NCOM CONVENTION WELCOMES RIDERS TO AMERICA’S HEARTLAND Mark your calendar now for July 23-25, and plan on joining hundreds of fellow biker’s rights activists from across the country at the 36th annual NCOM Convention at the Holiday Inn Des Moines – Airport, located at 6111 Fleur Drive in Des Moines, Iowa. Some of the nation’s finest Freedom Fighters will address legal and legislative topics of concern to all riders, from helmet laws to anti-profiling to lane-splitting, autonomous vehicles, the fate of internal combustion and much more. In the meantime, the National Coalition of Motorcyclists is requesting that MROs, motorcycle clubs, and riding associations submit the names of those members and supporters who have passed away over the past year, since last October’s NCOM Convention in Indianapolis, so that we may honor their memories with the traditional “Ringing of the Bell” tribute to fallen riders during the opening ceremonies. Dedications should be e-mailed in advance to Bill Bish at NCOMBish@aol.com, or can be hand-delivered at the Convention to “Doc” Reichenbach, NCOM Chairman of the Board. Reserve your hotel room at (515) 287-2400, and mention NCOM for Special Room Rates. OREGON LANE SPLITTING BILL GOES TO THE GOVERNOR After years of legislative attempts, Oregon may soon join with neighboring California and a host of other states that have approved of lane splitting for motorcyclists. The state House of Representatives on Monday, May 17, gave its blessing to Senate Bill 574, a bipartisan proposal that allows motorcyclists to operate in between lanes of traffic under certain circumstances. After a 42-14 vote in the House, preceded by an 18-6 vote in the Senate, the bill now heads to the desk of Governor Kate Brown (D) for her consideration. According to one news source, SB 574 has received more testimony than nearly any other piece of legislation this session, as proponents flooded legislators’ inboxes clamoring for the idea. Their argument: That allowing motorcyclists to bend the normal rules during traffic jams would be good for both safety and improving congestion. Oregon state representative Ron Noble (R-McMinnville), who is himself a rider and who also carried the bill in the House, told Oregon Public Broadcasting KVAL; “It will provide me personally with another option to ride safe.” As described in a Legislative staff report: “Lane Filtering” is “meant to allow motorcycles to continue moving when the general flow of traffic is slowed or stopped, and is meant to prevent overheating of motorcycle engines, rider fatigue, and protect the safety of riders by preventing them from being rear-ended in areas with high levels of traffic congestion.” Under SB 574, motorcyclists are allowed to split lanes only on multi-lane highways with a speed limit of at least 50 mph. When traffic slows to 10 mph or less on those roads, motorcyclists are permitted to ride between cars, at no more than 10 mph faster than the flow of traffic. The law does not apply in school zones or work zones. California has long allowed lane splitting, under different circumstances than Oregon’s bill, and Montana recently passed a law of its own. Utah allows lane filtering when traffic is stopped at an intersection. Hawaii permits motorcyclists to utilize the shoulder when traffic is congested. BIKER ANTI-PROFILING MEASURE INTRODUCED IN CONGRESS More than two years ago, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a nonbinding resolution condemning the discriminatory profiling of motorcyclists by law enforcement (S. Res. 154), and now the U.S. House of Representatives has once again introduced a similar bipartisan measure in the 117th Congress, H. Res. 366; “Promoting awareness of motorcyclist profiling and encouraging collaboration and communication with the motorcycle community and law enforcement officials to prevent instances of profiling.” Sponsored once again by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), the anti-profiling resolution was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on April 30, 2021 to thwart “the illegal use of the fact that a person rides a motorcycle or wears motorcycle related apparel as a factor in deciding to stop and question, take enforcement action, arrest, or search a person or vehicle with or without legal basis under the Constitution of the United States,” as profiling is defined in the resolution. H.R. 366 acknowledges nationwide motorcycle registrations “growing from 3,826,373 in 1997 to 13,158,100 in 2018,” and notes that “complaints surrounding motorcyclist profiling have been cited in all 50 States.” Co-sponsored by Congressman Michael Burgess (R-TX), Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-IL) and Congressman Mark Pocan (D-WI), the bipartisan resolution denotes three actionable items; (1) promotes increased public awareness on the issue of motorcyclist profiling; (2) encourages collaboration and communication with the motorcyclist community and law enforcement to engage in efforts to end motorcyclist profiling; and (3) urges State law enforcement officials to include statements condemning motorcyclist profiling in written policies and training materials. All concerned motorcyclists are encouraged to contact their Congressional Representatives to ask that they join their colleagues as a cosponsor of H.Res.366 and help put a stop to law enforcement unfairly targeting motorcycle riders for traffic stops, questioning and citations. In the meantime, efforts are underway to again include anti-profiling language among other pro-motorcycle provisions in the Biden Administration’s multi-trillion dollar federal highway bill. U.S. MOTORCYCLE SALES WAY UP New-model motorcycle sales among leading brands increased more than 37.2% in the first quarter of 2021, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council Retail Sales Report. The Q1 sales, compared to the same period last year, were up by double digits in every category: on-highway, off-highway, dual-purpose, and scooter. “This is the fourth straight quarter of strong sales numbers, indicating continued and growing interest in riding among new and returning riders,” said Erik Pritchard, MIC president and CEO. “Combine the new-motorcycle sales performance with the pace of tire sales and we know that more riders are putting on more miles.” Year-to-date sales of dual-purpose motorcycles were up the most, by 47%. Off-highway sales were up 45.4%. Scooter sales rose 34.6%, and on-highway motorcycle sales increased 31.4%. EUROPE SEES DOUBLE-DIGIT MOTORCYCLE SALES GROWTH Both here and abroad, new motorcycle sales are booming, with Europe experiencing Q1 year-on-year increase in the double-digits. Despite a tough year for riders and non-riders alike, the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM) reports that things are looking up for the five largest European motorcycle markets – France (+15.1%), Germany, Italy (+47.3%), Spain, and the U.K.– showing a 10.3% overall increase in the number of bikes sold over the same period in 2020. OEMs have so far been reporting good news, as well, with Ducati announcing a 33% rise, Polaris talking about 30% more sales, and Harley-Davidson seeing a 9% increase for the same time period. If the past three quarters give any indication, this trend should hopefully continue. AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE-MAKERS FACING MASSIVE 56% EU IMPORT TARIFF Harley-Davidson and others could face a devastating situation in Europe in less than two months’ time after being slapped with a whopping 833% increase in tariffs. The rise in duty is the latest fallout from an escalating trade war between the old sparring partners of the United States and the European Union. In June 2018, the EU placed a 25% incremental tariff (31% total) on motorcycles imported into the EU from the US. The tariff is scheduled to increase to 50% incremental (56% total) on June 1. Since June 2019, Harley has avoided most of the tariff due to Binding Origin Information (BOI) credentials, with certain Harleys produced at their international manufacturing facilities being subject to just 6% tariffs. However, Harley has since been told by the EU that after a decision by the European Commission their BOI credentials have been revoked, with the full 56% tariffs to be implemented on all products, regardless of origin, effective in June. “This is an unprecedented situation and underscores the very real harm of an escalating trade war to our stakeholders on both sides of the Atlantic,” said Jochen Zeits, CEO of Harley-Davidson. “The potential impact of this decision on our manufacturing, operations and overall ability to compete in Europe is significant. Imposing an import tariff on all Harley-Davidson motorcycles goes against all notions of free trade and, if implemented, these increased tariffs will pose a targeted competitive disadvantage for our products, against those of our European competitors.” As it stands, European bikes imported into the US are subject to tariffs ranging from 1.2% to 2.4% depending on displacement. Zeitz plans to launch an appeal to reverse the recent blow handed out by the EU to remain in the European market. SINGAPORE MOVES TO BAN OLDER MOTORCYCLES Singapore has made a massive statement of intent to curb emissions in the island nation, by completely banning old motorcycles (registered pre-2003) from their roads in 2028. Until that date, and beginning April 1st 2023, stricter noise standards (equivalent to Euro 4) will be adopted, in line with United Nations emissions and exhaust noise levels, levels which are much stricter than those currently in place in the small island nation in Southeast Asia. Those who run older motorcycles will be forced to comply with the new regulations, or face hefty fines, starting in 2023 up until 2028, at which time they will be forced off the road for good. During this time, the Singapore government will offer an incentive to de-register old motorcycles before the 5th April 2023, to the tune of S$3,500 ($2,628 USD), not to buy or scrap affected vehicles, it’s just to de-register them. ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLES PROTECT ENDANGERED AFRICAN WILDLIFE Solar powered electric bikes have been adapted to sneak up on poachers in Africa to help park rangers working to protect endangered wildlife. Swedish firm Cake has built the super-light 80kg Kalk AP (Anti-Poaching) bike for a project that aims to help officials combat the devastating effects of poaching on the continent’s most precious species. The bike isn’t just for use in Africa, and if you buy one (@$28,375 USD), the Kalk company will supply a second ‘twin’ machine as part of a ‘buy-one-give-one’ charity initiative to be delivered to an anti-poaching unit, complete with a solar panel and power station kit that enables the twin bike to operate in the African bush independent from the electric power grid. NO LEFT TURNS Sharing a posting from Bikernet.com, “Why UPS Drivers Don’t Turn Left And You Probably Shouldn’t Either,” you might be interested to know that UPS delivery vans don’t always take the shortest route between stops, with the company giving each driver a specific route to follow including a policy that drivers should never turn through oncoming traffic at a junction unless absolutely necessary. UPS designed their vehicle routing software to eliminate as many left-hand turns as possible (in countries with right-hand traffic). As a result, the company claims it uses 10m gallons less fuel, emits 20,000 tons less carbon dioxide and delivers 350,000 more packages every year. According to www.iflscience.com, “The efficiency of planning routes with its navigation software this way has even helped the firm cut the number of trucks it uses by 1,100, bringing down the company’s total distance travelled by 28.5m miles — despite the longer routes.” QUOTABLE QUOTE: “I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong.” ~ Frederick Douglass (1817-95), Abolitionist & Statesman 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).

by Karassa Stinchcomb from https://www.kxnet.com
by Eloise Ogden from https://www.minotdailynews.com

Berthold farmer and motorcyclist celebrates his 90th birthday in a big way.

Some people say he’s a legend in the motorcycle community. He celebrated a big milestone that some people never get to experience — his 90th birthday.

“You only turn 90 once. It’s a pretty big deal! And for somebody to still be riding at 90 is huge!” said Kelsey Schlag, the marketing manager at Magic City Harley Davidson.

Schlag is talking about Oliver Skinningsrud, better known as Ole.

Ole is an active motorcyclist — even at age 90.

“Ole’s been tickled to death! 90 years old, it’s pretty special somebody 90 can still ride like Ole does,” said David Williamson, Ole’s friend.

The biker community stepped up to throw him this once-in-a-lifetime celebration.

More than 20 bikers from KAHU, Minot Hog Chapter, Norsemen and Ramblers motorcycle clubs rode with Ole to the Magic City Harley Davidson shop from Berthold.

He also received a special escort from the sheriff’s department.

Skinningsrud on his trike, a red Harley-Davidson three-wheeler, led the group of about 45 motorcycle riders from Berthold to Minot, followed by Ward County Sheriff’s Department vehicles with flashing lights. Around 100 people were at the Harley-Davidson dealership for a birthday gathering there.

A Korean War veteran who served in the U.S. Marine Corps, was honored earlier in the day at a noon lunch with friends and neighbors at Carpio’s Senior Citizens Center.

“When Ole found out, oh he just couldn’t believe he was getting escorted!” Williamson said.

“It was wonderful! Yep. They sure did a good job,” Skinningsrud said.

“This is great! I wasn’t expecting all of these people, so I think that really shows how great the biker community is,” Schlag said.

Everyone enjoyed dinner, good conversation and, of course, birthday cake.

“Well, I think it’s awful nice for all these people to come and be a part of this. I didn’t think I was that special!” said Skinningsrud.

And his advice for people who want to live as long as he has is pretty simple.

“Just do what you like to do, I guess. Have a little faith and hope. And, things will work out,” said Skinningsrud.

Happy birthday to Ole!

Fun fact about Ole, he’s had Buzz Aldrin, Willy G and Peter Fonda all at his farm over the years.

by Tim Graves with photos from Sam Burns

That old trike was a real Frankenstein’s monster. She was the back end of a Corvair of a 1960 vintage and a front end of a Honda CB 500. She had a full-size keg gas tank on the chariot bed over the engine. The driver seat was a plastic Baja bucket. The passenger seat was none.

Just a little history of what started me on the biker’s road.

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NHDRO motorcycle drag racing series race coverage report

event: NHDRO $67K Big Bracket Shootout Season Opener presented by Liguori Drag Racing
when: May 13-16, 2021
where: National Trail Raceway, Hebron, Ohio, USA

Lee and Adams Take NHDRO’s $67,000 Shootout

NHDRO’s Brian and Niki Welch have really perfected their Big Money bracket shootout formula with last weekend’s $67,000 Big Bracket Shootout presented by Liguori Drag Racing at National Trail Raceway in Hebron, Ohio. A no-box ladder and delay box ladder (64 bikes each) raced for $33,000 a piece before facing off against each other for a $1,000 bonus. How fair is that for spreading the wealth?

Dustin Lee won the Box side of the ladder (beating Tom Klemme in the final) and the then won the Shootout run-off when Kevin Adams redlit by .010. What’s Dustin going to do with all this money? “I’ll save it for hard times, I guess,” said the owner of Hard Times Parts & Service.

Lee’s racing schedule is very, very full, with limited time for repairs and running his business before getting back out on the road. But it helps to have big time support at home. Dustin talked about having a head gasket issue while racing on Mother’s Day, calling his wife Tamara on the way home and saying “’Figure out where you want to go to dinner for Mother’s Day and we’ll go out to eat.’

“So I get home, I back in the driveway, she comes outside and we get everything situated in the camper and go inside, and she’s got food cooking and everything rolling. She goes ‘Get out to the garage and get to work!’”

So with the repaired bike entered on the Box side of the ladder and his other bike on the No-Box side, Lee figured he was going to see better results in No-Box.

“I was wrong. I got a 12-pack put on me in No-Box, so I got beat.”

But the repaired bike was on autopilot. “I never touched the delay box, I never checked the tire, I never changed my dial-in all day. I just left it alone, raced, and had good lights. First round I was .012, second around I was .008, third round I was .010, then I think I was .014. I started being a little careful. I was .020 and .020. In the final, the No Box-Box run off, I was like .013 or .014. It was one of them days that couldn’t do wrong.

“Also this week was me and my wife’s anniversary of dating, and I have a really good track record on our anniversary weekends. I’ve never lost.”

So with some priorities at home and the biggest win of the weekend already in the bag, Lee decided to pack up and set sail back to Tennessee first thing Saturday morning.

“This is a lot of money to us. It’s more than I’ve ever won. I won twelve grand a few years ago at GALOT. I appreciate everybody that put this on—Brian and Niki, and Liguori for sponsoring the Shootout.

“I’m very blessed. I never thought that I would sell performance race parts or motorcycle parts in general, and drag race as a job. I’m lucky, and then to come here and win is just like a cherry on top.”

While missing the glory of winning the run-off, Adams still collected only $1000 less than Lee. “It was my first race of the year and—wow—what a way to start the year! What a tough field of competitors, and for me to make it through still gives me goose-bumps.”

Adams beat fellow Norwalk racer Joey Brandgard in the No-Box final. “What a great feeling to have people that race at Norwalk be in the finals!” said Kevin. “Joey is going to be a great competitor for years to come.

“I want to thank Brian and Niki Welch first off. They (NHDRO) are the only organization that I feel really support our racing. Not everybody may agree with everything they do, but they really do try to support racing and listen to the racers.

“Next, what can I say to be able to do this with my family at my side—my father who got me started and has supported me and my brother since we were 13, and has been there every step of the way. My wonderful wife, who just lost her father, was there and my two awesome kids Connor and Gavin. It means so much to have them at my side, and my brother Craig who has been my biggest supporter since I was a kid! All my racing family—Lloyd PV Patterson, Tommy Richardson, Sheet Shaker, Buzzy, and all the rest that support me. Thank you!

“And finally to the Kubach’s—Greg and Maria—for supplying me with the awesome bikes and friendship. Greg has been such an inspiration going through and beating bone cancer. What a tough battle he is fighting. Watching him go through that makes me think winning a race is easy!”

Schnitz Racing Top Gas
Schnitz Racing Top Gas 8.20 index champion Jeremy Teasley started his title defense in the right way, pushing Donnie Emerson out the back door (by .003) despite a 16+ MPH bigger speed from Teasley. Jeremy had a .012 advantage at the start.

“Really surprised I pulled off the win,” said Teasley. “I haven’t gave my personal bike any attention, being I’m so busy with work, but she came through. The bike has been awesome from day one since HTP built it.

“It was a perfect weekend. I had a lot of the family around, being a local race to home. I would really like to thank NHDRO’s Brian and Niki Welch for coming to National Trails. It was a great turn out. Seen people I haven’t seen in a long time.

M2.Shocks 8.70 Quick Street
Duane Jackson’s blue Suzuki Hayabusa (every winner discussed so far rode a ‘Busa) resembles Teasley’s in every nearly every aspect—including landing itself in the National Trail winners’ circle. Jackson even beat Teasley’s cousin Chanston Moll in the M2.Shocks 8.70 Quick Street final to get there. Jackson took the tree (.063 to .103) and ran closer to the number (8.75 to 8.76) for the win.

“One thing is that it was a very fun and different atmosphere, because I don’t run that series (NHDRO) and I hope that I could make at least one more this season,” said Jackson. “It was nice to win Quick Street because it’s a faster index then what we have on the East Coast.

“I was just running my lane like I always do, one round at a time. I get to the finals and the kid’s leathers has Teasley written on them (Moll wears an old pair of Jeremy’s) so I knew it was gonna be work. I took the tree and stayed one wheel in front to the finishline.”

Kevin Dennis Insurance Street ET
Jackson wasn’t finished with finals, though, as he also made it to the last round of Kevin Dennis Insurance Street ET. “Runner-up in Street ET was bittersweet. I set a goal out for myself last season when I put the bike together (true hand clutch [THC] and no auto-shifter) to be a challenge for myself since XDA doesn’t allow Gen 2 clutches. Made it to the last five Saturday, then went to the finals Sunday against a buddy of mine, John Markham (AKA Spooky). We saw each other in the quarterfinals and we said we’d see each other in the finals and we did.

“I left the tree .017 to his .076 got down to the bottom and gave him the stripe, thinking I was breaking out.”

Running .002 off his dial is what saved Markham after giving up .059 to Jackson at the starting line. “I couldn’t find the tree all weekend,” said Spooky, who was battling allergies. “My buddies Terry and Ann Muter found me some Visine and immediately my reaction times were better! So big thanks to them.”

Starting with three wins at Ohio Valley’s Derby race, Markham has a string of good fortune on borrowed motorcycles. That string continued with Sunday’s Kevin Dennis Insurance Street ET win on his son Dalton’s half naked ‘Busa. “I guess I need to start riding other people’s bikes. Seems I can find the winner’s circle a lot easier.

“Had a good time. Thanks Brian and Niki for a great weekend—as usual—and to my sponsors Jeff Nelis and Millennium Trailers, Ray Mancini and Xtreme Motorsports, Dan Rudd at MPS Racing, and my son Dalton for letting me ride his awesome bike.”

BB Racing Super Comp 8.90
Joe Klemme took the tree (.053 to .092) and played the stripe (8.98 to 8.94) for the win against Brandon Childress in the BB Racing Super Comp 8.90 index.

“I would like to thank my brother Tom, who owns the bike I was riding in Super Comp and is my racing partner. With Tom getting runner-up on the Box side of the $67,000 Bracket Shootout Friday, we were off to a pretty good start financially as a team for the weekend.

“Saturday’s Pro ET didn’t go as planned, so we focused on Sunday’s schedule, which included the index classes we run. After some hard work by the team as a whole, I found myself in two finals—Dirty 30 and Super Comp—and competing against some very tough competition. I was fortunate enough to come away with a win in Super Comp.

“I would like to dedicate this win to my sister Judy Grothus, who lost her year long fight against cancer on Tuesday following the race. And thanks to the entire racing community for their outpouring of love and support.

Super Comp number one qualifier Mike Nearhoof lost to Tylan Beckelheimer in round 2.

Advanced Sleeve Dirty 30
As noted, Klemme came back around to runner-up in Advanced Sleeve Dirty 30 9.30 index, as Marshall Hutchinson Jr. took the close win this time. Klemme took the tree by .011, but Hutch was .016 closer to the index.

“Well man, it’s a tear-jerker for sure,” said Hutchinson. “It’s my first NHDRO Big Check and it’s the first big win since I lost my mom to colon cancer. My mom helped with my dad to get the bike—formally Rob Schenz’s Super Comp bike. She went into nursing home and never got to see it finished. But she was with me on Sunday.

“I’d like to thank Nola and Marshall Hutchinson Sr., Jaymi and Russell Hutchinson, Tyler Lowe, Bruce Sauer, Thomas Cole, Bruce Damewood, Bill Bullers, and special thanks to National Trail’s Jason Murray and Jay Livingston. Prayers to the Damewoods for there little one Natalie. And of course you sir (referring to this writer/photographer). Thanks for all you do.”

Grothus Dragbikes/Klemme Performance Motorcycles Pro Ultra 4.60
Grothus Dragbikes/Klemme Performance Motorcycles Pro Ultra 4.60 boiled down to a final with two hardcore veteran sportsmen racers—Harvey Hubbard and Dan McCarten. Harvey took both ends of this one, with a slight .002 advantage at the tree and a 4.64 that was .013 quicker than McCarten.

“I won the race thanks to Brunson Grothus,” said Hubbard, a man of few words. “It is a Grothus chassis with a GS platform.”

MTC Pro Street
MTC Pro Street Midwestern powerhouse Quicktime Motorsports struggled with various issues on their trailer full of turbocharged ‘Busas. Team boss Rudy Sanzottera came off the trailer strong, but had a problem that pulled him first to the left, then to the right in his qualifying rounds.

But worse for Rudy was when the cam sensor went bad and kept his bike from starting for a semifinal bye to the final.

Champion (and number one qualifier) Brad Christian’s bike had a spun rod bearing knocking when he started up to burn out for round 1, Brett Ware bogged and died off the line, and Jeff Lindeman’s clutch would not engage for round 2.

All of this left Pro Street first timer Josh Ford as the last man standing. “Man, it’s amazing!” said Ford. “It’s been five years of gathering parts and the last few months of getting it together.”

“In November, we talked about running Pro Street at NHDRO,” said fellow racer and teammate Jeff Dalton. “After going back and forth, it was finally decided to build the nitrous PST bike. Josh and I built the exhaust together. The motor and chassis was built by JD Performance, with Josh assisting in assembly of the chassis. Ryan Schnitz wired up the Motec, and Ryan and I worked together on tuning as we have on several other projects.”

“Last week the bike was finally ‘finished’ and we were able to get a couple heat cycles in it before it finally was moving under its own power Thursday during testing!” said Ford. “Almost every pass was better and more comfortable than the last. We broke almost every personal best of mine this weekend.”

“With eleven passes on the bike and only seven of them being nitrous passes, everything worked well,” noted Dalton. “NHDRO did a great job with track prep and we were able to get some very good data and go fast quick.”

MPS Pro ET
“Sweet” Bruce Sauer beat his old National Trail rival Rod “Spicy” Bland in the Saturday MPS Pro ET final. With only .001 separating them at the tree, it was down to playing the finishline and Bruce took the stripe closer to his dial-in.

“I raced a bunch of great racers to win on Saturday,” said Sauer. “Bradley Shellhouse, Janie Palm, The GOAT Roy Hagadorn, John Markham, and Rod. It was like murders’ row! We had fun and I really liked seeing a bunch of my old Prostar buddies.”

Sunday’s winner was Doug Fisher, who won when Greg Mallett redlit in the other lane. It was a nice turnaround for Fisher, whose RV had a flat tire and brake pad malfunction on the way down from Michigan. There’s a motorhome disaster story at every event, and this time it was Doug’s turn.

“The Doghouse crew helped with repairs—Chad Otts, Angie Smith, Blues and Ronnie. Can’t thank them enough for the good food and helping to get the motorhome back together.”

Fisher’s bad luck was out of the way, and went down to the final eight in both other races the ‘Busa was entered in. “The bike was on kill all three races, the rider was on Sunday,” laughed Fisher. “The bike varied three hundredths all weekend

“Thanks to Payne Walsh, Tyler Fisher, Alexis Baker, Richard Gadson, and of course, Donna Fisher.”

Hard Times Parts & Service Jr. Dragster
Ian Burt took two Hard Times Parts & Service Jr. Dragster wins, each time against Kaleigh Welch in the final.

“He has won six of eight so far this year, and his mom and I could not be more proud,” said Ian’s dad Roger. “He started racing at eight years old. One more year of Jr. Dragsters, then he can’t wait to be on a bike!”

VooDoo Grudge
Saturday night saw some good, old-time VooDoo Grudge racing. Even with the Muhammad Ali of Grudge—Keith “Shine” Dennis—on hand, the highlight Grudge race of the weekend was between NHDRO regulars Wiggle and Canman. Wiggle spun and Canman won.

Shutdown Area
Brian and Niki Welch are brewing up more Big plans with a Big Index Shootout for NHDRO’s June 11-13 Vanson Leathers sponsored event at beautiful U.S.131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan. NHDRO is the most fun a racer can have on two wheels, so you gotta be there!

Find out more about NHDRO at http://www.nhdroracing.com/

That old trike was a real Frankenstein’s monster. She was the back end of a Corvair of a 1960 vintage and a front end of a Honda CB 500. She had a full-size keg gas tank on the chariot bed over the engine. The driver seat was a plastic Baja bucket. The passenger seat was none.

Just a little history of what started me on the biker’s road.

My wife totally disliked this monstrosity. We made our first motorcycle rally on this old girl. It was the first run of the Summer. The year was 1976 I believe. The run was the Kern River run over Memorial weekend.

We left Torrance with a little money in our pockets, clothes on our backs, some food essentials, some tools and a couple of bottles of Portuguese homemade wine.

We all left together (the South Bay bros and their ol’ ladies) on that Friday after we were all off work. But then there was the dread congestion of LA traffic. Unfortunately, no lane-splitting for me. I had to get there as if I was in a car. I didn’t think about that. We all separated, and they got there about an hour before us.

This is and has been the major disadvantage of trikes.

We all looked for each other the next day because it was almost nightfall when my wife and I arrived in the meandering Kern River valley. Most of us entered on the 99, from where the 99 and the interstate 5 split. We rolled through fields to the outskirts of Bakersfield through Miracle Hot Springs, Bodfish and past Lake Isabella.

The Kern is like a large stream twisting and turning between massive granite boulders. It creates dozens of hideouts in a winding valley sheltered by the summer sun.

We found a place to camp down below the dam of Isabella. We found some bikers that offered us a spot and the weekend party began for us.

The next morning into town we went for some breakfast and to find our pals. We found each other at a local dinner in town.

In the process, the trike started cutting out all the way to town. I figured out the points were about gone. I thought I would never stiff a waitress for a tip, but I did that day. I need as much cash as I could muster for a new set of points. My wife got the girls name and mailed the tip to the restaurant under her name.

I got the points and condenser and had no feeler gauge to set the points. I must have looked perplexed because an older biker asked me what was the problem? I explained the situation and he had a solution, natch.

The guy pulled out a packet of matches and told, “This is what we use in a pinch.”

I ask him, “What you gonna do, set it on fire?”

“No,” He scold at me, and he tore of the back of the book of matches. “I am going to set the points with the paper cover. It just so happens that the paper thickness is about the same thickness as the proper feeler gauge for the points on a Harley and a Corvair.

He got the deal done and I thanked him, and we all went on our way.

We hauled ass, barking up the narrow valley to the slide and to the tubs to party the rest of the day with our friends. We partied and putt around all day and after we had dinner, we all headed back to where we camped that night.

Next, hang on for another chain of events kind of like the ones before.

The next leg of the trip: We started to roll back to where we camped that night. I turned the lights on for the trip back to town and after a while the trike goes dead. All the electrical was toast and so was the battery.

We could only camp on the side of a hill, off the road and hopefully get back to town the next morning. We all got some sleep and the next morning the trike started and off we headed to the gas station for a battery charge.

Fortunately, the trike held a car battery, and it could handle a big car-battery charger. It didn’t take too long to charge and then we were off for home. The weekend came mysteriously to an end.

I lost my sheath knife and got ticked off. I blamed my wife for it. We both left it on the bed of the trike. I started riding that thing like a madman over a stupid knife.

My wife said to slow that thing down or she would get off and get a ride home. I did as she asked after I processed how stupid I was acting. Fortunately, as she is still my wife after 35 years

When we got home, I started to diagnose the electrical and found that the voltage regulator was never grounded. I fixed it and rode it until I sold it for down payment on our first Harley-Davidson Lowrider.

There ya go, a trike story.

–Gearhead

Last year, we released the first in David’s new series, titled “Female Figure on Motorcycle 1”.

We are pleased to announce the release of the second piece in the series, appropriately titled “Female Figure on Motorcycle 2”. He still has some finishing touches left on this one, featuring the lovely Stephanie Pietz.

One of his finishing touches was to remove the tattoo. He felt it wasn’t necessary given the contrast between her flesh tones and the dynamic background. He also changed the top color and her shoes.

We still have a few left in the print edition (details below).

This submission is going out to a special group via email only (not on social media), therefore it will be a very exclusive offering.

We will also be offering a VERY SMALL edition of canvas prints, hand-signed and numbered, with Certificate of Authenticity.

** Image size 20×30, edition of 12 plus 2 Artist Proofs and 2 Hors d’ Commerce, $895 framed

** Image size 24×36, edition of 12 plus 2 Artist Proofs and 2 Hors d’ Commerce, $1,295 framed

If you own the first in the series, you have first right of refusal for your matching edition number on this one.

You can email me or call 303-913-4840 to place your order.

Thanks for your time!

Greg Rhodes
International Sales Director
David Uhl Fine Art
Uhl Studios
Uhl Studios website https://www.uhlstudios.com/
303-913-4840

by Florina Spînu from https://www.autoevolution.com

Company formerly known as Confederate Motors has introduced their electric luxury motorcycle.

One way or another, the future will be electric. With the debut of Harley-Davidson’s new LiveWire EV-only brand, more and more motorcycles will take on the trend. For Curtiss Motorcycles, luxury marries electrification in a ride. On that note, the brand just rolled out a trailer that showcases the beginning of its new “golden age” of electric motorcycles.

We know that retro-bikes will never lose their charm, and Curtiss Motorcycles seem to combine the vintage look with modern convenience. Formerly known as Confederate Motors, the Alabama-based brand has a rich history dating back to 1907, when Glenn Curtiss set an unofficial world record of 136 mph (219 kph), on a 40 hp (30 kW) V8-powered motorcycle designed and built by himself in Florida.

Sharing the name with its famous aviation pioneer ancestor, the brand tried to keep its heritage and implement it into their bikes, but with a twist. Along with the production of its all-electric motorcycle Curtiss One, it started a path toward electrification with all its future rides.

Titled “Green, Clean, Mod, Cool: A New Age,” the trailer explains the brands’ philosophical narrative as well as Curtiss One, the company’s not only first precision-centered motorcycle, but also its new platform architecture that will serve as the foundation for all its future motorcycles.

Ergonomics played a key role in the making process of the One. Inspired by an aircraft, its core is connected by a 39mm hard-steel axle. Its only moving parts are the oversized output shaft and its wheels. By keeping the radially organized battery cells submerged in coolant, the Curtiss Power Pak acts as a radiator for the whole system.

The bike has no transmission or gearbox. Instead, the power moves directly from its liquid-cooled Axial Flux motor to the rear wheel through a toothed belt drive. There’s no shifting and no clutch involved. Instead, the speed is determined solely by how hard you twist the throttle. The 425 lbs (193 kg) ride has enough juice to deliver 217 hp and 272 lb-ft torque.

Pricing for the Curtiss One starts at $81,000, which marks a pretty high score on the affordability scale. That said, Curtiss Motorcycles aims to bring out Curtiss Two and Curtiss Three in 2022 and 2023, all based on the architecture of the One (and the cost will probably match too).

 

by Marcus Solis from https://abc7ny.com

NYPD offering cash rewards during crackdown on illegal motorcycles and ATVs

The NYPD is taking a new approach to fighting an old quality of life problem, offering cash rewards for the public’s help during a crackdown on illegal motorcycles and ATVs on city streets.

Residents who report where illegal vehicles are being stored could collect $100 per motorbike seized.

Dirt bikes and ATVs cannot be registered as street-legal motor vehicles because they lack safety equipment like brake lights, turn signals and mirrors.

But that hasn’t stopped roving gangs of riders from creating public disturbances across the five boroughs.

Chief of Department Rodney Harrison issued a warning to those who operate them.

“They are illegal and dangerous,” he said. “Don’t ride them. If you do, you are endangering yourself and others.”

Complaints of illegal motorcycles on streets and sidewalks are up 15% this year. Last week, the NYPD responded to 144 911 calls, most of them in Upper Manhattan.

A 76-year old man was attacked in Inwood Hill Park by two motorcyclists after he complained that they rode too close to him.

Police say they rarely initiate pursuits because of the potential danger to officers and the public, but they will confiscate motorbikes when they are parked in public.

An average of 1,000 seized vehicles are crushed and their metal recycled each year.

Anyone with information is urged to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

June 12th-20th, 2021 – New Hampshire – home to America’s Original Riding Rally

This year’s Progressive Laconia Motorcycle Week® promises to be bigger and better than last year’s pandemic-postponed event. The changing guidelines dictated by the response to COVID 19 and subsequent vaccines have made planning for this year’s rally a challenge but we’re proud to announce that all the popular events rally goers have experienced in the past will be back.

In addition to the Hill Climb Expo up Tower Street on June 15th and the Gunstock Amateur Hill Climb on June 16th, the week will feature several rides and “gypsy tours,” a nod to the origins of the rally, when a group of riders, over 100 years ago, first made the trek to Laconia.

The 15th Annual Peter Makris Memorial Ride to NHMS takes place on Saturday, June 12, featuring a police escorted ride around Lake Winnipesaukee and a return to the NASWA resort for lunch and entertainment. On Sunday, June 13th, the AMA Gypsy Tour to NHMS for USCRA Vintage Races begins at 10:30 AM on Lakeside Avenue. Participants will get a 50% discount on race tickets for the day and a free lap around the track at NH Motor Speedway.

Monday, June 14th features the Mae-West Memorial Ride. Riders meet at 8:30 AM at Rally Headquarters for a scenic ride through local towns and ending at NH Motor Speedway. All proceeds benefit local animal shelters. The popular Covered Bridge Gypsy Tour leaves Weirs Beach at 10:30 AM for a 170 mile guided tour to at least 6 covered bridges throughout scenic New Hampshire.

Three more rides originate from Laconia on Thursday, June 17th. The Ride to the Sky guided tour to the base of Mount Washington leaves (from Laconia Harley-Davidson) at 9 AM and the We Love Laconia Motorcycle Week Ride leaves Rally Headquarters at 10:30 AM for a scenic tour ending at NASWA Resort. Make sure to join or watch in tribute as the POW/MIA Freedom Ride tours Lakeside Avenue in Weirs Beach at 6 PM en route to Meredith’s Hesky Park for the 33rd annual POW/MIA vigil.

Finally, kick-off the 2nd weekend with the new Motorcycle Lights Parade on June 18th! Ride from downtown Laconia to Weirs Beach. This first ever evening ride is a great chance to showcase those LED lights!

Be sure to keep checking the events page on the official site of Progressive Laconia Motorcycle Week® laconiamcweek.com for updates on these and many other events at this year’s rally.

Laconia Motorcycle Week® gives great appreciation to all of our sponsors, especially our Presenting Sponsors: Progressive, AMSOIL and Team Motorcycle, as well as the State of New Hampshire for their large financial support of our rally each year.

For more information about visiting the state of NH, check out visitnh.gov.
Laconia – where rallies were invented!

Hey,

This is a momentous day in the Badlands.

Bandit and the Redhead have escaped to the Badlands. This effort was a mixture of organization, money, stress, and perseverance. Someone said I should write a story about the move. At the time, the thought of it terrified me, but I suppose I’m getting to the point… I needed to finish the job first. I will mention one item that was paramount: Coordination.

You could do us a major big favor and share the news with anyone and everyone. We work hard on the news every week and I believe it covers motorcycle related news and freedom news worldwide. You could help a lot, by grabbing the link and sharing it with the world.

Hang on for more reports, and keep freedom alive, forever.

–Bandit

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