eighth with a pass at 7.226/184.09.

?That 7.13 was the best pass we’ve made since the 40 pounds was added to our V-Rods,? said Hines. ?It’s a totally different bike than before, but we’re figuring it out.?

Both riders advanced easily through the first elimination round on Sunday. Tonglet (7.249/182.85) beat Chip Hunter (7.373/182.85), while Hines (7.213/184.55) dispatched Lloyd Straus (7.335/183.16).

The two Screamin? Eagle riders faced each other in round two. It was the third time Hines and Tonglet have raced head to head in eliminations, with each scoring a prior win. Tonglet (7.465/160.44) got a better start, but Hines (7.319/183.07) passed him at the 60-foot mark to take the win and advance to the semi-final.

In the semi-final round, Hines faced Matt Smith. Both riders played the late staging game, but Hines ended up with a very late start, posting a 0.238-second reaction time versus 0.028 for Smith. Hines then shut down his Screamin? Eagle V-Rod mid-run, for a 10.052/85.36 time to 7.290/179.92 for Smith.In the final round, Smith jumped the start by 0.010-second to hand the event win to Antron Brown.

The win moved Brown into second place in the Pro Stock Bike points race, but Hines actually gained ground on his rivals at Memphis. After 11 of 15 rounds, Hines leads with 964 points?196 points ahead of Brown who?s in second place with 768 points. Angelle Savoie drops back to third place with 765 points; Shawn Gann is fourth with 746 points; Craig Treble is fifth with 736 points; and Tonglet is sixth with 640 points.

?We have a championship to win and it’s all about going rounds at this point,? said Hines. ?We know what we need to do, I feel confident in my riding, and the Screamin? Eagle/Vance & Hines team is working really hard.?

?The Screamin? Eagle team is getting back in its groove, having adjusted to the mid-season rules change,? said Harley-Davidson Racing Manager Anne Paluso. ?We have both riders in the top-ten in points and the team is racing with a lot of confidence right now as we roll into the Indy Nationals.?

The next Pro Stock Bike event on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series is the 50th AnnualMatco Tools NHRA U.S.Nationals, Sept. 1-6, at Indianapolis Raceway Park in Indianapolis, Ind.

The Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines Pro Stock Bike team is sponsored by Dunlop, Ford Quality Checked Certified Pre-Owned, Matco Tools and S100.

DOHERTY UPDATES SPACER KIT FOR ? AND 1-INCH APPLICATIONS– This new MASTER BUILDER WHEEL SPACER kit just introduced by Doherty Machine provides all the convenience of their original kit plus additional sizes for popular applications. Doherty?s updated kit includes a total of 54 spacers ranging in size from ? wide to 3-inch wide. Each kit includes all sizes in both ? and 1-inch I.D. That?s a total of 27 spacers in each axle size! Machined from T-6 billet aluminum bar stock, Doherty spacers are polished to a high luster finish. For easy identification individual sizes are labeled on separate compartments. A must for professional and novice builders alike,

Doherty?s MASTER BUILDER WHEEL SPACER KITS can be ordered direct from Doherty by calling 800-956-9409.

Catch Doherty on the Web at www.DohertyMachine.com

2004 STURGIS CRIME WAS DOWN SINCE I DIDN’T ATTEND–The South Dakota Highway Patrol is reporting less crime at the 64thAnnual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, compared to previous ones. Here areThe numbers:

Troopers say they were called to four fatal rally-related accidents.A total of nine have been associated with the biker event. ThereWere 107 traffic accidents, eighty of those involving injuries. Asfar as drug offenses go, the Highway Patrol reports 238. Nearly 300Drivers were arrested for drunk driving. There were seven confirmedStolen motorcycles, and a average of 200,000 people a day hit theRally.

These numbers are only from the Highway Patrol.

–Rogue

NEW BIKERNET BABY–With all the new technology regarding fertility, a 65 year-old woman was able to give birth to a baby recently. When she was discharged from the hospital and went home, her relatives came to visit.

“May we see the new baby?” one asked.

“Not yet,” said the mother. “I’ll make coffee and we can visit for a while first.”

Thirty minutes had passed, and another relative asked, “May we see the new baby now?”

“No, not yet,” answered the mother.

After another few minutes had elapsed, they asked again, “May we see the baby now?”

“No, not yet,” replied the mother.

Growing very impatient, they asked, “Well, when CAN we see the baby?”

“WHEN IT CRIES!” she told them.”When it cries,” they demanded? “Why do we have to wait until it CRIES?”

“Because, I forgot where I put it…”

–from A. Friedman

TOP FUEL STREET DRIVE BY BDL– THE new Top Fuel Street Drive belt system from BDL features a massive3-3/8 ins wide drive belt.The belt is part of a bolt-on package, containing all the parts necessary for the conversion.

The kit allows the installer to replace the chain on Dyna and Softail models from 1990-up, including those with Twin Cam engines.

The belt is a 14mm x 85mm item, to the same specification used by Top Fuel drag race bikes for its essential qualities of strength, durability and reliability.

BDL also supplies the 6-3/8 ins Kevlar clutch and its system specific pressure plate.The clutch unit uses nine friction plates, 11 steel plates and nine springs, which fit a 7075 anodized billet aluminum hub.

The system is said to be capable of handling the output from any size engine on the market.

BDL offers two kits, TF-1000 includes an integrated side guard; TF-2000 has a reversible outboard bearing support.

BELT DRIVES LTD
Orange, California, USA
Tel: 714 685 3333
Fax: 714 685 3339
E-mail: bdlusa@aol.com
www.beltdrives.com

BIKERNET QUOTE OF THE DAY–“In general, the art of government consists in taking as much money as possible from one party of citizens to give to the other.”

~ Voltaire

–from Rogue
http://www.bikerrogue.com

BIKERNET GRAMMAR LESSON– What gender is it? If you’re like most people, common everyday items look neutral to you. But what you may not know is that many of them have a gender.For example……..

1) Ziploc Bags — Male, because they hold everything in but you can see right through them.

2) Copier — Female, because once turned off, it takes a while to warm up. It’san effective reproductive device if the right buttons are pushed, but can wreckhavoc if the wrong buttons are pushed.

3) Tire — Male, because it goes bald and often it’s over inflated.

4) Hot Air Balloon — Male, because to get it to go anywhere you have to light afire under it, and of course, there’s the hot air part.

5) Sponges — Female, because they’re soft and squeezable and retain water.

6) Web Page — Female, because it’s always getting hit on.

7) Subway — Male, because it uses the same old lines to pick people up.

8) Hourglass — Female, because over time, the weight shifts to the bottom.

9) Hammer — Male, because it hasn’t evolved much over the last 5,000 years, but it’s handy to have around.

10) Remote Control — Female…… Ha! You thought it’d be male. But consider this — it gives a man pleasure, he’d be lost without it, and while he doesn’t always know the right buttons to push, he keeps trying.

–from Skooter

IT’S A WRAP–Ah, but there’s so much more exploding from the new Bikernet Headquarters. Another philosophical treat from Tim Conder is waiting his fine illustration. Coverage of the 2004 Boogie will happen tonight along with another Lucky Devil springer front fender tech. Might try this on my chopper. The Best of Show winner from the Choppers Only show is being written as soon as we have builder confirmation. Sturgis reports from Jose, Rogue, Harley-Davidson and Frank Kaisler will hit Bikernet next week. We’ll also post another 2004 Sportster tech and goddamnit, finish up the Goliath.

That’s not all. Two more hot articles will see the launch pad. A report from Rogue on Accurate Engineering engine building capabilities is in the works as well as a motorcycle safety article on squirrels and city riding(?).

That’s it, except to tell ya that Layla and I ride daily to insure she has enough experience by next week for a group American Rider test. We’ve invited four short or small riders to roadtest the four Harley models designed specifically for more dimunitive riders with low centers of gravity and short front ends. We’ll report on the excercise in the near future.

Okay, that’s enough. Kick back, then fire up that beast and cut a dusty trail. She awaits.

–Bandit

Continued From Page 2

BILL AMICK LEAVES AMA– THE AMA’s Vice-President of Events and Entertainment has resigned after 30 years of service to the Association.Before his final appointment, Bill had held various positions within the AMA.He was Editor of American Motorcyclist magazine and had been department head of AMA Pro Racing and AMA Communications.In his resignation letter, accepted by AMA President Robert Rasor, Bill explained that he wished to take time off to recuperate from successful surgery.In the future, he hoped to open a business specializing in communications, media relations and event management.

He pledged his continued support of the AMA and remains the delegate to the Moto-Cross Commission of the Federation Internationale Motocycliste (FIM), at least until the FIM’s Centenary Congress to be held in October, 2004.

The American Motorcyclist Association was formed in 1924 and its published aims are to pursue, protect and promote the interests of motorcyclists.It represents more than 265,000 members.

AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST ASSOCIATION
Pickerington, Ohio, USA
Tel: 614 856 1900
Fax: 614 856 1921
E-mail: ama@ama-cycle.org
http://www.amadirectlink.com

EUROPEAN CYCLE NEWS INCLUDING DIGITAL TIRE PRESSURE GAUGE–Hey, what are they coming up with next: everybody needs a digital tirepressure gauge that’s inside the tire, around the tube. This way you can know exactly the heat and pressure in your tires upon the push of a button. Except I’m not going to push any button to refill my tires while going 100mph!!!! And the gizmo only costs $250!! A bargain!

–Chris Reichardt

YOUR SHOT DYNA– Thanks posting my “Shot”. Attached are pictures of my DynaThe first picture – is what my bone stock dyna looked like when I brought it home last November.The remaining pictures show what it looks like with the pinstriping and the other things I’ve added so far.

Though I’m no mechanic by any means. Anything that’s been done to the bike (besides the pinstriping), I’ve donemyself.

Things I’m thinking about doing over the winter are adding different handlebars, taking off the frontend and havethe sliders powdercoated black, and have some mods done to the engine (undecided on exactly what kind of mods though).

— Dynarider —

DAKOTA SIGNS–Just got back from Sturgis last week. While riding up hwy 16 through Custer last Monday, we noticed a building on top of this hill with a sign that said “Motorcycle Graphics”. My buddy and I whipped a U-turn and decided to check the place out. As soon as we pull in, we’re very warmly greeted by the owners – Terry & Francey Howard. For the past SIX months, I’ve been thinking about getting red flames pinstriped on my tank and fenders.

After shooting the breeze with Terry & Francey for a bit and checking out some of Terry’s work, I thought now is a better time than ever. While Terry was working on my bike, I enjoyed checking out Francey’s Indian she just recently acquired and is working on. I bull shitted with Terry, the whole time, which was really cool.

They also have a pool table in their garage to keep you busy while you wait for your bike. About an hour later, it was done, and the job Terry did was awesome.

Let me tell you, both Terry and Francey are stand up people and if you ever pass by the place while making your way through Custer one day, stop in and say hello. They’re very cool people and they don’t care if you do business with them or not, they just like meeting and talking with bikers that are passing through.

The link to their website is:http://www.dakotasign.com

Dynarider
Minneapolis MN

NATIONAL BIKERS ROUNDUP A SUCCESS IN WISCONSIN– For the eighth straight year, Harley-Davidson Motor Company participated in the National Biker Roundup. This year?s Roundup was held August 2 through 8 in the Motor Company?s backyard of West Bend, Wis.

During the seven-day event, 700 Harley Owners Group members attended the rally. The Motor Company offered demo rides from Wednesday through Saturday of the Roundup. Nearly 1,500 demo rides were given with 400 rides on Touring bikes alone.

Once again this year, Friday night at the Roundup was considered to be Harley night. Harley-Davidson sponsored live entertainment and put on a fashion show hosted by Vice President of General Merchandise, Ruth Crowley. Event attendees modeled the newest Harley-Davidson MotorClothes fashions before a crowd of enthusiasts.

For the sixth year in a row, Harley-Davidson teamed up with motorcycle club God?s Wheels to collect food and money for the Hunger Task Force. Harley-Davidson pledged to match food donations with 33 cents per pound of donated food. Overall, Harley-Davidson donated $5,000 to the Hunger Task Force at this year?s event.

BUTT CRACK SEATS– These extremely cool seats recently introduced by PRO-ONE are the perfect compliment for today?s solo cruisers and hot rod scooters. Available in three distinct styles BUTT CRACK SEATS feature a rugged fiberglass pan and extremely durable, high quality leather.

Styles include the Two-Tone Stitched Leather, Stitched and Smooth Leather. Each seat mounts easily and securely to your frame with Velcro making installation and removal a snap. If you?re looking for the ultimate in clean lines, molded comfort/support and uncompromised quality, BUTT CRACK SEATS offer it all.

Pricing starts at $299.00 for the Smooth style and they are all available from Pro-One and Pro-One dealers worldwide. For additional details call 800-884-4173 or visit WWW.PRO-ONE.COM

ON THE RECORD FROM HOOKER HEADERS–I was very impressed with your gorilla marketing on this project. Bikernet helped us complete our survey in one week. The same survey we had on competive magazine sites for three weeks with little response. Bikernet rules! Thanks!

Bill Tichenor
Marketing Manager
Hooker Headers

I would like to thank all the bikernet readers, over 700 that responded to the Hooker Survey. I’ll try to find out if a Bikernet Reader won the exhaust system.

SUCKERPUNCH WINS CHOPPERS ONLY– Donny from Don’s Custom Cycle here. Just wanted to let you know and check out my new second company. I’ve partnered with an old friend Jeff Cochran of Sinwear apparel. Please check it out and let me know what you think. I was on your site and read you were in Hawaii for the choppers only show. One of our bikes we sold and shipped over there supposedly won best of show. The burnt orange candy oldschooler with the cream scallops. Well, check the site out and let me know what you think!

http://www.suckerpunchsallys.com

–Don’s Custom Cycle
Suckerpunch Old School Choppers and Hotrods

THE BIKER AND THE SPARROW–A biker is riding along a country lane, when a sparrow flies up in front of him. The biker can’t do anything and hits the sparrow. As he looks in his rear view mirror, he sees the sparrow lying in the road. Being the kind of guy he is, he stops, picks up the sparrow and takes it home and puts it in a cage, still in a coma.

When the sparrow wakes up the following morning, he looks through the bars of the cage and says, “Shit, I must have killed the biker”.

–from Katmandu

STEALTH REPORT FROM NORTH CAROLINA–It has been a couple of weeks since I have sent anything in. As most of you know I had back surgery a couple of weeks ago to remove a tumor from the base of my spinal cord. Everything checked out good and now it is just a matter of time before I am back in the wind.

Speaking of riding and being in the wind this is the first time in 28 years that I have been unable to ride. I have never taken my ability to ride for granted and have always been thankful to be able to ride but when something like this stops you from riding you learn real quick to appreciate being able to ride even more. I have missed the wind in my face and the sound of pipes bouncing off pavement. More than all of this, I have missed being around the people who ride.

think. I have been catching up on my reading, The Horse, American Iron and of course Bikernet. Thanks Bandit for mentioning the Run For Breath in your American Iron feature. I have also dreamed up a couple of bike projects for the future. We will see how that goes?

I also have a lot of projects planned for the “STEALTH” reports in the near future. I just have to get my release from the doctor. I have reports planned on a local powder coat business, one on Ben’s V-Twins, an aftermarket and custom bike shop here in Charlotte.

This weekend the First Annual Liquid Steel Tour comes to the Cabarrus Arena. The show features some of the top names in bike building such as Billy Lane, Kendall Johnson, Indian Larry and Dave Perewitz to name just a few. The show is from Friday through Sunday (8-27 – -8-29). Hopefully I will get to attend, depending on my back.

Last, I would like to thank everyone for all their well wishes through Bikernet and all the phone calls. Thanks to the “Meanest” for all she’s done and for filling in for me over the last couple of weeks. You did a great job!

Well it is time to go take some pain killers!Until next week, go for a ride for me!

Later!
–STEALTHMAN

P.S. This is Meanest. I just read this week’s Stealth report. New projects??? What new projects??? I don’t remember approving any new projects! I think Stealthman has had too many drugs!

Continued On Page 4

Continued From Page 1

SCREAMIN? EAGLE RIDER RICH KING INJURED AT PEORIA GRAND NATIONAL–Shoulder Injury Forces King to Pull Out of Main Event after Qualifying. PEORIA, Ill. (Aug. 22, 2004) ? Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts rider Rich King withdrew from the Peoria TT main event due to a suspected dislocated shoulder. King suffered the injury during a heat race at Peoria Speedway Park?site of round 11 of the AMA Progressive Insurance Flat Track Championship.

King was racing with Bartels? Harley-Davidson rider Shaun Russell for third position on the final lap of the heat race when his bike caught a rut in turn two, sending King off the high side. Despite having both legs on the right side of the motorcycle, King put out an extraordinary effort and managed to stay with his bike, finishing fourth in the heat. However, the effort left King with a suspected dislocated shoulder. A determined King later scored a tough win in his semi-final heat after a long battle with Eaken Racing rider Dan Gedeon, but he decided not to start the 25-lap main due to the pain and weakness in his shoulder.

?Rich King really toughed it out for the Screamin? Eagle team and all the Harley-Davidson fans here today,? said Harley-Davidson Racing Manager Anne Paluso. ?He was in a lot of pain, but went out there and put our bike in the main on a very demanding racetrack. Rich decided that attempting to race in the 25-lap main event would be risky. We?ll have to see how he feels later this week before deciding if he can race at Sedalia.?

The main was won by 20-year-old Henry Wiles, who led from the pole on a Mack Daddy Racing Honda. It was the first AMA Grand National victory of his career. Coziahr Harley-Davidson/National Cycle rider Johnny Murphree was second, followed by KTM USA/Jones Powersports/Mid-America Harley-Davidson rider Joe Kopp.

With his podium finish at Peoria, Kopp inched up on the season points leader, Quality Checked Pre-Owned Ford/Lancaster Harley-Davidson rider Chris Carr, who finished fifth. After 11 of 18 races on the AMA Progressive Insurance Flat Track Championship schedule, Carr has 198 points and a 23-point lead over Kopp. KTM USA/Jones Powersports/Mid-America Harley-Davidson rider Ken Coolbeth, who was 12th at Peoria, is third with 146 points.

The next stop on the AMA Progressive Insurance Flat Track Championship series is August 28 at State Fair Speedway in Sedalia, Mo.

The Screamin’ Eagle Flat Track team is sponsored by Matco Tools.

BIKERNET CARIBBEAN REPORT–You got to be in a coma if you don’t know the Olympic games are taking place. It?s amazing and cool that all these people are able to show up and represent their respective countries in any sport of their liking, I mean, sure it’s not an easy road, but I bet one of the proudest moments in anyone?s life is being there at the podium and listening to your countries anthem. That might be one of the things that I would have loved to experience and never had. Fuck it, even if it was the last place, at least be able to enjoy the whole games by being an athlete. It?s also impressive the amount of commitment seen in these people. no titties though, but more legs and tummies than a plastic surgeon convention in Southern California. It?s also a weird way of the world to equalize things, and don’t start giving me un-american bull. It?s amazing how an unknown athlete can compete and win against the most powerful nations of the world. A big tablespoon of humility to many. Got to love it.

More so, just imagine that all the brotherhood and apparent friendship between athletes could resolve worldwide problems, “So you got oil and weapons, if we kick your ass at the Olympics you get rid of them”. It?s utopic, but it would be cool.

Just imagine yourself running the 200 meters and having a whole country rooting for you. That would be a flattening and amazing moment, then taking all your efforts away because you did not piss enough for a doping test. Such is life in the new world. Sure there’s a bunch of really gay sports, and some chicks that look like guys, but in the whole is a pretty cool gig. More amazing so is how those tiny, tight shorts and micro panties stay in place, no private parts showing, gotta give the chicks credit.

So what does this has to do with bikes, choppers or bobbers? Not a damn thing, but then again, I love been able to say what I want to say, and this is my space so I share all this shit with you guys, which happen to be a few million, all over the world.If any chick athletes are reading this, we want some cleavage, I know flat is fast, but who cares, better to look good than to win.

As you might know, I just got back from the Black Hills and the report is already submitted to the powers to be. It was a really good time and I’m still doing different articles for different publications, so there will be things in other media that is not here and vice versa.

As I have said before, it still amazes me how many people read this, week after week. It?s hard to imagine when the numbers are so high, but every time someone tells me that he reads Bikernet it still amazes me. I know sometimes I say some things that not everybody likes, and sometimes I lay the hammer pretty hard, but then again, if I have to watch my words, I?d rather not do this at all.

Speaking of all this, there’s a lot of new and interesting things happening, more builds, more interest, more magazines noticing what we do, which is cool as long as it helps pay the rent and I’m able to build what I want. But the satisfaction is that I have worked hard for what I have, no brown nosing, no ass kissing, no paying.More so are the friends. Friends from all over the chopper world, people that as some other have said like and respect us for what we do and who we are. That is cool, super cool, even the envious fucks and the hate e-mailers, it’s because you are doing something and people are paying attention, liking it or not.

I’ll use as an example the latest gig at the Journey Museum. There were way better known builders there, and I was amongst them. Not that I see them as celebrities, I see them as good friends. Even guys that I have not met or heard of before had some very cool bobbers there and we all had a good time and had nothing but good things to say about all the bikes there, well, almost all. Anyway, all in all it’s just about being normal and having fun. Michael Lichter and I had a conversation about fame and becoming a celebrity. I guess you have to be in their shoes to actually know how you will behave, then again, I believe I would be the same, and I get to build what I please, and we all know what that is, Old School baby!

Does Bandit sees himself as the most successful magazine editor ever, or Michael Lichter as the best industry photographer of our era? I don’t think so, still they are. Does Jon Towle knows he’s the best cartoonist and sickest fuck I’ve ever known, no to one yes to the other, I don’t know if you catch my drift, but humble, hard working people, will always be so, no matter how good OTHERS consider them. When you have your golden break and you stand on that podium getting that gold around the neck and your countries national anthem, just thank whatever God you believe in and enjoy the moment. It may never happen again. Enjoy it twice if you happen to be the underdog.

With this I’ll leave you ’till next week

Jose, Bikernet in da’ Caribbean mon, reporter

“THE EVOLUTION OF MOTOCROSS”–A Fascinating Video Historyof the Sport of Motocross.Produced by Gary Semics, former Supercross champion with 14 years experienceas a pro racer. Semics has personally trained many of the world’s winningest riders.

“I began racing in 1968, when I was 14 years old. I raced for a living as aprofessional for 14 years,” says Semics.

“In 1985, I began my Motocross School. In the years since, I’ve trained thousands of students, but the one you’ve probably heard the most about is Jeremy McGrath. I had been Jeremy’s personal trainer for most of his career,” says Semics.

“I have trained and coached many other top pro MX racers, including Brock Sellards, Steve Lamson, Ezra Lusk, Kevin Windham, Stephane Roncada, Ernesto Fonseca, John Dowd, Brian Swink, Mike Brown, Kyle Lewis, Jerry Dostal, Branden Jesseman and FredAndrews. It became my goal to train MX riders around the world. In order to reachall the MX enthusiasts, I produced the “Gary Semics Motocross Techniques” VideoSeries,” says Semics. The series presently includes 8 techniques videos and onehistoric video called “The Evolution of Motocross.”

48 years of motocross are covered in this video. We see the legends of motocross in their prime as they form what has become today’s motocross industry. Video footage begins with European racing in 1948 and covers the history of MX all the way to scenes of Jeremy McGrath on his private practice track in 1995.

Better have a big bowl of popcorn for this video!95 minutes (available in VHS only) $39.95

For more information visit www.mxraceschool.com or call 800-500-3938.

BIKERNET FISHING ADVICE–A Biker was stopped by a DNR Game Warden in Wisconsin as he was returningto his campsite with a bucket full of still-alive fish.

“Do you have a license to catch those fish?”, the game warden asked.

“No sir, don’t need one. These are my pet fish”, the Biker replied.

“Pet fish?”, the warden asked.

“Yes, sir. Every night I take these fish down to the lake where I’m campedand let them swim around for awhile. When they hear my whistle, they jumpright back into the bucket and I take them back to the camp.”

“That’s a bunch of crap”, the game warden said, as he reached for his pad ofcitations.

The Biker looked at the game warden for a moment and then said, “If you don’tbelieve me, then follow me back to the lake to see how it works.”

Still suspicious but curious, the game warden agreed. So they walked to thelake. There, the Biker poured the fish into the lake, where they disappearedinto the water.

“Okay”, said the game warden, “Call them back”.

“Call who back?”, the Biker answered.

“The fish”, replied the warden.

“What fish?”, asked the Biker.

–Bob T

Click Here To Enter!

BIKERNET FREE CONTEST WINNERS–Yes, I?m a few weeks behind, so I picked more than one winner. These guys came up with some pretty good suggestions. Let us know what you think.

TOM SAWYER – CLEVES, OHIO 45002 – USA
Suggestion: HI GUYS, GREAT WORK! ONE SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO HAVE A READER BIKE BUILD OFF. DIFFERENT READERS FROM YOUR SITE CAN POST UPDATES AND PICTURES OF THE PROGRESS THEIR BIKES ARE TAKING IN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF ALOTTED TIME.
Wanted: 1)-BAKER 6 SPEED TRANS FOR SHOVELHEAD 2)-JIMS SHOVELHEAD POWERGLIDE TAPPET KIT. 3)-JIMS OIL PUMP KIT FOR SHOVELHEADS

I don?t know about you guys, but I think he?s got something here. We look forward to comments, suggestions and participants to Tom?s idea.

ARNOLD SCHWARTZ – DENHAM SPRINGS, LOUISIANA 70726 – THE GREAT USA
Suggestion: JUST KEEP ON DOING WHAT YOU’RE DOING. YOU REALLY MAKE ALL THE PRINT RAGS SUCK BAD.
Wanted: A BANDIT’S CANTINA T-SHIRT OR A BIKERNET T-SHIRT

Hey Arnold, if you read this send me an email with the size t-shirt you wear. sinwu@bikernet.com

JOSEPH MAZZA JR – GARFIELD, NJ 07026 – USA
Suggestion: GET SOME STUFF FOR NEW BUILDERS ON THE SITE. I JUST FINISHED BUILDING MY FIRST BIKE FROM THE GROUND UP. ALWAYS WRENCHED MY BIKES AND HAVE REBUILT A FEW BASKETS IN MY DAY. BUT I KILLED MY WIFE AND USED THE INS MONEY TO BUY FRAME, MOTOR AND TRANNY.
Wanted: TO FUCK CINDY CRAWFORD. STOP THE BURING WHEN I PEE. AND MAYBE A NEW TEE SHIRT (BLACK OF COURSE),,,,,,,,

I hope this guys kidding?

AND THE CANTINA WINNERS–

Mike “Moon” Mullen FPO, AP 96310 – USA
Wanted: Medium Bikernet T

Tim Oster – San Diego, Ca 92117 – usa
Wanted: an invite to the next Bikernet party!

Hey Tim, the phone # is on the home page. Give us a call if you?re gonna be down this way for Love Ride weekend.

That?s it till next week– Sin

THE TEACHER–The 6th grade science teacher, Mrs. Parks, asked her class,”Which human body part increases to 10 times its size when stimulated?”No one answered until little Mary stood up angrily and said, “You shouldnot be asking 6th graders a question like that! I’m going to tell myparents, and they will go and tell the principal, who will then fire you!”

With a sneer on her face, she then sat back down.Mrs. Parks ignored her and asked the question again, “Which body partincreases to 10 times its size when stimulated?”

Little Mary’s mouth fell open, then she said to those around her,”Boy, is she going to get in big trouble!”

The teacher continued to ignore her and said to the class,”Anybody?”

Finally, Billy stood up. Looked around nervously, he said, “The body partthat increases 10 times its size when stimulated is the pupil of theeye.”

Mrs. Parks said, “Very good, Billy,” then turned to Mary and continued,”As for you young lady, I have three things to say.One, you have a dirty mind.Two, you didn’t read your homework andThree, one day you are going to be very, very disappointed.”

–from Ken Miller

Continued On Page 3

Hey, yesterday we worked accessorizing the rubbermounted 2004 Sportster for American Rider while throwing old parts in a box for Busters project bike. Buster is a young rider, who has a 2000 Sporty, but he’s chompin’ at the bit to build a chopper.

Irish Rich turned him onto a terrific deal on an old, but sturdy, Paughco rigid, which arrived yesterday, and he couldn’t wait for me to see and bless it. This kid works for the school district, helping with severely handicapped kids. He has two of his own and another one on the way. His wife also works, but they are obviously struggling.

After looking at the frame, I dug into my old boxes of parts and started throwing fenders, rear wheel, kickstands, pedals and shit together for his effort. Buster helps us out around the shop trying to learn and absorb any chopper shit he can. It’s that gleam in his eye as he looks at the sleek lines of that old school Paughco chopper frame that tells me he’s in it for the long run. You’ll see it come together on Bikernet. Strictly a home-built, basket case effort.

We have several features headed your way, but I’ll hold off and start the news:

VIETNAM MEMORIAL PLAQUE DEDICATED WITH THE HELP OF HARLEY-DAVIDSON–In May of 2001, Harley-Davidson Motor Company first announced plans to contribute $50,000 toward the funding of the memorial plaque at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. Three years later, the In Memory Memorial Plaque was officially unveiled in a ceremony on July 8, 2004.

The ceremony was open to the public and was attended by veterans and loved ones of veterans who have perished since the end of the Vietnam War. Remarks were made by project organizers, members of Congress, as well as Harley-Davidson Director of Government Affairs, Wayne Curtin who honored the sacrifices of the veterans on behalf of Motor Company employees, dealers and customers.

The In Memory Memorial Plaque is dedicated to those Vietnam Veterans who died after serving in the war, but whose death was a result of their service in the conflict. Many veterans died after the war from being exposed to toxins during services or from complications of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. These individuals are not listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, but are now memorialized through this plaque.

BIKERNET 13 FILE–1. Now that food has replaced sex in my life, I can’t even get into my own pants.

2. Marriage changes passion.Suddenly you’re in bed with a relative.

3. I saw a woman wearing a sweat shirt with “Guess” on it.So I said “Implants?” She hit me.

4. How come we choose from just two people to run forpresident and 50 for Miss America?

5. A good friend will come and bail you out of jail…but, a true friend willbe sitting next to you saying, “Darn…that was fun!”

6. I signed up for an exercise class and was told to wear loose-fittingclothing. If I HAD any loose-fitting clothing, I wouldn’t have signed up in thefirst place!

7. When I was young we used to go “skinny dipping,” now I just “chunky dunk.”

8. Don’t argue with an idiot; people watching may not be able to tell the difference.

9. Wouldn’t it be nice if whenever we messed up our life we could simply press’Ctrl Alt Delete’ and start all over? AMEN, AMEN !!

10. Why is it that our children can’t read a Bible in school, but they can in prison?

11. Wouldn’t you know it…Brain cells come and brain cells go, but FAT cells live forever.

12. Why do I have to swear on the Bible in court when the Ten Commandmentscannot be displayed in a federal building?

13. Bumper sticker of the year:”If you can read this, thank a teacher and, since it’s in English, thank asoldier !!”

–from Skooter

BIKETOBERFEST 2004– I Know, I Know we are still doing the Sturgis reports but this is HOT!Biketoberfest 2004 Daytona Beach Florida is officially October 21-24 but many places start as early as the 15th. Watch here for more reports.

Want to save some money and have a great time too? Consider staying in Cocco Beach just South of Daytona. The local news paper just published an article about the Space Coast Office of Tourism campaign to bring people to the area during September and October when hotel occupancy is at 50-55 percent compared to March which is 80 percent. To me that means you can get a good deal, especially if you shop around.

More and more people are getting upset with high prices and the way they are being treated in the Daytona area are staying further out and riding into Daytona for the events and things they want to see and do.

The Space Coast of Florida has a lot to offer. Besides lower rates there is great beaches, restaurants, cruise ships with gambling, the Space Center and the best thing of all the area is BIKER FRIENDLY. It is a short ride to Daytona and there are many places to stop on the way that are having biker events.

Hey Come On Down and Have Some Fun In The Sun.

–ROGUE

FLORIDA DUIs–The news papers and television are full of articles and ads about the You Drink, You Drive, You Lose campaign going on through out Florida. The campaign is scheduled to start August 28th and run through the Labor Day weekend and ends on September 12 2004.

There will be road blocks, checkpoints and numerous other operations to arrest people who have been drinking.

The Safety Council says that it costs the average person arrested for DUI in Florida $16,000. And that does not count all the bullshit you have to go through that goes along with it. It should be noted that more average people that have only had a few drinks are stopped and arrested for DUI that Alcoholics or people with Blood Alcohol Content of 1.2 or 1.4 which are the ones usually involved with death causing crashes.

Of course the average person is a source of large revenue to the state, courts, lawyers and other agencies so these stops will continue until people get tired of it and have the laws changed.

So have a Good Time but be careful and safe.

–ROGUE

WAY TO GO – JAY LENO–The Secret Service has announced it is doubling its protection for JohnKerry. You can understand why – with two positions on every issue, he hastwice as many people mad at him.”

– Jay Leno

–from Rev CarlR

MOTORCYCLE LAWS IN LONDON–In London, it’s illegal to have sex on a parked motorcycle. It did not say any thing about if the motorcycle was moving.

–from Rogue
http://www.bikerrogue.com

MOTORCYCLE VS. 18-WHEELERS– Safety, common sense are the first rules of the road. If you have ever been stunned by a motorcycle that appears out of nowhere on the freeway, you know the awful feeling that comes with the realization that if you had been in the process of changing lanes As motorcycles become more powerful, and riders more brazen, and motorists more distracted by cell phone conversations, there is no end to the well justified fears of cars and trucks colliding with motorcycles. The accident Friday that resulted in the death of a motorcyclist on the 710 (Long Beach, California) Freeway is a tragic example of why motorcyclists are so vulnerable.

It’s common for a motorist to be barreling along in the carpool lane, only to be passed — in the same lane — by a motorcyclist traveling well over the speed limit. The roar of the motorcyclist’s high-revving engine can startle and confuse a motorist, with tragic consequences.

It’s common in stop-and-go traffic to be caught by surprise by a motorcyclist sharing a lane with a car as the motorcyclist tries to guide his machine through a narrow path between cars and trucks. It’s legal in California to share lanes, but the DMV manual for motorcyclists discourages the practice. We’d like to see a law that would ban it entirely.

We’ll go a step further. It’s legal for motorcyclists to use the 710 Freeway, but it’s not smart, safe or necessary. Motorcyclists who try to compete with 18-wheelers are at a fatal disadvantage.

Aside from allowing motorcycles to share lanes and use the HOV lanes on freeways, motorcyclists must obey the same rules as motorists. Laws against speeding and erratic lane changes apply to motorcycles, too. Given their vulnerability, motorcyclists would be wise to avoid lingering in motorists’ blind spots and sharing lanes at high speeds.

In a motorcycle-car accident, trying to determine who is at fault is secondary to the horrible injuries and tragic deaths that result from bad driving by inattentive drivers and motorcyclists who think they are invulnerable. As the DMV manual says, the old saying that you can’t hit what you don’t see doesn’t apply to cars and motorcycles.

This article is an indication of our general society perception of bikers. Actually it should be geared directly at the reason for motorcycle accidents in 70-80 percent of accidents–motorists. It should be slamming them for not using turn signals, for making erratic lane changes, talking on cell phones, smoking or stuffing their faces while driving.

Imagine if this article was geared at children playing in streets. A child has about the same protection from an automobile as any biker. I would love to see this reporter from the Press Telegram attempt to tell the public that kids should stay off the streets so motorists can jabber on a cell phones and not worry about running over pedistrians.–Bandit

NEW MOTORCYCLE LAND SPEED RECORD–A single enging Kawasaki designed by a man who works for JPL set a new land speed record at Bonneville this year at 332 mph. Easy-Hook, the name of the ride, broke the Easyriders 18-year record or 321 set in ’96 or ’97. I was a proud member of that team powered by two 92-inch Shovelheads and 10,000 ER readers.

This Kaw project took six years of meticulous design efforts.

THE BLONDE FILES– What did the blonde say when she found out she was pregnant?

“Are you sure it’s mine?”

LUCKY DEVIL PART II COMING TO BIKERNET–Here are some shots of the front render for Lucky Devil 001. It is a single side mount to keep the right side clean. At this point everything is out to paint and I am working on the frame and sheetmetal for the chop off. I can’t show photos of that till after the event, but I will document the construction of the frame as well as sheetmetal and final assembly and share them after the event is over.

Take care, Kent

PRICEY BIKES STOLEN DURING RAINSTORM–When Todd “Red” Laube of Madison went to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally last weekend, he never imagined he would be returning home early without his $35,000 custom bike.

Laube and his friend Wes Josephson, who own Titan Gecko RM Retro motorcycles, stopped at the Broken Spoke bar in Sturgis, along with their wives, to wait for a rainstorm to pass. When they went back outside, their bikes were gone, along with their leather jackets, chaps and other belongings.

Laube said they had been in Sturgis for only four hours when the one-of-a-kind bikes were stolen Aug. 7.

“We arrived at the Spoke around 1 p.m. and went in to have a beer and visit with people for a while,” Laube said. “By the time the rain stopped around 5 p.m., we went outside and they were gone.”

Sturgis police say about 12 to 16 motorcycles are stolen each year during the rally, and few of them are recovered.

“We’ve had five bikes stolen so far this year at the rally, and we had 12 last year,” said Sturgis Detective Gerard Brennan.

“It’s very unusual for us to recover these stolen bikes immediately. These thefts are usually done by professionals, and in many cases they get out of the area quickly.”

But Laube said he thinks the bikes still might be in the Sturgis area, and whoever stole them probably put them in a trailer.

A total of four bikes were stolen Aug. 7, Brennan said, and the others were similar to Laube’s and Josephson’s.

“I don’t want my insurance company’s check,” he said. “I just want my bike.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the Sturgis Police Department at 605-347-2573.

BY CRAIG HENRYArgus Leader

–from Rogue

BIG BEAR GRIZZLY RUN–Did the Big Bear Grizzly Run today…Left the desert at 6:00 AM. First time in a while to wear a leather jacket it was 40 degrees when I rolled up into the pine tree covered mountains.

It was cool after being in the desert of 100 plus degrees. It was a nice change. A good crowd showed up as the morning progressed. They had a poker run to benefit the Zoo. Good time and seeing old friends.

–Bob T

Continued On Page 2