This new column is already kicking my ass and I’m just rolling off the dime and starting to edit. If this is any indication of this year, we are heading for some good times.The buzz is all about Daytona, the new models from Harley-Davidson, the new Indian engine, the new FXR from Big Bear Choppers, and that’s just the tip of the two-wheeled iceberg.

Don't miss this one. 

Learn how you can get your bike in a magazine!

 You've seen the glossy pictures of the bikes that grace the pages of your favorite magazine. You know your bike is just as good – if not better – than many you've seen staring back at you from the pages. Your hard work should be displayed on the glossy pages right next to the best in the business. This year, during the First Annual Daytona Bike Week Twisted Tea Editor's Choice Bike Show, The Broken Spoke and the National Motorcycle Magazines can make it happen.

For the first time ever Bike Week attendees, scooter tramps, and old heads can make their way to the Broken Spoke Saloon on Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at noon where 15 of the national motorcycle publications will be throwing a one day show. The first of its kind in the history or motorcycle magazines, each magazine editor will select a bike from the show to award as their "Editor's Choice" winner.  Each of the winning bikes will receive a trophy from that magazine, and a full feature in a future issue. That's right, man, go get the pan shined up, it's on!

Shape, style, and class won't matter – Twisted Tea is going all out to make sure everyone will have their chance to get their bike in the show. In addition to the Editor's Choice Awards there will be 12 classes awarded for the best Sportster, Big Twin, Bobber, Chopper, Pan, Shovel, Bagger, Café, Import, and Antique motorcycles of the day. Better yet there is NO ENTRY FEE!!! That's right, this round is on Twisted Tea and the Broken Spoke Saloon. There will be tons of prizes and give-a-ways all day long from Twisted, the Broken Spoke Saloon, all the magazines and many other companies from the motorcycle industry.

Spend the day at the Broken Spoke Saloon and meet your heroes from the pages of the national magazines or take this opportunity to argue with something they've said in the past. Don't miss this opportunity to swap stories with the folks that bring it alive each month.  Each magazine will have a booth at the Broken Spoke that day; all you have to do is show up. You'll have the chance to meet staff members and editors from American Bagger, American Iron Magazine, American Iron Motorcycle Bagger, Baggers, BikerNet.com, Cycle Source, Easyriders, Hot Bike, IronWorks, RoadBike, Road Iron, Street Chopper, The Horse, Wrench, Thunder Press, Urban Bagger. There will be representatives on site from the motorcycle rights organization, Motorcycle Riders Foundation, as well, so bring along your MC Rights issues for a good chance to talk to those who know the answers.

Registration begins at high noon, what more fitting a time for the Broken Spoke than shoot out hours, right? Awards will be announced by 6:00 p.m. and from there the party will be on at the Daytona Broken Spoke. Big Engine will be performing, and for the first time ever, the big guns from the custom bike magazines of the world will be all together for a show of ultimate magnitude. Get your bikes ready and grab your gear – you won't want to miss it!

For more info, early sign up, or to learn about sponsorship opportunities, contact: heather@brokenspoke.com

–Ken Conte

J&P Cycles is pleased to announce a newly formed partnership with AMA Pro Racing. J&P Cycles will serve as the Presenting Sponsor of AMA Pro Flat Track and Title Sponsor of the AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles class this year. As part of the agreement, J&P Cycles will contribute a $25,000 Year-End Points Fund for the rising stars of the AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles Class after the motorcycle parts and accessories giant.

“We are very excited to begin this partnership with J&P Cycles,” said Michael Gentry, Chief Operating Officer of AMA Pro Racing. “I see great things in store for the future in the ranks of the J&P Pro Singles class and look forward to the success our up and coming riders will attain thanks to this new relationship. The support that J&P Cycles has pledged through the year-end points fund is vital to the growth of the sport and is deeply appreciated by the entire paddock.”

J&P Cycles will have access to a number of marketing and promotional activations in 2013. At each event on the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles schedule, the company will have access to on-site activation. The two companies will also be working together to develop unique and engaging website content and social media initiatives in order to further the sport by engaging the younger demographic.

“J&P Cycles is proud to be a part of the AMA Pro Flat Track series this year,” said J&P Cycles Vice President/General Manager Zach Parham. “AMA Pro Flat Track represents the grass roots of racing at its best, and we are pleased to be a part of this sport with so much history. The racing this year is going to exciting and we look forward to sharing the excitement and action with our customers.”

The J&P Cycles Pro Singles division is the deepest it’s been in recent years. The talent pool is impressive and growing, and the Championship is almost guaranteed to come down to the wire when the season concludes in Pomona. Defending champion Stephen Vanderkuur will be gunning for a repeat season, but the Michigan product will undoubtedly have his hands full as aggressive competitors such as Jake Cunningham, Dominic Colindres, Shayna Texter, Gerit Callies and many others all share the same aspiring title hopes. As if pride wasn’t enough for these young stars, a $10,000 bonus will now be awarded to the 2013 J&P Cycles Pro Singles Champion. The complete pay structure for the J&P Cycles Year-End Points Fund is as follows: Champion, $10,000; 2nd place, $5,000; 3rd place, $4,000; 4th place, $3,000; 5th place, $2,000; 6th place, $1,000.

The 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles season will kick off as part of the historic DAYTONA 200 Week. The AMA Pro Grand National Championship and J&P Cycles Pro Singles divisions take to the track in a set of one-day events on March 14 and 15, 2013 at the DAYTONA Flat Track, located just outside of the Daytona International Speedway’s west banking. For tickets, please visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.

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When brother Jim stumbled into the Spitfire Motorcycles machine shop and asked to talk to a longtime friend, Paul Cavallo, the master immediately recognized the anguish in his friend’s eyes. Jim faced the muzzle of a double-barreled divorce. Paul immediately knew a cure. In fact, Dave Rash, the boss of D&D Exhaust, calls motorcycles “Two-wheeled valiums.”

Check the bike and the story on Bikernet right this minute.

The American Motorcyclist Association expressed concern to a U.S. House subcommittee about possible damage to motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle engines caused by the inadvertent use of E15 when the new fuel becomes widely available. 

In testimony to the House Subcommittee on the Environment during a hearing on "Mid-Level Ethanol Blends: Consumer and Technical Research Needs" on Feb. 26, Wayne Allard, AMA vice president for government relations, said that motorcycles and ATVs should be part of any scientific study into the effects of E15 on engines to ensure that the new fuel blend won't damage those engines. 

He also cautioned that E15 could lower fuel efficiency and possibly cause premature engine failure for motorcycles and ATVs. 

E15 is a new fuel blend of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline that the EPA has approved for use in 2001-and-newer passenger vehicles. The blend isn't approved for use in motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, boats, lawn mowers and other engines, and may even damage them and void warranties. 

E10, which is commonly found at gas stations, contains 10 percent ethanol. E0 fuel has no ethanol. Ethanol is grain alcohol produced from crops such as corn that is mixed with gasoline to produce an ethanol-gasoline blend motor fuel.

There’s no doubt that he is a prolific Los Angeles artist whose unique metalworks include robots, spacecrafts, strange and fantastic metal creatures as well as “conceptual” cars, boats, planes and trains. His work has been often used as Hollywood movie props and made appearances in TV commercials.

Check it out: 

Features like a spacious Tour-Pak® carrier, a Harmon/Kardon® Advanced Audio System and fine Harley-Davidson styling detail, the Electra Glide® Classic model brings a level of luxury to touring adventures. The innovative Harley-Davidson® Touring chassis is based on a single-spar, rigid backbone frame and a stout swingarm developed to withstand the demands of long-haul touring riders and today's powerful engines. **Includes Cruise Control** " With features like a spacious Tour-Pak® carrier, a Harmon/Kardon® Advanced Audio System and fine Harley-Davidson styling detail, the Electra Glide® Classic model brings a level of luxury to touring adventures. The innovative Harley-Davidson® Touring chassis is based on a single-spar, rigid backbone frame and a stout swingarm developed to withstand the demands of long-haul touring riders and today's powerful engines.  CHECK OUT THIS DEAL

Vigilante is an all-new Bluetooth™ wireless Android™ based Harley-Davidson tuning and monitoring suite.  

The Vigilante Flash gauge and monitoring system excels where the rubber hits the road. Flash offers the same functionality of the Scout gauge, but with the added benefit of Stage 1 tuning optimizes engine operation for bolt- on modifications like upgraded intake and exhaust parts without the hassle of a replacement ECU or inline “cheater” device.  Flash will instantly optimize your bike’s performance and overall ride-ability.  Unlike the other Stage 1 tuners, Flash is calibrated for your add-on intake and exhaust.

For more information or to locate a dealer visit www.vigilante.superchips.com. Also available from Biker's Choice.

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The sponsor of a California Senate bill that would have restricted the current practice of lane-splitting by motorcyclists will withdraw the bill from consideration, the American Motorcyclist Association reports. 

Lane-splitting by motorcyclists in California is recognized by the California Highway Patrol and helps ease traffic flow. 

An aide to state Sen. Jim Beall (D-San Jose), who sponsored S.B. 350, confirmed in an email to the AMA Tuesday afternoon that the bill would be withdrawn, pending the results of a University of California-Berkeley safety study expected later this year. The bill, introduced Feb. 20, would have allowed lane-splitting only in certain instances: on divided highways with three or more lanes of travel in the same direction, only when traffic is congested and only at "a safe" speed. 

Nick Haris, AMA western states representative, noted that lane-splitting has been an accepted custom and necessary strategy to ease traffic congestion in California for years. He noted that Beall's bill proposed a sudden and significant shift in traffic management strategies in the state with respect to motorcycles, which could have had a serious impact on traffic flow. 

"We are pleased that Sen. Beall's office is withdrawing the bill, but we remain watchful of any legislative action on lane-splitting that could penalize motorcyclists," Haris said. "Lane-splitting has been done safely in California for decades, so there is really no need to impose new restrictions, especially given the guidelines just released by the California Highway Patrol that make no mention of a three-lane minimum." 

According to the California Highway Patrol, lane-splitting occurs when a motorcyclist rides between lanes of stopped or slower-moving traffic or moves between lanes to the front of stopped traffic. The convention is recognized as a benefit to urban traffic flow because it allows motorcycles to make maximum use of roadways when traffic is stopped or significantly slowed. The controlled flow of motorcyclists through stopped traffic also permits more space for other road users. 

"Lane-splitting by motorcyclists, when done correctly, helps improve traffic flow for everyone on the road," Haris said. "That helps everybody save time, gas and hassles, and promotes safer roads by mitigating traffic backups. It's important that we work to preserve lane-splitting for the benefit of everyone on the road."