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The Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) is sponsoring a Women in Powersports professional meeting during the in-person Women’s Motorcycle Festival and Conference. The Women’s Industry Meeting & Breakfast Powered by MIC will be at the Crystal City Sports Pub on Thursday, August 19, from 9 am to noon, in Arlington, Virginia, not far from the nation’s capital.

Admission is $59 per person. CLICK HERE TO Visit the Women’s Motorcycle Festival and Conference for more information and to purchase tickets. Enter promo code WIP to unlock all the ticket options, including the breakfast.

2021 Women’s Motorcycle Festival and Conference
( August 19-22, 2021 )

SEE https://centennialride.com/motoconference/

This is the first LIVE Women’s Motorcycle Festival and Conference hosted by Alisa Clickenger and Women’s Motorcycle Tours. Thursday begins it all: the Women in Powersports Professional Development in the morning, and the arrival of the cross-country Centennial riders in the afternoon. Friday is the General Session (education) and evening connection session. Saturday begins the weekend Outdoor Motorcycle and Festival, starting with the historical Parade through Washington, D.C. Saturday and Sunday Indian Motorcycle, Polaris Slingshot, and Harley-Davidson will be offering demo rides, which are also open to the public, and there will be games, activities, MOTUL’s oil change pod for on-the-spot oil changes, as well as food trucks and fun!

CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE REQUIRES A SEPARATE TICKET

Space is limited to 300 due to Covid-19 restrictions so register today!

There are multiple registration options. There is an “everything” ticket which includes many meals, all entertainment, four days at the 2021 Women’s Motorcycle Festival and Conference (both indoor and outdoor events), the group parade through Washington, D.C., the group photo, plus the closing ceremony dinner. There are also a-la-carte tickets in which you pay for just what you want to participate in.

Ticket prices go up August 1, so book now and risk-free: all tickets are refundable up to 30 days before the event.

FESTIVAL & CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 2021 │ WELCOME DAY + RIDE IN

Industry Meeting Welcome Breakfast
Conference attendees arrive
Cross-country Centennial Riders arrive
Welcome Reception for Cross Country Riders and Conference Attendees
100 Years Past and Future Display
Centennial Ride Dinner and Completion Ceremony

FRIDAY, AUGUST 20, 2021 │GENERAL SESSION

Breakfast Buffet
General Session: Educational Seminars, Networking, and other Activities
Lunch Break
General Session: Educational Seminars, Networking, and other Activities
Friday Night Connection Session with fun and games

For the full list of speakers and presentations click here

SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2021│OUTDOOR RIDE FESTIVAL + DEMO RIDES

Breakfast Buffet & Rider’s Meeting
Police Escorted Parade Ride and Fundraiser for Final Salute, Inc.
Outdoor Ride Festival
Demo Rides – Indian Motorcycle, Polaris Slingshot, and Harley-Davidson
Stage Presentations
Food Trucks
Fun!
Grand Finale Dinner Program

SUNDAY, AUGUST 22, 2021│OUTDOOR RIDE FESTIVAL + DEMO RIDES

Event’s Final Breakfast Buffet
Outdoor Ride Festival
Demo Rides – Indian Motorcycle, Polaris Slingshot, and Harley-Davidson
Stage Presentations
Food Trucks
Fun!

We have a $99/night group rate at the Marriott Crystal Gateway in Arlington for all registrants. When you register we’ll send you a link to our room block.

What’s NOT Included:

Accommodations, incidentals at the hotels, alcoholic beverages, gas, tips, tolls, and museum entry fees.

 

HIGHWAY BILL PASSES HOUSE INCLUDING MOTORCYCLIST-SUPPORTED PROVISIONS
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the “Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America” or INVEST in America Act (H.R. 3684) on July 1, 2021 by a mostly partisan vote of 221-201.  The five-year $715 billion surface transportation and water infrastructure bill directs federal investments in roads, bridges, transit, rail, and clean water programs, and also contains several key provisions benefiting motorcycle riders;

SEC. 3005: GRANT PROGRAM TO PROHIBIT RACIAL PROFILING was amended to include grant funding to include “the costs of collecting, maintaining, and evaluating data on the driver’s mode of transportation at traffic stops” to help determine biker profiling by law enforcement.

SEC. 3011: STOP MOTORCYCLE CHECKPOINT FUNDING, not only expands prohibitions on motorcycle-only checkpoints, but also prohibits law enforcement activities that “otherwise profile and stop motorcycle operators or motorcycle passengers using as a factor the clothing or mode of transportation of such operators or passengers.”

SEC. 3013: MOTORCYCLIST ADVISORY COUNCIL, reauthorizes the MAC to “advise the Secretary, the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration on transportation issues of concern to motorcyclists,” including “barrier design, road design, construction, and maintenance practices, and the architecture and implementation of intelligent transportation systems technologies.”

H.R. 3684 specifies that motorcycles must be taken into consideration when the Department of Transportation (DOT) conducts safety studies on autonomous vehicles.

Additionally, the Highway Bill earmarks $5,760,000 in 405 safety funds to states for motorcyclist safety in the next fiscal year, and increases program funding by more than a third annually through 2025.

Once the Senate passes their own version of the highway bill, both chambers will come together in a Conference Committee to iron out any differences before sending the bill to the President for his signature.

RIGHT TO REPAIR MAKES HEADWAY
Consumers may soon have more choice over where to take products, from vehicles to smartphones, to be repaired following a new Biden Administration executive order intended to promote right-to-repair protections.

In a broad-ranging executive order aimed at increasing competition in the marketplace, President Biden has asked the Federal Trade Commission to draft regulations that would prevent manufacturers from stipulating that these and other devices can be repaired only by authorized personnel.

Tucked into the executive order that covered 72 initiatives to promote competition in the U.S. economy, Biden specifically asked the FTC to crack down on “unfair anticompetitive restrictions on third-party repair or self-repair of items.”

The new directive to the FTC comes a couple of months after the commission delivered a 54-page report to Congress that concluded “there is scant evidence to support manufacturers’ justifications for repair restrictions.”

MIC ‘RIDE WITH US’ INITIATIVE AIMS TO GET “NEW RIDERS, RIDING MORE”
“Ride With Us” — the powersports industry’s multifaceted market expansion program — has been officially launched by the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC).

“In late 2019 at MIC’s Communication Symposium, we shared the MIC’s vision for growing ridership – more riders, riding more,” said Paul Vitrano, chairman of the MIC Board of Directors and senior vice president/senior assistant general counsel of Polaris, in the announcement.  “We were excited to begin operationalizing the plan in early 2020, but the pandemic caused us to pause and refocus our efforts on helping powersports businesses remain open.”

“While we were navigating the coronavirus, we also were working hard to prepare for the post-pandemic environment,” said Erik Pritchard, president and CEO of the MIC.  “Our preparation included a number of initiatives tied to each phase of the new rider journey — Inspire, Explore, Engage, and Integrate — as well supporting new-rider education initiatives.”

The MIC is leading a task force composed of industry-leading marketing talent to help develop the program.  As a part of the ‘Ride With Us’ program, the MIC is also delivering new 45-minute first-ride experiences for people who have never ridden a motorcycle before.

EMISSION-FREE MOTORCYCLES PLAY KEY ROLE IN U.K. TRANSPORTATION PLAN
The British government plans to ban the sale of gasoline-powered motorcycles, and from 2035 all new motorcycles must be zero emission, with powered two-wheelers (PTW) set to play a key role in a new Government Transport Decarbonisation Plan following years of behind the scenes campaigning from the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA).

The Department for Transport announced the radical new plan earlier this month, which pledges to end the sale of all new, non-zero emission road vehicles by 2040 at the latest, as well as phasing out the sale of all new non-zero emission heavy goods vehicles in that timeframe.

The 220-page DfT plan states that the government will “consult this year on a phase out date of 2035, or earlier if a faster transition appears feasible, for the sale of new non-zero emission powered two and three wheelers.”

Unlike in some previous transport announcements, motorcycles and scooters have been considered from the outset, thanks to consultations between the MCIA and government ministers spanning the past three years.

U.S. AND E.U. LEADERS REACH TRUCE IN RETALIATORY TARIFFS WAR
The current European and U.S. trade dispute dates back to 2004 when both parties accused one another of unfairly subsidizing aircraft giants Boeing and Airbus.  In 2018, the World Trade Organization declared both sides guilty, allowing the U.S. to implement $7.5 billion in tariffs and the E.U. to retaliate with $4 billion in duties.

Over the years, the retributive approach on both sides extended the tariffs beyond the aircraft manufacturers, and from French wine to American whiskey to Harley-Davidson motorcycles, the tax rates ballooned.  In 2018, the dispute intensified into an all-out trade war when former President Donald Trump imposed new steel and aluminum tariffs on several NATO allies.

That decision spurred the E.U. to hit back with a series of tax hikes that would have levied a 56-percent tariff on American motorcycles over 500cc.  Luckily, the E.U. relented, delaying the measures until December, 2021.  However, that didn’t solve the impending trade crisis for brands like Harley-Davidson.

MORE COUNTRIES BANNING GAS-POWERED MOTORCYCLES
It seems that more and more nations are beginning to adopt a policy of allowing only brand new electric-powered vehicles to be sold in their jurisdictions in the near future, and now Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest motorcycle market with more than 112-million motorcycles on its busy streets, has declared that no more new internal combustion engine (ICE) motorcycles should be sold in the country by 2050.

Singapore also adopted a similar policy by banning motorcycles they consider “old” from their streets by 2028. India, as well as some European nations, had already enacted similar measures earlier. Now, Canada is the newest country that’s taking on drastic measures to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions.

In a recent announcement from the Canadian government agency, Transport Canada (TC), they are accelerating the complete eradication of ICE-powered vehicles by outlawing them by 2035 — which is 5-years earlier than the original 2040 plan.

“Today, we take another important step on the road to net zero by accelerating our zero-emission vehicle targets to 2035,” said Seamus O’Regan Jr., the Canadian minister of natural resources.  “Achieving this target will require all Canadians, and businesses big and small, to embrace the change and go electric.”

Like other countries initiating combustion vehicle sales bans, the plan is to end new vehicle sales, and does not mention plans for older vehicles.  Most such plans rely on older vehicles eventually phasing themselves out as they become impractical to repair and own over time.

MANDATORY MOTORCYCLE INSPECTIONS MAY HIT EUROPE IN 2023
The idea of mandatory periodic technical inspections (PTI) for motorcycles in Europe has been looming for some time now, since 2104, but new information indicates this legislation could be coming sooner than expected.

In fact, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) has confirmed it is preparing a decree in the Council of State to establish a date and basic parameters for inspections starting in 2023.

European Parliament wants mandatory inspections for motorized two-wheelers in every state of the European Union, while the Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Association (FEMA) argues that such a Europe-wide law is unnecessary, citing existing inspection regulations, a low risk of accidents due to technical defects, and possible collusion with inspection companies.

EASYRIDERS ON THE COMEBACK TRAIL
Easyriders magazine was known as the “biker’s bible” for over 50 years, before ceasing production in 2019, but now Classic Easyriders will kickstart a new era beginning this December, drawing on its rich heritage as an integral part of the biker lifestyle.

“Our industry needs a paper magazine as well as a digital presence now more than ever before, to capture and promote the American motorcycle culture,” says editor-in-chief Dave Nichols.

QUOTABLE QUOTE: “A page of history is worth a volume of logic.”

ABOUT AIM / NCOM: The National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) is a nationwide motorcyclists rights organization serving over 2,000 NCOM Member Groups throughout the United States, with all services fully-funded through Aid to Injured Motorcyclist (AIM) Attorneys available in each state who donate a portion of their legal fees from motorcycle accidents back into the NCOM Network of Biker Services (www.ON-A-BIKE.com / 800-ON-A-BIKE).

Hey,

I wrote my first book around a stolen motorcycle called Prize Possession. It was about my bike being stolen from the ER offices in Agoura Hills. I went after my Evo built by Mil Blair and Spin painted and installed Indian-styled fenders. It was unique. It’s a wild story and with the help of a few bros I got it back.

Recently, we thought about writing a series about stolen motorcycles. Readers started to send me news clippings about motorcycle thieves. I recently moved to Deadwood and have been scrambling to prepare for the Rally, but the stories keep coming. So, we decided to create an archive of Stolen motorcycle stories.

Keep ‘em coming and hopefully, if you have an issue with your stolen Prize possession, you’ll find inspiration here. Note: The photos displayed here are not connected to stories. They came from Sam’s collection of cool chopper shots and girls. What could be wrong with that.

–Bandit

Stolen Motorcycle Recovered 48 Years Later

Better late than never?
Whenever we are a victim of theft, we tend to hold out some hope that perhaps our stuff can be recovered. More often than not, our hopes are in vain, and our stuff is never recovered. Those of us who have gone through this can relate to frustrating interactions with police, who seem to give up immediately on putting any effort into recovering stolen goods.

That’s why this story is an unusual one: not just that a stolen motorcycle is recovered, but that it took 48 years to do so. The 1957 Harley-Davidson Panhead motorcycle was stolen from owner Delroy Sims who lived on the east side of Houston, Texas some time in 1963. At the time it was still a relatively new machine.

Not only is it nearly a miracle that the bike was recovered, but the fact that it’s in good shape and running adds mystery to the miracle. The world may never know the story here and it’s kind of killing me. Who stole it, and where has it been living this whole time? Did the most recent buyer know it was stolen? Did they lose whatever money they spent on it? How did it come to be identified as stolen, and what kind of proof did the son of the original owner have, that this was in fact his father’s motorcycle?

The original owner, sadly, did not live to see the motorcycle that he had apparently spent his life’s savings on, recovered from its theft. The bike was restored to his family, though, and his son has taken possession of the bike, which is now a classic. The great news about this is, the current (actual) owner isn’t going to turn around and sell his dad’s recently-reacquired classic. Delroy Sims’ son Darrell says the bike helps him feel closer to his dad, and that he’s going to restore the bike to what it looked like when his dad owned it.

Darrell says “I probably miss my dad everyday and now he’ll be in my garage.” He notes, “you offer me $100,000 dollars today and I don’t think I’d take it. I don’t think I’d take a quarter million.”

Hopefully whomever purchased the stolen bike is at least heartwarmed that the motorcycle is treated as an heirloom, and not a windfall, for this family.

Source: KHOU

Thieves Steal Motorcycles From Houston Motocross Track. Twice.

The badass motorcycle owner won’t ever have anything stolen again!

All of us who own and ride motorcycles are always, even if just a little bit, worried they’ll be stolen. We know there are motorcycle thieves out there. We know bikes are relatively easy to pop into a van or a truck and it only takes a minute or three for that bike to disappear.

We take precautions, but sometimes thieves break into our locked garages and take the bike and our gear and our stuff!

This is the nightmare that unfolded in Klamath Falls, Oregon, when a homeowner there discovered his Honda CR450X stolen out of his garage, along with riding gear and some other items, including, apparently, a 9mm handgun. For those not familiar, that CR450X is a Honda dirtbike, and powerful for a dirtbike, but it is definitely no match for a pickup truck on paved roads (dun dun DUNNNN).

The homeowner, 39-year-old Dustin Wade, was out in his Chevy pickup truck in a residential neighborhood and saw the thief ride past him, on the stolen bike. “He was wearing my helmet, and my wife’s coat and had my backpack on,” says Wade. He then gave chase: Wade followed his own motorcycle with the thief aboard it, at speeds sometimes topping 70mph. It only took about five minutes for the thief to crash the motorcycle and run. Did Wade give up? Heck no! He got out of his truck and chased the guy down on foot, tackled him and held him down until the police showed up.

Keep in mind that Wade knew this whole time that the guy had also quite probably stolen a handgun from him, and that he might be armed, but that didn’t stop our hero.

The thief, 45-year-old Darrell Duane Grisel, was not only armed with a stolen .22-caliber revolver (which is not the gun stolen from Wade) but was also carrying a PVC pipe bomb in his (stolen) backpack at the time of his arrest.

If we were all this badass, motorcycle thieves everywhere would think twice about taking stuff that does not belong to them. Bike thieves are the worst. This one has been convicted and sentenced to six years and three months in federal prison, but mostly because of the firearms charge.

Source: OregonLive

$200K worth of motorcycles stolen from Heartland Harley-Davidson

By Michaele Niehaus
The Hawk Eye

Burlington police are investigating the theft of about $200,000 worth of motorcycles from Heartland Harley-Davidson.

Lt. Wayne Thomson, commander of the Burlington Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division, said the burglary occurred at about 2:40 a.m. April 30, when a display window was broken, allowing the burglar or burglars entry to the business at 117 S. Roosevelt Ave.

The break-in triggered the retailer’s security alarm. By the time police arrived, several motorcycles had been taken from the property.

Police are reviewing security footage from the area and following up on leads.

As of Thursday, Heartland Harley-Davidson had not responded to The Hawk Eye’s requests for comment.

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) – Amarillo police say a motorcycle stolen during a burglary has been recovered.

Amarillo Crime Stoppers asked for help locating a 2003 Harley-Davidson Road King stolen during a burglary.

Police said the burglary took place at a home near S. Philadelphia Street and SE 7th Avenue on Saturday, March 20.

Amarillo Crime Stoppers – Stolen Auto Day ***UPDATE*** This stolen motorcycle has been recovered. Amarillo Crime…

Posted by Amarillo Crime Stoppers on Monday, April 12, 2021

A CHASE FOR A STOLEN MOTORCYCLE
23/07/2020

A stolen motorcycle is any rider’s worst nightmare. For Steve, however, the nightmare had not only become real, but it seemed to never end as he struggled to recover his stolen bike. Thankfully, this story does have a happy ending – but it took several months for Steve and the local police to find and retrieve his motorcycle.

“This whole happening was very emotionally draining for me because this motorcycle meant a lot to me, as I was dreaming of buying one for the past five years”, Steve told us. “Adventure motorcycling is my most loved hobby and I can sincerely tell you that I felt legless without my moto”, he explained. And we totally get it: our bikes aren’t just mere means of transport, and any rider would understand why Steve had a tough time while his motorcycle was missing.

Back in January, Steve had parked his motorcycle on the street in London securing it with two locks and chains going through the rear wheel and around a steel post on the sidewalk, plus a disc lock and an alarm. The motorcycle was covered and had the Monimoto tracker hidden underneath the fairings. In other words, Steve wasn’t careless and did everything by the book: several layers of security including a cover, chains, disc locks, and an alarm. You’d think the bike was safe, and yet, the thieves still managed to get at it.

“They stole it at about 5 pm, it was already dark and they took advantage of the fact that a neighbor was working on his house those days, so there were noises of angle grinders all throughout the week. It took the thieves about ten minutes to remove all security measures and cut the front disk to remove the disk lock. Worse yet, they’ve threatened my neighbor to stay in house – she was the one to call the police. Finally, they took off by dragging or pushing my bike with a moped, according to two witnesses”, Steve explained.

Not only the thieves cut chains and locks on the bike and threatened a neighbor, but it appears the criminals were especially aggressive. “When I got the call from Monimoto, I went to the window to see the bike was gone. There was a crowd of people around that spot. I rushed out to find out there was a huge scandal: apparently, one of my neighbors kept throwing rocks at the thieves as they were working on the bike, but they were not bothered and just took off with the motorcycle”, Steve recalled.

He immediately called the police, and the officers agreed to go on a search based on Monimoto tracker’s signals. The tracking device was still active – the thieves hadn’t spotted it – and it was sending out approximate locations of the bike.

After the initial search, Steve realized they were simply too late. Having spoken with Monimoto support and the police, he decided to continue searching on his own.

As bad luck would have it, however, the Monimoto tracker was only providing approximate locations instead of pinpointing exactly where the bike was. When installing the tracker, it’s crucial to test it out and make sure the GPS tracker is sending an exact location. If you notice a problem or get approximate location, please always let us know, and we’ll do our best to help you fix the issue.

Realizing only an approximate location was being given, Steve was still determined to comb the area and see if he could find the stolen motorcycle.

“Although the thieves have ditched my bike somewhere in the first night – as they always do to prevent police from locating them – I just could not find it. I went to the neighborhood where the approximate coordinates were indicating and contacted the police, then we went out on the streets searching for the bike. But we just had no luck at all”, Steve remembered. “The day after, I started getting signals again. It seemed the thieves were on the move, but again, I only received approximate signals.

This was Friday. On Saturday, I went with a friend and searched around Essex, where it had ended up at that point. I could only speculate as to where exactly the bike was and try to ask around. For the upcoming month, I kept receiving approximate locations, so I kept trying to reach local neighborhood watch groups to make them aware of my bike”, Steve said.

Eventually, Steve decided to claim the insurance on the stolen motorcycle, as it seemed the bike was gone for good. It proved a little difficult as the bike was still registered abroad, but the claim came through.

Several months later, Steve got some more approximate locations from the Monimoto device. It appeared the bike was moving again. A few days later, Steve finally got an accurate location of the bike: a large truck stop in Essex. He immediately called the police, and, as the officers went to check out the truck stop, they found Steve’s motorcycle and several other stolen bikes.

“The police did not give me too many details, but they told me they were seizing my bike for further investigations and that I’m to pick it up from the impound at a later time. I found out from a worker at the impound that the bike was wrapped in black cling film, stashed and hidden under the platform of a vehicle transport lorry along with another Ducatti. Apparently, the truck driver was drunk but had paperwork for both bikes, so he did not get arrested. The documents were fake, obviously”, Steve explained.

Once the police released the bike, Steve finally got his beloved machine back.

According to Steve, the thieves had damaged his motorcycle, and he will need to do some repairs. “Now, the bike is not in the best shape. It’s missing a lot of parts and it seems it was hot-wired; the thieves forcefully removed the ignition and I’m waiting to get a quote from an authorized repair shop. The thugs managed to remove the saddle and clearly sold the side panels but miraculously, did not remove the Monimoto device. It was in plain sight, but as the black case blends quite nicely with the bike’s frame, I guess they just didn’t notice it.

The police have reopened the case, but because of the amount of crimes in the UK, there is little hope anyone is getting charged for it unless they find a network of criminals soon”, Steve said.

Although the recovery of Steve’s motorcycle took much longer than you’d expect, we’re so happy he got the bike back, and we appreciate Steve sharing the story with us. If you’ve just gotten your Monimoto, double-check that the locations you get are accurate, not approximate, and let us know if you need any help!

Wondering how YOU can protect your bike?
Check out Monimoto smart trackers

Angry mob set ablaze three suspected motorcycle thieves in Lagos

Angry mobs on Monday evening meted out jungle justice on three suspected motorcycle thieves in Ayobo area of Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the three suspects, who allegedly stole two brand new motorcycles at Olorunsola, Ayobo, Ipaja, Lagos were set ablaze after lynching them.

According to an eyewitness who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the suspects took to their heels after allegedly stealing the motorcycles.

“Some commercial motorcyclists ran after the suspected thieves and caught up with them along Koloba Road, off Alaja Road, Ayobo, Ipaja, Lagos.”

“Two were initially caught and were instantly lynched, while the other one scampered for safety.”

“He was later caught in one of the streets in Alaja and wheeled down to join the other two before they were set on fire.”

“The thieves also injured some people while they tried to escape.”

“Those who were injured have been rushed to an undisclosed hospital for medical attention,” the witness said.

The police have been drafted to the scene of the incident.

SOURCE: https://theeagleonline.com.ng/angry-mob-set-ablaze-three-suspected-motorcycle-thieves-in-lagos/

Police: Suspect had stolen motorcycle in hotel room
Our Quad Cities – Illinois

A 23-year-old Davenport man is behind bars after police say he had a stolen motorcycle in his hotel room Sevan Spooner faces charges that include a felony charge of second-degree theft and a misdemeanor charge of possession of burglary tools.

Man’s motorcycle, stolen 4 years ago, anonymously returned

–by Cameron Evans from https://www.washingtontimes.com

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) – Miles McCarvel didn’t think he was ever going to get his 1972 Harley-Davidson motorcycle back after it was stolen four years ago.

On. Oct 13, though, he came home to find the bike leaning up against his garage.

The bike looked exactly the same as the last time McCarvel saw it: it was still missing a battery, the tires were flat and it didn’t have any new miles on it.

“I was like ‘what the hell,’ you know? I couldn’t believe it,” he told the Missoulian.

McCarvel hopped out of his car, took a picture of the red Aermacchi Harley-Davidson 350 Sprint and made a post on Facebook that read: “I built this bike when I was 20 years old! Glad to have it back. I guess there’s good things happening in the world too.”

The post received over 350 reactions and over a hundred comments, including one comment from a person who said their cousin also had a stolen truck returned a couple weeks later with a $20 bill on the console.

Missoula Police Department public information officer Travis Welsh said it isn’t very often that people return items they’ve stolen without police intervention, and said that once a theft has already occurred, any weight given to the gesture of returning the item at a later time would be determined by a prosecutor.

Arnold Police arrested a St. Louis man and an Arnold woman in connection with the theft of a motorcycle spotted outside WoodSpring Suites hotel in Arnold.

Officers also found an Arnold man in the hotel room with the pair and arrested him for alleged possession of drugs, police reported.

At about 7:10 p.m. April 29, detectives saw a 2019 Yamaha motorcycle without license plates parked outside the hotel, 888 Arnold Commons Drive. The detectives learned the motorcycle had been reported stolen by St. Louis Police, the report said.

One detective went into the hotel, and an employee showed him video surveillance of a 30-year-old St. Louis man and a 27-year-old Arnold woman arriving on the motorcycle. The employee also told the detective the two were in a room at the hotel, according to the report.

The detectives went to the room, and when they knocked on the door a 40-year-old Arnold man opened it. The man and woman from the surveillance video also were in the room, and the two allegedly had motorcycle helmets near them, the report said.

The detectives arrested the St. Louis man and the woman, and while in the room, they saw a bag that contained a white crystal-like substance that appeared to be methamphetamine. The Arnold man said the bag was his, and the detectives arrested him as well, Arnold Police reported.

The two men and woman were taken to the Police Station, where they were booked and released pending application for warrants. Depending on results of the drug analysis, Arnold Police will seek charges against the Arnold man through the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for possession of a controlled substance, Cpl. Brett Ackermann said.

Ackermann also said Arnold Police will seek a first-degree tampering charge against the St. Louis man and a second-degree tampering charge against the woman.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — One person is in custody, facing multiple charges, as the result of a joint investigation between local law enforcement agencies.

A press release from the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office reports four stolen vehicles and one motorcycle have been recovered so far as the result of an ongoing investigation by the sheriff’s office and Fletcher Police Department.

Officials say Daniel Jordan Trammel, of Fletcher, has been charged with multiple felonies related to stolen vehicles and motorcycles in the South Asheville area and southern part of Buncombe County.

ONE IN CRITICAL CONDITION AFTER SHOOTING IN ASHEVILLE; SUSPECT FLED SCENE, REMAINS WANTED

Trammel was taken into custody on Saturday, Jan. 23, after “a short foot chase” and is being held on a $30,800 secured bond, according to Monday’s release. Officials say he was in possession of 2.8 grams of methamphetamine, 13 units of a schedule lV controlled substance, marijuana and drug paraphernalia at the time of his arrest.

Charges filed by the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office so far include:

Possession of stolen motor vehicle
Driving while license revoked
Felony probation violation
Felony flee to elude arrest
Reckless driving to endanger
Possession of methamphetamine
Possession of schedule lV

“This arrest was the culmination of a joint investigation conducted by Buncombe County Property Crimes Division, Patrol Division and with substantial assistance from Fletcher Police Department,” Monday’s release states. “Fletcher PD has been instrumental in the recovery of multiple vehicles this week.”

Motorcycle theft investigation leads to arrests
April 12, 2021

Three people were arrested last week on drug-related offenses after sheriff’s deputies were investigating the theft of a motorcycle.

Sheriff Mark Lillywhite said deputies received information about the stolen motorcycle and went to a Park Township residence around 8 p.m. Thursday to investigate.

Upon arrival at the residence, located in the 54000 block of Fisher Street, deputies contacted suspects and recovered the stolen motorcycle.

Three suspects at the residence, two men ages 39 and 44, and a 33-year-old woman, were arrested. Deputies discovered two of the three suspects were in possession of methamphetamine.

Deputies obtained a search warrant for the residence and secured the stolen motorcycle and discovered more methamphetamine.

The three suspects, all from Three Rivers, face several felony charges related to possession of a controlled substance, and charges related to stolen property, authorities said.

FREMONT, CA — A 41-year-old Fremont resident was arrested on Monday in Milpitas on suspicion of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana for sales, auto theft and auto theft with priors, possession of a stolen vehicle, and possession of stolen property. The suspect’s name has not been released.

Officers with the MPD Crime Reduction Team were patrolling a hotel parking lot when they contacted the Fremont resident, who was on Alameda County probation for a narcotics offense and had a $10,000 felony warrant for violation of probation.

Police say they found a loaded gun and a quantity of marijuana and tar heroin inside the suspect’s backpack. Officers linked a motorcycle parked nearby to the suspect.

The gun was an unreported stolen firearm and the motorcycle had been reported as stolen to the Fremont Police Department.

Police have made an arrest after two stolen Kawasaki motorized dirt bikes were recovered.

Kevin Jorge Barrera-Briceno, 20

The bikes were valued at $1,500 and $4,400.

On July 1, police detectives received credible information that the stolen bikes were at a residence in the 900 block of 14th Avenue Southeast. Detectives conducted a follow-up on the information and obtained a search warrant for the address. Upon executing the search warrant, detectives located the two stolen Kawasaki dirt bike motorcycles in the detached garage. In addition, detectives also found drug paraphernalia, a Maverick arms 12-gauge shotgun, and a Taurus 9mm handgun in the residence.

Police arrested Kevin Jorge Barrera-Briceno, 20, of Austin in connection with the stolen dirt bikes. He has been charged in Mower County District Court with two counts of felony receiving stolen property, two counts of user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm, and one count of gross misdemeanor user of a controlled substance in possession of firearm ammunition.

Police are also looking for information that could help identify two individuals, a Black male and a Hispanic male, seen riding the stolen bikes. Anyone with information is asked to call the Austin Police Department at 507-437-9407.

We also received a story about a guy who was broke down along a road in Missouri. A cop pulled over to help, but it turned out the motorcycle was stolen and the guy was packing meth. Not his best day, but a rider’s motorcycle was returned.

I gleaned a message from my story and many of these. Motorcycles, especially Harleys, Indians and vintage bikes are a different breed from stealing stereos and shit to sell. Sure, there are still chop shops, but even them hold an eery, determined vibe. Like a pet cat or dog is determined to find its owner. But there’s another major player in the mix, the code of the west. One of the major codes is, “Never stop or give up.” That means reaching out to anyone and everyone until a connection is made. Follow up on every lead and don’t give up until your motorcycle is returned.

from https://www.cincinnati.com by Quinlan Bentley

 

We will keep the stories coming. Don’t give up, ever!

Ride Fast and Free Forever,

–Bandit

Triumph is excited to announce that development is well under way on a comprehensive range of all-new competition Motocross and Enduro motorcycles. Joining our class leading and globally renowned motorcycle range this all new competition MX and Enduro family will bring all of Triumph’s engineering expertise to riders and racers worldwide.

This will be accompanied by a landmark moment for Triumph and the MX and Enduro racing world with an all new Triumph factory race programme, and a commitment to top tier championship racing in both Motocross and Enduro series.

Coming hand-in-hand with this commitment, to race and win at the highest level in the sport, Triumph is proud to announce that global Motocross legend Ricky Carmichael and five-times Enduro World Champion Iván Cervantes have joined the Triumph family as active partners in both bike testing and preparation for racing.

An announcement of the timetable for the launch and reveal of the motorcycles, as well as the racing programme and the full story on the product advantages the new Triumph MX and Enduro offer, will follow in the coming months.

“Today’s announcement marks the beginning of a new chapter for the Triumph brand, which everyone at Triumph is incredibly excited to be part of. We are 100% committed to making a long-lasting impact in this highly competitive and demanding world, with a single-minded ambition to deliver a winning motorcycle line-up for a whole new generation of Triumph riders” – Nick Bloor: CEO Triumph Motorcycles Ltd

“I am thrilled to announce that I am joining the Triumph family and even more excited to be a part of their new endeavour into the off-road product category.

This is an incredible opportunity for me to join this historic brand, and I am honoured and humbled to be a part of the development and release of their off-road motorcycles. Building something from the ground up is something that really is intriguing to me at this stage of my career. What is impressive to me is Triumph’s dedication, and passion to develop a top of the class product. Everyone that I have been involved with in this project from the engineers, design groups, R&D dept., etc., have shown extreme passion for what they are doing and that is a recipe for success and something that I love being a part of. We all share that same passion, and that’s to be the best.

If you are familiar with the Triumph brand, you already know the quality of craftsmanship is top shelf, and the off-road models will follow suit to their past!

Not only are these exciting times for me, but it’s an exciting time for the off-road industry to be adding another brand to the mix and the opportunities that lie ahead for all off-road consumers. I can’t wait to see the reactions when these models hit the dealer’s showroom floors.”

– Ricky Carmichael

“I have loved Triumph motorcycles right from being a small kid, seeing them in films and on television.

So to be working with Triumph from the beginning of this project, is an amazing opportunity for me, not just because it is working with one of the world’s greatest motorcycle brands, but also for being part of building something from zero. It is a dream come true for any racer!

Like me, everyone I am working with at Triumph is focused to make the bikes the best they can be. I cannot wait to see the bikes competing at a world level, but I also look forward to when I can stand in a Triumph dealer and know I was part of this very special project.”

– Ivan Cervantes

Good news both for Triumph motorcycles fans and motcross enthusiasts
by Otilia Drăgan from https://www.autoevolution.com

Good news both for Triumph motorcycles fans and motcross enthusiasts: the reputable brand officially announced that it will soon be launching a new range dedicated to e motocross and enduro. And that’s not all, because Triumph is also going for the win – together with the new range, it will make its first steps in the racing world.

Things have been relatively quiet in the motorcycle industry lately, with no groundbreaking changes to keep us on our toes. But there’s something brewing. Triumph, known as the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the UK, is getting ready to unveil a comprehensive range of motocross and enduro motorcycles. This will also mark the beginning of the Triumph factory race program, with the manufacturer set to reach the highest levels in championship races, in both series.

This is a massive change for the British brand that was established in 1983 and has been known ever since for premium models. Unlike other famous brands, Triumph did not dabble in the racing world, until now. And, if this wasn’t enough of a surprise, the company also revealed the fact that 2 famous racing champions joined the project as “active partners”, offering their expertise throughout the testing process and in preparation for racing.

With an extensive career in motocross and multiple titles under his belt, Ricky Carmichael would be the right person to add his know-how into the mix. Expressing his admiration for the brand, Carmichael also made a great point in stating that this new range is a win for the entire off-road industry, and that a new brand coming to the motocross world can only make things even more exciting.

On the other hand, five-times enduro World Champion Iván Cervantes has added his experience with this particular world to the new Triumph range, stating that he considers this to be “one of the world’s greatest motorcycle brands”.

No images of the new motorcycles, or further details about their specifications have been released yet. According to Triumph, we’ll have to wait a few more months until the official reveal of the bikes and of the racing program.

The Real Reason We’re So Shocked By Deadly Floods Is Because We’re So Good At Preventing Them
Deaths and damages from floods in Europe have declined dramatically over the last 150 years
by Michael Shellenberger

The floods in Europe that killed over 150 people in recent days were a result of climate change, many people say. “Deadly Floods Show World Unprepared to Cope with Extreme Weather,” read the front page headline of The New York Times. “‘No One Is Safe.’” Said a German climate activist, “This is the climate crisis unravelling in one of the richest parts of the world.” The country’s interior minister agreed. “This is a consequence of climate change,” he said.

But the reason the floods were so deadly is because European nations were so unprepared for them. Last fall, the German government held a national “warning day,” when loud sirens and text messages were supposed to alert people to danger. “It was a debacle,” The Times of London reports. “Most of the technology didn’t work.” A professor of hydrology who helped build Europe’s flood prediction and warning network said there was a “monumental failure of the system.” She added, “We should not be seeing this number of deaths from floods in 2021.”

And there is evidence that Germany failed to prevent dams from collapsing. “I noticed that, for the last three weeks, all the dams were just 20 – 30 centimeters from the brim,” a resident told a television reporter. “Why didn’t they release some of the water in a controlled way much earlier? This whole thing should not have happened if there had been 10 or 20% more available volume in the dams.” The reporter added, “That’s criticism I’ve heard again and again today.”

It’s true that flooding is affecting more people and more areas in Europe, and that a warming planet is likely to result in greater rainfall. Warmer air can hold more water, which makes it more likely that storms will produce more precipitation. “Extreme hydrological events,” noted a study of 150 years of European flooding in the journal Nature, “are generally predicted to become more frequent and damaging in Europe due to warming climate.” Observed one scientist, “Any storm that comes along now has more moisture to work with.”

But the best-available science does not find any increase in precipitation or in the cost of floods in Europe “Though consensus seems to exist regarding the trajectory of future climatic developments,” noted the Nature authors, “there is less confidence in the changes in flood losses as a result of climate change so far. Qualitative and quantitative hydrological studies for Europe have indicated no general continental-wide trend in river flood occurrences, extreme precipitation, or annual maxima of runoff.”

In fact, scientists find a significant decline in both deaths and damage from flooding in Europe, over the last 150 years. The overall cost of flooding increased, but when scientists account for greater wealth, scientists found “a considerable decline in financial losses” since 1870 that accelerated after 1950. What has changed is more people living in flood zones, and more paved areas, which means less ground to absorb excess water.

How can more people be affected by floods and yet fewer die? The reason is because we are so much better at managing them. Europe’s infrastructure has improved markedly. The Nature authors found that “areas with high concentration of urban fabric and infrastructure are better protected than less important urban zones, let alone rural areas. This is an intuitive conclusion, but supported by evidence from events spanning almost 150 years.”

In fact, the infrastructure improved so much that many Germans appeared to have grown complacent. “People knew an extreme weather situation was coming and that it could hit them,” said a government official who worked in the flood control system. “I think a lot of people clearly underestimated the weather warnings.” Said one of the creators of the flood warning system, “Probably they were like a fantasy or a kind of science-fiction movie for people.”

This reality appears to contradict the scholarly consensus that people tend to over-estimate rather than under-estimate rare events. Noted a scholar, “when asked to estimate the probability of a tail event, people tend to overestimate this probability.” For example, “people significantly overestimate the frequency of rare causes of death.”

But in other instances, people under-estimate rare events. One of the most famous cases was illuminated by author Nassim Taleb. In the run-up to the 2008 U.S. financial crisis, many investors believed the risks of severe collapse were low.

Why do some people overestimate some risks while others underestimate them? Does it just depend on the person? On the risk? Is it just random?

Part of the answer comes from something psychologists call the “availability heuristic.” People tend to evaluate the likelihood of an event based on how easily they can remember instances of it occurring in the past. Is the memory readily “available” or “unavailable”?

In 2007, it was hard for many people to remember a financial crisis like the one that was likely to occur. Likewise, it was hard for many Germans to remember flooding as bad as they experienced, and thus ignored the risks.

“The management of flooding around the world has been a great success story of the past 100 years,” noted Roger Pielke, Jr., a leading expert on the relationship between disasters and climate change. “But maintaining preparedness in the face of very rare events outside our experiences can be difficult. While the large loss of life we saw over the past week was not uncommon in Europe as recently as the 1960s, the last period of elevated flooding in western Europe was more than a century ago.”

Psychological research suggests political ideology likely plays a role. The people who live in the areas more likely to be flooded tend to be more rural, more conservative, and less alarmist. The people who live in areas less likely to be flooded tend to be more urban, liberal, and alarmist. “We’re at the very beginning of a climate and ecological emergency,” tweeted Greta Thunberg, “and extreme weather events will only become more and more frequent.”

Thunberg may be right. Greater warming is likely to bring more rain to some parts of the world. But it’s also the case that more rain is likely to become less deadly and damaging, as it has over the last 150 years.

There has been a 92 percent ­decline in the per-decade death toll from natural disasters since its peak in the 1920s. In that decade, 5.4 million people died from natural disasters. In the 2010s, just 0.4 million did. Globally, the five-year period ending in 2020 had the fewest natural disaster deaths of any five-year period since 1900.

The decline in deaths from disasters ­occurred during a period when the global population nearly quadrupled and temperatures rose more than 1 degree centigrade over pre-industrial levels. Even poor, climate-vulnerable nations like Bangladesh saw deaths decline massively thanks to low-cost weather surveillance and warning systems and storm shelters.

Such disasters will also make climate change even more of a “wicked problem,” meaning that many people have an interest in pointing fingers. Local officials have an interest in blaming the federal government for the failure of the flood warning system. Federal officials have an interest in blaming local governments for failing to properly manage dams. The designers and operators of the flood warning system have an interest in blaming individuals. Individuals have an interest in blaming anyone but themselves. And climate activists have an interest in blaming climate change.

“Of course, there is much more to do to reduce exposure and vulnerability,” said Pielke. “But the good news is that we know how to prepare for and mitigate the impacts of floods. That is a lesson of every flood disaster.”

Vintage Day At The Iron Horse Saloon
Mon, August 9, 2021

Iron Horse Saloon & Cycle Source Magazine Present The Annual Sturgis Gathering Of Antique Motorcycles.

Light Lunch provided for All Card Carrying AMCA Members by the Iron Horse Saloon – Sturgis Old Time Field Games WIth Antique Motorcycles At Noonish.

Visit https://cyclesource.com

by Gillian Francis from https://leaderpost.com

“I’m not going to say it’s all because of SGI, but I’d say three-quarters of it is.”

In just over three years, Robb Hertzog, owner of the Regina motorcycle dealership Prairie Harley Davidson (click here), estimates he’s lost well over $1 million worth of sales.

“I’m not going to say it’s all because of SGI, but I’d say three-quarters of it is,” he said in an interview Thursday, adding that skyrocketing insurance rates for motorcycles are leading to a decline in the amount of customers he receives.

Hertzog is one of many business owners in the motorcycle industry who have voiced concerns about the increasing expenses for bike owners. SGI is considering upping insurance rates again, by 15 per cent for insurance premiums greater than $1,000 and by $25 to $150, for those that total $1,000 or less, leaving businesses with increasingly dire prospects.

“They just can’t afford to ride anymore,” Hertzog said. “My younger clients are just not getting into it because when your monthly rate is as much or more than your loan payments, it makes it very, very difficult.”

Earlier this week, an SGI spokesperson told the Leader-Post that increasing fees are part of a plan to rebalance insurance rates. This would lead to an annual rate decrease for some types of vehicles and in an increase for vehicles like motorcycles that are perceived to have higher accident risk. A latest proposed rate increase is being reviewed by The Saskatchewan Rate Review Panel.

Insurance rates for new models with large engines, like Harley cruisers, can range from $2,000 to $3,000 per year. While this is enough to dissuade individual motorists from buying, there is also a chain reaction that extends to other parts of the industry as well.

Hertzog explained the number of motorcyclists attending their community events and fundraisers is down by half, leading to a decrease in charity funding of a few thousand dollars, and his bike repair team is getting fewer clients now that people are riding less frequently.

Collin Cossette, owner of Action Cycle in Moose Jaw, switched from selling street models to off-road bikes, a decision motivated by a variety of factors unrelated to insurance, including losing a franchise. He said the demand for street models is not strong enough for him to want to go back.

The few street bikes he continues to carry, have remained untouched for years, brands that would have sold in the hundreds a decade ago. Most dealerships in his area, he said, have lost around 80 per cent of their sales now that more expensive models come with high insurance.

Rick Bradshaw, owner of Schrader’s Motors in Yorkton, estimated insurance rates have increased around 67 per cent in the past decade, causing their street bike sales to decrease from 50 per year to 20.

Most of the clients who visit Schrader’s are older adults who have more disposable income, while younger cohorts are dissuaded by the expense. Prior to the insurance hike, he said more young women were taking an interest in the sport than ever before, but he believes expense has since reduced this trend.

“You can be a high performance car enthusiast and buy a $100,000, loaded-up, 600 horsepower BMW car and you don’t pay any more for that car based on value … But for motorcyclists with the same zero clean record and no accidents, if that bike happens to have a bigger engine or more horsepower all of a sudden you’re penalized dramatically,” he said.

As for Hertzog, he thinks raising awareness of the issue is key to creating change.

“We’ve got to find a way to get people out riding and enjoy life, but it will be a bit of a cost on SGI,” he said. “But the cost of that is worth a lot because I think the industry and the sales and the amount of jobs that were lost are way more money than SGI will ever have lost.”

by Andrew Cherney from https://www.cycleworld.com

The brand’s sleekest and most fun ebike yet. The lightweight, agile FXE is a new addition to Zero’s 2022 lineup.

• In a segment full of either high-priced, tech-heavy options or cheap flimsy junk, the FXE is a step in the right direction, especially for commuters not too concerned with range. It’s also a ton of fun.
• The design adds a minimal, supermoto style onto the existing FX platform for a more modern, updated feel.
• Steel frame holds the tried-and-true ZF 75-5 air-cooled motor in the FXE, rated at 46 hp. The 7.2kWh battery is not removable.
• Certain design elements like the front headlight design (an LED) and “beak” got carried over directly from the Huge Design concept bike.
• The bike’s light weight and short wheelbase make it easy to work turns, with good lean angle and sticky Pirelli tires aiding in your attack. You can drag the kickstand if you’re super aggressive though.
• The relaxed, commuter-friendly riding position is even more upright than the SR/F’s but it makes for a comfy perch (except at higher speeds).
• You’ll find the Cypher II operating system on the FXE displayed on a new 5-inch TFT screen, giving various ride modes and bike data. Pair your phone with the app to tailor them and get more detailed info.
• Stylish cast wheels hold grippy Pirelli Diablo Rosso II tires, which upped our confidence in deeper high-speed turns.
• The rear Showa monoshock delivers nearly 8 inches of travel for an impressively stable ride.
• Inverted Showa fork is adjustable. J.Juan brakes offer excellent feel and good stopping power, and ABS can be turned off.

2022 Zero FXE Specifications
MSRP: $11,795
Motor: ZF 75-5 air-cooled IPM motor
Battery: 7.2kWh (max capacity) lithium-ion integrated battery
Charger type: 650W integrated
Charge time: 9.7 hours to 100% w/ standard 110V or 220V input
Claimed Range: 60 miles highway, 100 miles city, 75 miles combined
Claimed Peak power: 46 hp @ 3,500 rpm
Claimed Peak torque: 78 lb.-ft.
Top speed: 85 mph
Transmission: Clutchless direct drive
Final Drive: Carbon belt
Frame: Steel trellis
Front Suspension: 41mm inverted Showa fork, spring preload, compression and rebound damping adjustable; 7.0 in. travel
Rear Suspension: Showa 40mm piston monoshock, spring preload, compression and rebound damping adjustable; 8.9 in. travel
Front Brake: 1-piston J.Juan floating caliper, 320mm disc w/ Bosch Gen 9 ABS
Rear Brake: 1-piston J.Juan floating caliper, 240mm disc w/ Bosch Gen 9 ABS
Wheels, Front/Rear: Cast alloy; 17 x 3 in. / 17 x 3.5 in.
Tires, Front/Rear: Pirelli Diablo Rosso II; 110/70-17 / 140/70-17
Rake/Trail: 24.4°/2.8 in.
Wheelbase: 56.0 in.
Seat Height: 32.9 in.
Claimed Curb Weight: 299 lb.
Standard warranty: 2 years
Contact: zeromotorcycles.com

Conventional wisdom says there will be more EVs on the street within the next five to 10 years, and our urban roadscape will look a lot different than it does now. But conventional wisdom usually skips over the equally important notion that attracting riders means you have to innovate while also being sensitive to price, particularly in the electric space. Zero seems to be tackling those talking points, at least partially, with the reveal of the new 2022 FXE, a compact and affordable supermoto-styled commuter machine it’s billing as “the motorcycle of tomorrow, available today.”

Building the bike of tomorrow is a tall order, even for an electric motorcycle manufacturer, but when Zero took the wraps off its new machine last month near the firm’s HQ in Santa Cruz, California, our group of assorted moto scribes nodded. Here indeed was a very different looking electric bike—especially for the sometimes dowdy two-wheel electric space. And yet a mind-blowing revelation it was not, especially if you’re looking at the spec sheet alone. From a design standpoint, the slim, starkly modern supermoto-styled machine felt instantly appealing—even if it looked an awful lot like a deconstructed riff on the WR450, or more accurately, a close cousin of the brand’s already supermoto-y FXS model. But how would it hold up on the street?

n the FXE’s case, form did not have to follow function—or not as rigorously as previous models, which adopted more familiar shapes to make them appealing to the general public, according to Zero. But now, says VP of Product Development Brian Wismann, the consumer is ready for updated designs, which explains why the FXE, a model based on a concept collaboration with Huge Design back in 2019, is here. Although it’s built on the brand’s existing FX platform, the partnership with Huge introduced a completely new design language, informed mainly by stripped-down panels of bodywork. (The concept bike was in fact built on an FXS model, and you can see the similarities.) On the FXE, the so-called essential surfaces—seats, body panels, touch points—are intended to look like they’re floating over the chassis. The distinctive styling radiates modern industrial design aesthetics, while “celebrating the electric drivetrain” says Wismann.

When we sidled up to the FXE at a secret staging location outside of town—Zero shrewdly had us ride older SR/Fs and SR/Ss to where the new bikes were stashed—we were struck by just how approachable the profile was. A sane seat height welcomed even the shorties in the bunch, with the 32.9-inch perch making for easy access and a riding position similar to that of a dirt bike, not super aggressive but sitting atop the slightly dished, mostly flat seat, with a fairly short reach to the tallish bars. Mid-mounted pegs were ideally located, not too far forward or rearward, providing an upright stance in the saddle—even more than the SR/F I had just gotten off of. The compact body panels make for a clean look, though they did splay outward from below the faux fuel tank, pushing my knees out into the wind. They basically made it impossible to grip the tank as you normally might, but it was more minor inconvenience than any real annoyance.

With the ergonomics checking out, I put the FXE into Sport mode and let ‘er rip. Even though I sort of knew what to expect, the instant torque pop of an electric motor never fails to put a big grin on your face. Yes, 46 horses might not sound like much, but the eerily silent power pulse from the air-cooled ZF 75-5 motor is more than enough to turn your head, especially in its immediacy; the throttle felt far more responsive than the SR/F we had just ridden, possibly because the FXE’s substantially smaller mass and less unsprung weight made for quicker power transfer. With its narrow waist and short wheelbase, I found I could easily push the FXE into and through even the harshest decreasing-radius turns we tackled among the Santa Cruz redwoods. The bike did not fight me on quick transitions as much as expected, with the sticky Pirellis giving me all kinds of confidence throughout a half-day stint in mountain twisties. And with no need to worry about shifting, you’re free to focus on the next apex. Or to just blast to the 85-mph top speed, which I did whenever we hit a straight stretch of road. Why not, right?

Zero also outfitted the FXE with its now-familiar J.Juan brakes and bolstered by a Bosch ABS system, so stops were also a stress-free affair, with easy lever pull giving a strong bite and solid stopping power and almost no fade. (ABS can be turned off as well.) With 7 inches of travel, the inverted, adjustable Showa fork soaked up almost every road deformity we came across (except for one unexpected curb hop) staying composed even in truly harsh divots. Holding the line out back is an equally resilient—and adjustable—Showa monoshock that tracked solidly throughout our short ride.

As with the FX, the FXE also leverages Zero’s Cypher II operating system, which here is married to a new 5-inch optically bonded TFT display that proved bright and easy to read. You can access ride modes—it comes preprogrammed with Eco and Sport—and tailor torque, speed, and brake regeneration from the free Zero app, which also gives you insight to battery status. We can’t speak to range, given our short ride day—Zero claims 100 miles of city riding from the 7.2kWh (peak) battery, with 60 miles of range claimed on the highway, at 55 mph. The display screen showed less than 20 percent of charge remaining after our 50-mile stint, which was a mix of high- and low-speed scenarios, and that feels fairly close to the claim. According to Zero, the onboard 650W charger will top off the battery in 9.7 hours off a standard household socket; a rapid charger available for additional cost will do the job in a little more than 3 hours.

In sum, we’re not entirely buying the “bike of tomorrow” tagline, but the FXE does manage to serve up a grin-inducing blend of instant acceleration, flickability, and easy steering. Perhaps even more tantalizing is the sub-$10K price tag; yes, you’re getting a somewhat short range bike, but at least that obstacle is being somewhat addressed. Of course that sub-10K number rings true only once you tally in the federal and California EV tax credits, but hey, $10K is $10K.

Considering H-D’s lowest priced electric offering, the just-released LiveWire One, runs upward of $20K, and any bike called Lightning, Energica, Tarform, or Damon is well north of there, you’ve gotta hand it to Zero for compiling a portfolio of four models priced under $12K, all coming with a warranty and dealer support.

The dual sport FX sits at $11,595, the entry-level FXS is at $11,295, the naked S is priced at $10,995, and now the FXE at $11,795. All four either are or can be configured with the ZF 7.2 powertrain, which, granted, is not the fastest or most top-of-the-line offering, but it does help make the FXE one of the most affordable models in the Zero line.

You can check it out yourself at some of the upcoming stops of the IMS tour (starting with Sonoma Raceway on July 16) and bikes should be in dealers later this month as well.

from https://kgab.com

Off Road Recreational Vehicle’s are a great way to explore Wyoming, but being safe is something you need to take seriously.

An ORV is described by WyoParks.wyo.gov as off-road motorcycles, ATVs and 4-wheel drive vehicles primarily used off-road. https://wyoparks.wyo.gov/index.php/orv-trails

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (click here) started keeping track of the number of deaths involving ATV’s in 1982. A report was released a couple years ago that gave the total number of deaths in each state, Washington DC and Puerto Rico due to ATV’s with 3, 4 or more wheels. The report spanned from 1982 to 2017 and Wyoming came in near the bottom of the list at #47 with 71 lives were lost. Texas was at the top of the list with 831 lives lost.

In Wyoming, thousands of ORV’s are purchased every year and on a daily basis you can see them on trailers, in trucks or riding around trails & roads. Safety measures are put in place to keep the deaths, injuries and accidents down. Wyo Parks has a great list of safety tips, available on their website Wyoparks.wyo.gov (Click Here), that would be a great idea to become familiar with and teach your kids the proper ways of ORV riding.

Wyoming has over 640 miles of trails available all over the state available for use by anyone. Of course you need to be familiar with the trail usage rules put in place to ensure safety for you and others using the trails. The Wyoming State ORV Program (Click Here) has worked along side other state and federal organizations to identify roads, trails and open areas that are suitable for riding your ORV.

If you’re heading out on an ORV trip make sure you have a map, stay on the designated trails, be prepared for weather, make sure your equipment is in top working order, take water & snacks and wear a helmet & protective clothing. Have fun and be safe!