Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure unveiled its 2021 highway bill, titled the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation (INVEST) in American Act. As you may remember, every five years Congress is required to reauthorize many of the highway related spending bills it passes. The current highway bill, known as the FAST Act, was given a one-year extension last year and is set to expire in September of 2021. The bill introduced Friday is a key component of the major infrastructure spending push the Biden Administration has made a top priority. For the last two years, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation and its members have diligently educated and lobbied lawmakers about the need to include motorcyclist specific priorities in a new highway bill. These grassroots efforts were given a boost with the inclusion of three major motorcyclist specific items in the bill. The Democrat lead bill includes the following provisions in its nearly 1,300 pages of text:

1. Expanded prohibition on motorcycle only check points, including prohibiting using the clothing or apparel of riders or their passengers to profile or target bikers.
2. Reestablishment of the Motorcyclist Advisory Council, which gives bikers a voice within the Federal Highway Administration. Included in the bill, a seat on the council is specifically designated for a “representative of a national motorcycle foundation.”
3. Inclusion of motorcycles as a specific category that autonomous vehicle studies must account for during the testing of this new technology. Additionally, a motorcyclist rights organization is assigned a seat on an autonomous vehicle working group at the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The road ahead for a massive infrastructure plan remains uncertain. Negotiations between the House, Senate and White House will be contentious and as always political. However, what is certain is that the work of MRF members has ensured that motorcyclists are being heard in Washington, D.C. and as this newly released legislation shows they are being prioritized.

by Elle Cabrera from https://www.thespectrum.com

K-9 division of DWR gets help from Christian Motorcyclists Association for dog vests

The St. George chapter of the Christian Motorcyclists Association hosted a motorcycle ride and fundraiser Saturday for K-9 vests.

The CMA-Truth messengers are a group of motorcyclists who travel all over Utah to bless motorcycles and participate in fundraising to help the community. They partnered with the Vietnam Veterans of St. George and Zion Harley Davidson to host this event, which raised more than $1,500 for protective K-9 vests for the Division of Natural Resources and Wildlife.

“We want to support law enforcement in any way we can. We go around to local police departments, the St. George Police department, blessing their motorcycles and their staff,” said Steven Gaither, president of the CMA chapter in St. George. Gaither is also retired from law enforcement.

The fundraiser had food provided by the Veterans and K-9 demonstrations done by the DNR. They brought both tracking and defense dogs to showcase the need for protective vests.

“All of our dogs to tracking, they all do article search and detection work. So, wildlife detection is our specialty in the detection field,” Conservation officer and Lead K-9 trainer Josh Carver said.

These officers specialize in looking for bear poachers and searching for people out in the wild. Often, these dogs will track remains and possibly the poachers themselves which means they’re searching for someone who is potentially armed. These vests can make the difference between life and death for these dogs.

“Tracking is another thing we take pride in. That’s something that we either do for search and rescue, which we love to help when we can, but we do a lot of tracking bad guys-fugitives, trespasser, you name it,” Carver said.

Tracking is a large part of what the DNR does with the K-9 unit. The dogs are picked as early as eight weeks old and their training begins shortly after. Utah K-9s are certified in two states and require 400 hours of work.

To get involved with the CMA visit http://cmaswr2.org/UT/TRUTHMESSENGERS/default.aspx.

To learn more about the DWR K-9 unit visit https://wildlife.utah.gov/news/officers-on-patrol.html.

by Angie Trindade from https://www.wane.com

ABATE Foundation motorcycle organization kicked off its 32nd annual ride in Fort Wayne with strong turnout.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – ABATE Foundation, or American Bikers Aimed Toward Education, hosted its 32nd annual Mayor’s Ride.

The ride started at The Plumbers and Steamfitters Local Union 166, 2930 in Fort Wayne and ended after an hour-long ride to Decatur.

Fort Wayne motorcycle enthusiasts arrived in droves to register around 9 in the morning. They were set to ride by 11 a.m. Event organizer and Region Zero Secretary of Abate, Sherri Gordon, said she was thrilled with the strong turnout this year. ABATE was unable to host this event last year due to COVID.

“I’m definitely pleased with the turnout this year,” said Gordon, “And we’re hoping to get to where it used to be 15 years ago where we had almost a thousand bikes.”

The Mayor’s Ride originally started in Indy with the Governor’s Ride but then other Indiana counties joined in on the fun for Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month.

“It’s all about motorcycle safety, promoting it. People need to be aware, stay off your devices. Watch out, we are out there. We are somebody’s mother, brother, sister, husband, wife, and grandmother, just listen for us and watch out.”

Gordan was assisted by her fellow chapter members Jeff Eads, Dekalb County Rep, and Jamie Swagart, Adams Wells Rep. Eads was eager for the ride considering last year’s cancelation.

“It’s been wonderful,” Eads said, “We are so glad to see people together. Just this many bikes together, it’s good to see our brothers and sisters riding with each other again.”

by Stuart Price from https://www.fourstateshomepage.com

JOPLIN, MO – Today was an ideal day to spend on a motorcycle, and that’s what a large group of riders did.

A group, that made its only official stop in the state of Missouri, in Joplin.

Hideout Harley-Davidson in Joplin was the one and only stop in the Show-Me State for the Nation of Patriots motorcycle ride.

An event that takes a single American flag on tour throughout the U.S. which starts on Memorial Day and ends on Labor Day.

Roger Beckley, who spent nearly 30 years in the U.S. Army had the honor of bearing the flag through his native state of Kansas.

“I retired in 2009. I’ve been to Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait, in today’s world, I don’t know how much respect is still out there for this flag and so when we can put it on a bike and ride it down the road and people see it coming, it makes them think what it is and what’s it stand for,” Says Beckley.

Beckley took an oath to carry the flag to honor the nation’s veterans, the enlisted, and their families.

On Saturday many of these same riders will be joined by others from Arkansas for its next destination, which will be fort smith, before eventually making its way back to Nevada.

This is the 12th year for the event and each year it starts and ends in the same state, this year it ends in Las Vegas.

But veterans aren’t the only riders who take part in the event, so do people like Ryan Mitchell, the regional commander for the Nation of Patriots, who rides with the procession through three of the four states: Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas.

He says it’s his chance to serve those that did serve their country.

“Raising money and helping veterans, I’m not a veteran but I do everything I can to help veterans and so this just fills my heart to see all these bikes and all these people show up and raise money to help the veterans that need it, um they’ve already gave us our freedom, it’s time for us to give them their freedom back.” Says Mitchell.

Once the flag makes it back to its state of origin, it’s retired and donated to a worthy veteran or volunteer.

by Phil West from https://www.motorcyclenews.com

Who said Royal Enfields weren’t fast? Not Mid-Life Cycles, the dealer behind this special Interceptor 650 which recently posted a record 132mph at the Australian equivalent of Bonneville Speed Week.

Called the Sabre, the machine is based on a 2019 Interceptor 650 but puts out around 70bhp (up from 47bhp) and has been built to show the bike’s potential and as a test bed for parts and accessories to be offered to the public.

Created to conform to the ‘M-F 650’ class, an unfaired, production-based formula, the intention was to compete at 2020’s Speed Week at Lake Gairdner in South Australia, a salt lake similar to Bonneville in Utah, USA.

The pandemic scuppered those plans – until now, as rider Charlie Hallam posted a class record of 121.78mph first time out before gradually setting a new standard of 132.05mph. Not bad for an air-cooled, OHC parallel twin displacing just 648cc.

The engine has, of course, been heavily reworked, by specialists HRA Geelong. Although capacity is unchanged, as per the rules, the crank has been balanced, rods shot-peened and new pistons added to help raise compression to a heady 11:1 requiring 98 RON fuel.

Head and ports have been modified to flow as much fuel as possible and there are special custom valves while the single camshaft is now HRA’s ‘Competition Profile 1286 Racing Camshaft’. Open race pipes exit each side, the transmission’s gears were recut to reduce friction and special sprockets were made.

Although the frame is stock, the swingarm has been lengthened to the maximum permissible, suspension replaced by Öhlins front and rear, wheels are lighter, wider alloys, and ultra low clip-on bars and a more aerodynamically efficient front mudguard were fitted. Now the plan is for Mid-Life to offer performance and big-bore kits for the road.

“The 650 really lends itself to performance mods,” said Mid-Life Cycles CEO Michael Catchpole. “So we set out to build a Salt Racer using the standard Interceptor frame, as dictated by M-F-650 rules, but with a modified engine.

“We’ve kept the 648cc capacity but used various turning parts including a special cam developed by Hallam Racing. We’re also developing performance kits for the Interceptor and GT 650 road bikes based on using this cam, in Stage One, Stage Two, and Stage Three versions.”

Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 breaks 4-year-old speed record at over 212 km/h
by https://www.financialexpress.com

The Mid Life Cycles’ Interceptor was entered in Class M-F 650, for 650cc un-streamlined motorcycles running commercial unleaded fuel. The old record of 191.93 km/h was set at Lake Gairdner in 2016.

Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 has broken a long-standing speed record in Australia. Mid Life Cycles’ Interceptor 650 Salt Racer has set the class record at the annual Speed Week run at Lake Gairdner, South Australia. The Interceptor 650 Twin broke the four-year-old class record on each of its runs, leaving the new mark at 212.514 km/h. The Mid Life Cycles’ Interceptor was entered in Class M-F 650, for 650cc un-streamlined motorcycles running commercial unleaded fuel. The old record of 191.93 km/h was set at Lake Gairdner in 2016.

The remarkable record was broken by Charlie Hallam on day one of Speed Week (Monday 8 March 2021), with his first run at 194.85 km/h. He backed that up with a 197.76 km/h pass, for a provisional record of 196.3 km/h.

On the morning of day two of the Speed Week, the Interceptor 650 clocked 206.29 km/h and 208.32 km/h for a new provisional record of 207.31 km/h. Charlie believed there was a little more to come.

That afternoon, the Interceptor ran 208.59 km/h and was then impounded overnight until it could do a back-up run the next morning. This run, under increasingly stormy skies, saw a stunning 214.04 km/h top speed, for a new record of 211.28 km/h.

The traditional twin-loop steel frame was carried over from the road bike to the racer, with minimal modifications allowed under the class rules.

This is the second time that we have established a remarkable feat with the Twins, in 2018, the Bonneville Racer recorded an impressive top speed of over 159 mph at Bonneville Salt Flats and this speed record is yet another remarkable feat for us. This recognition validates the tremendous progress we continue to make in our journey and we hope this will inspire many more motorcyclists to push their boundaries and achieve the pursuit of excellence, Vinod Dasari, CEO, Royal Enfield, said.

by Arian Movileanu from https://www.zenger.news

Bike-mad fan’s creations have turned him into a social-media star.

YouTuber and amateur sculptor Henry Goncalves has a singular passion: producing life-size cardboard replicas of motorcycles

Goncalves, 19, makes replicas of real-life cycles at his home in Sao Jose do Rio Preto, Brazil.

“I’ve always found it easy to do that kind of thing: build, assemble, draw, etc.,” he says. “When I was little, I saw a video of a guy who made a Porsche at home, so I always wanted to make a car, too.”

By last year, Goncalves gained an online following for his original image editing.

“That’s when I thought: Why not assemble a motorcycle? It seemed crazy, but I needed to start this project.

“In the beginning, a lot of people doubted it, and I understand. Before I made these bikes, it was really hard to imagine something like that. But I made the bikes, a lot of people like them, and I still make them today.”

Henry used to paint houses with his dad. However, these days, he gets his income solely from his popular YouTube videos on his Robertahornet channel, which has 169,000 subscribers.

“I always wanted to become popular with something. This was not my first attempt. I remember in 2014, I posted my first video on YouTube, and since then, I’ve never stopped trying. I’ve had several channels, on several subjects, but they seemed to always going wrong in some way, until I finally found the one that worked for me.”

Henry fashions his motorcyclereplicas from cardboard, PVC pipe and screws.

Given trial and error, Goncalves said it took him 10 months to build his first motorcycle, a Honda Hornet. But his next effort went much faster, even though the construction was more complicated.

“The second bike was the one from the video that went viral, the [BMW] R1200. It took four months to make. If we compare, the 1200 is much more difficult than the Hornet, but with the 1200, I already had a certain amount of experience, so it was easier to do.”

Goncalves admits he was always a car guy.

“Since I was a kid, I’ve always liked cars. I was hugely influenced by the Fast and Furious movies and the Need For Speed video games.

“For a long time, the appeal of bikes never made much sense to me. But that changed when a friend of my father’s arrived with a Hornet. At that moment, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I said to myself: I have to have one of these.”

As for the future, Goncalves wants to keep his present fame in perspective, and also build something even more ambitious than two-wheelers.

“I know I’m never going to be up there forever, so it’s important to bond with people who like you and don’t abandon you in the future,” he said of the first point.

As for the second, he’d like to tackle creating a cardboard house.

This Month Has it All – Ready to Dive in?

Summer’s here and so are the Races.

It’s time to finally introduce you to the ladies of Build.Train.Race. Road Racing, as we expand yet again. This month will be jam-packed with celebrating these ladies’ hard work, the debut of their motorcycle builds at MotoAmerica at Road America June 11th-13th, & get them ready for their first race at the end of July in Brainerd, Minnesota.

The weekend is kicking off with the official reveal of the custom Continental GT 650s at the Moto Union X Royal Enfield Open House at Moto Union in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Join us Thursday, June 10th from 5-7pm to see the bikes & meet the riders. With a special appearance by professional road racer & MotoAmerica crew chief Melissa Paris, live DJ, a chance to win free MotoAmerica tickets & more!

Flat Track Racing
The ladies had a great time in Texas unveiling all their hard work during the build phase. They were even more excited to hit the track for the first time at the Chicago Half-Mile. Catch up with all that’s been happening now! Then get ready because the next race is almost here – High Voltage Races in Elkhorn, Wisconsin is June 6th.

ROYAL ENFIELD JUNE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

B.T.R. ROAD RACING

June 4th & 5th | Belding, Michigan

The ladies put their motorcycles through their paces for their first official practice session at Grattan Raceway.

ROYAL ENFIELD SLIDE SCHOOL

June 4th & 5th | Verona, Wisconsin

Johnny Lewis & Moto Anatomy are showing you how to get sideways at S&S Cycle Speed Ranch. Grab your spot!

B.T.R. FLAT TRACK

June 6th | Elkhorn, Wisconsin

Whose taking home the checkered flag this round? It’s sure to be a great race.

MOTO UNION X ROYAL ENFIELD

June 10th | Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Come out to Moto Union X Royal Enfield Open House to see the B.T.R. Road Racers reveal their builds, win free MotoAmerica tickets, & more!

B.T.R. ROAD RACING DEBUT W/ AT ROAD AMERICA

June 11th – 13th | Elkhart, Wisconsin

This is it, the ladies of Build.Train.Race. are taking to the track for their first official MotoAmerica race of the 2021 season. The weekend is packed with things to do – get your tickets now!

AMERICAN FLAT TRACK

June 26th | Lima, Ohio

Moto Anatomy Powered by Royal Enfield with rider Johnny Lewis is back at it and ready to take home the win. We hope to see you at the track. Get your tickets now!

JUST ANNOUNCED! ROYAL ENFIELD AT FULL IMS TOUR

July – November

Curious about how the new Meteor 350 takes to the road or still haven’t been able to stop thinking about a Twin? You’re in luck! Royal Enfield will be at every stop for the IMS Show 2021 which means a demo ride is waiting for you. So which stop will we be seeing you at?

Laconia Motorcycle Week® Welcoming Press Conference Thursday, June 10, 2021 at North East Motor Sports Museum at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, 922 NH Route 106, Loudon, NH 03397.

The 98th Anniversary of Laconia Motorcycle Week® begins Saturday, June 12th, 2021 and the Laconia Motorcycle Week® Association invites all media personnel to help us kick-off this year’s Rally at the Welcoming Press Conference hosted by North East Motor Sports Museum at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Thursday, June 10th from 11:00AM to Noon.

Cynthia Makris, President of the Laconia Motorcycle Week® Association, will moderate. Scheduled to appear are:

• Governor Chris Sununu
• Captain Bill Haynes – NH State Police Highway Safety Office
• Laconia Police Chief Matt Canfield & Laconia Fire Chief Kirk Beattie
• Laconia Mayor Andrew Hosmer & Laconia City Manager Scott Myers
• Phil Warren – Meredith Town Manager
• Chief Mark C. Armaganian | Director of Enforcement | NH Liquor Commission
• David McGrath – New Hampshire Motor Speedway
• Tom Day – Gunstock Mountain Resort
• Bob Coy – United States Classic Racing Association
• Tom Netishen – North East Motor Sports Museum
• Jennifer Anderson & Charlie St. Clair- Laconia Motorcycle Week Association

Media inquiries and to RSVP, please Contact Jennifer Anderson – 603-387-6628 or info@laconiamcweek.com.

Daily Rally Press Conferences for Laconia Motorcycle Week® will occur at the Naswa Resort (1086 Weirs Boulevard) from Monday June 14th through Friday June 18th at 9AM.

www.LaconiaMCWeek.com

Paaschburg & Wunderlich USA, LLC, 16315 Monterey Rd., Ste. 100 Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Contact: Holger Mohr, Holger.Mohr@pwonline.us

HIGHSIDER(TM) Custom Motorcycle Components Now Available in the USA
German Engineered – For whatever you ride!

(Morgan Hill, CA, June 4, 2021) — Paaschburg & Wunderlich USA, LLC, the North American subsidiary of the leading European distributor, announces the launch of its premium Highsider brand for the North American market.

Featuring modern styling, efficient technology, and superior quality, the initial product launch includes mirrors, headlights, turn signals, taillights, and related accessories such as handlebar weights, handlebar grips and load equalizers. High functionality, innovative design, and value for price paid are the brand’s hallmarks. Most Highsider components are TUV or EC-Approved, a certification not necessary in the U.S. but an indication of Highsider‘s rigorous testing and quality stance.

Founded in 2008 by Paaschburg & Wunderlich GmbH, Highsider is Europe’s market leader for innovative lighting technology and high-quality motorcycle accessories. According to company Co-owner and CEO, Dr. Oliver Moosmayer, this expansion across the pond follows the company philosophy of “Progress Instead of Stagnation.”

“We are extremely proud and happy to announce the creation of our U.S. organization and the official launch of the Highsider brand in North America. It has always been part of our plan to bring our innovative products to the U.S. market with local inventory and pricing in U.S. dollars to make it very convenient to shop for our products,” said Moosmayer.

Paaschburg and Wunderlich teamed up for the strategic planning and execution of this new venture with industry executive veteran Holger Mohr, who will lead the day-to-day operations as President. “I am extremely excited to lead the efforts in bringing this distinctive brand and product line to riders in the States,” said Mohr. “Nothing gets me more fired up than cool, inventive motorcycle parts, and Highsider is just that.”

“Highsider products are fully stocked and ready to ship from the company warehouse in California. B2B and B2C websites are fully operational. “Our dealers will benefit from the parent company’s proven SAP Business One e-commerce platform, offering efficient interactions and timely communications,”

Mohr added “We have teamed up with WPS and Tucker Powersports for U.S. distribution and are ready to educate dealers about the line.”

For more information about Highsider and the U.S. product portfolio visit www.highsider-us.com Dealers can order online at www.pwonline.us or via phone at 408-465-4555.

From the Beach to the Bikes and the Babes
See all Photos by Jack McIntyre

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