by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com 2022 Yamaha YZF-R7 Breaks Cover as $9,000 Piece of New Japanese Supersport For decades now, fans of Yamaha motorcycles treated themselves to a special range of bikes the Japanese company likes to call Supersport. The current lineup, comprising some five models, just got its sixth member this week. YZF-R7 is how the new motorcycle is called, and it is supposed to slot right in between the entry-level YZF-R3 and the slightly meaner, mid-level YZF-R1. It has been created, says Yamaha, with new riders in mind but also for the more experienced ones looking for a more affordable two-wheeler with enough racing credentials. Yamaha says the R7 was built from the ground up with a lightweight chassis and a steel frame. Compared to the other bikes in the family, it comes with improved rake, trail, and wheelbase dimensions (now 54.9 inches/139.4 cm), all tweaked to provide better handling during cornering. Inside the frame sits a 689cc four-stroke, in-line two-cylinder engine running forged aluminum pistons and linked to a 6-speed transmission with multi-plate wet clutch. We have not been given the exact performance figures for the powerplant. The frame and engine are supported by a 41-mm front fork with optimized spring rate. The fork is adjustable for preload, rebound, and compression. Stopping power is ensured by Brembo hardware. The 2022 Yamaha YZF-R7 also features a new full LCD instrument panel and larger display areas for the clock, gear, trip meter, and tachometer. There are new handlebar switches that allow the rider to control and select the features of the bike better. Yamaha says the new R7 should be available in American showrooms in June in two colors, Team Yamaha Blue and Performance Black. The starting price has been set at $8,999, and the Japanese bike maker is already accepting reservations for the model. If you plan on getting yourself one, you can let Yamaha know here.

by Wells Foster, Chivon Kloepfer from https://www.wlns.com

Laws for motorcyclists are a little different than ones for regular cars. Local legal expert Bryan Waldman breaks down the differences in this Legal Edge report.

First, motorcyclists must have the correct kind of insurance. Then, they need a motorcycle endorsement on their driver’s license.

Michigan does not require all motorcyclists to wear a helmet, but you first must reach a few milestones.

Everyone on a motorcycle under 21 must wear a helmet, regardless of their experience on a bike. They must also have had a motorcycle endorsement for at least two years and/or pass a safety test. You must also have extra insurance coverage to cover medical bills.

In Michigan, motorcycles are not considered motor vehicles, meaning insurance works a little differently. Motorcyclists don’t need to purchase any fault insurance. As long as a motor vehicle is involved, a motorcyclist is entitled to benefits.

For example, if a motorcyclist spins out and crashes on some gravel by themselves, no fault benefits will activate. However, if they are involved in a near-miss with a car, the benefits do activate.

Reopening, new exhibits, installations, programs, events and more

As a part of the Harley-Davidson Museum’s phased reopening, the H-D Museum will soon expand its hours of operation. Beginning Thursday, May 6, the H-D Museum and The Shop will be open Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. MOTOR® Bar & Restaurant will also have expanded operations on Thursdays, with its hours of operation 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Thursday through Sunday.

And with a new installation arriving May 14, it’s the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the expanded hours. “The Harley Fox” bike will be on view in the Custom Culture gallery. This display showcases the explosive growth of women’s riding in the 1980s and draws a direct line from those efforts to the riders of today.

But don’t fret. Even if a trip to the H-D Museum isn’t in your plans just yet, our Virtual Gallery Talks, taking place Thursday evenings, aren’t going anywhere. This month, topics will include Harley-Davidson’s humble beginnings, the role H-D has played in U.S. military efforts and more.

Click Here to read all the new happenings at Harley-Davidson Museum.

Join the Cantina for more – Subscribe Today.

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This Month is Packed with Lots of Two Wheel Goodies

GET ON! MOTO FEST WILL BE PACKED WITH ROYAL ENFIELD THIS YEAR!

Don’t miss out on the inaugural event at the world-famous Texas Motorspeedway. And more importantly, don’t miss out on everything Royal Enfield has planned for the weekend. This weekend, May 21st, 22nd, & 23rd, it all comes together and we couldn’t be more excited. Check out what we have in store for you!

BUILD.TRAIN.RACE. REVEAL
Friday, May 21st | Women’s Motorcycle Show
The Flat Track ladies have come to impress. Be sure to check out what all these incredible ladies have been putting together for the last 5 months.

ROYAL ENFIELD SLIDE SCHOOL
May 21st-23rd | Texas Motor Speedway
Snag one of the last few spots with Johnny Lewis, Moto Anatomy, & Royal Enfield Slide School. You can sign up right now on Moto Anatomy. Hurry!

FULL LINE UP FOR DEMO RIDES
May 21st-23rd | Texas Motor Speedway
You could be one of the first to give the all-new Meteor 350 a demo ride when it makes its first consumer debut. Test out the whole lineup while you’re there!

OUR FAVORITE BUILD THIS MONTH:
Gallinella by BAAK USA
This beauty stopped us in our tracks & even convinced Breeann Poland, Lead of Marketing for the Americas, to throw a leg over it. Needless to say, she had a blast. Be sure to check them out on social!

OUR FAVORITE ACCESSORY THIS MONTH:
S&S Cycle Tapered Cone Slip-On Mufflers made exclusively for Royal Enfield. Take your Twin to the next level & experience a tag-team of sound and performance that will redefine any riding experience. Talk to a dealer or browse our Genuine Motorcycle Accessories catalog for more!

OUR FAVORITE ACTIVITY THIS MONTH:
Getting Sideways at Royal Enfield Slide School Presented by Moto Anatomy. What can we say, it’s a favorite around here. Be sure to check out the full schedule of dates and sign up for near you! Registration is easy at Moto Anatomy.

WHERE TO CATCH ROYAL ENFIELD ON THE TRACK THIS YEAR

JUST ANNOUNCED! The first BTR Flat Track race beings with the AMA District 17 Chicago Half-Mile presented by Royal Enfield and promoted by Track Enterprises in the Women’s Class. This season is bigger & better for the ladies of Build.Train.Race. with more riders, more speed, more turns, & more racing.
See the Build-Train-Race Schedules.

Johnny Lewis is back and it’s shaping up to be one for the books. Be sure to check out how Moto Anatomy Powered by Royal Enfield is doing this season by following along with Royal Enfield North America on Instagram & Facebook for day-of coverage. And keep an eye out on our YouTube channel for all the recaps.
See AFT 2021 Schedule.

Royal Enfield North America www.royalenfield.com

Hey,

I’m researching FXDR models and was trying to find out the difference between FXDR and FXDRS. I was told there were slight differences, and then Ron and Bartels’ H-D helped. The only two-year model 2019 and 2020 were all FXDR but when they sent the paperwork it said FXDRS, so the confusion.

The folks next door loaned me a fork lift. I have two motorcycles in my office and one in the living room upstairs. The brothers, Jeremiah and James were concerned, but it worked like a champ and we lowered them to the shop level in no-time.

The Bonne Belle arrived at Departure Bike Works this week. Lee and his crew will install our new 45 flathead engine and get it ready for Bonneville.

The international speed trials are on for August 25 in Bonneville, and we will be there with the Salt Torpedo and the Bonne Belle. Hang on for more reports.

The Bikernet Weekly News is sponsored in part by companies who also dig Freedom including: Cycle Source Magazine, the MRF, Las Vegas Bikefest, Iron Trader News, ChopperTown, BorntoRide.com and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum.

FROM THE PRISM SHOP–Bronco Bronze Restoration
During the teardown process, we inspected and cataloged each item diligently and, during that process, we uncovered a couple of things; the engine was in better condition than we imagined and the vast majority of original components were in good condition and able to live again.

See the whole story at prismsupply.com. I had a similar ’48 Panhead with an XA front end I rode for 12 years.

–Bandit

The MRF pushes back on EPA about Current Ethanol Labeling Requirements–

This week the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) joined other national groups in pushing back on proposed rule changes to current ethanol labeling requirements. Representatives of manufacturers, suppliers, and consumers of boats, motorcycles, off-road vehicles, and outdoor power equipment made clear that elimination or changes to current E-15 labels at fuel pumps would cause irreparable harm to millions of consumers.

In a letter to the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Administrator Michael Regan, the group stated that, “The misfuelling of marine engines and vessels, motorcycles, off-road vehicles, and outdoor power equipment places significant burdens on both the American consumer and product manufacturers. The risk to consumers is that they will experience product damage, compromised performance and emissions requirements, economic loss, and fuel leaks resulting in unsafe products.”

As a reminder, in January the EPA proposed elimination of the current E15 label altogether or the significant changes listed below:

Removing the “Attention” stripe along the upper right corner of the label.
Removing the phrase “E15” from the label, while including the language “contains up to 15% percent ethanol”.

Revising the language “Use only in” to “Safe for use in”.

Revising the language “Don’t use in” to “Avoid use in”.

Revising the format of the word “prohibited” such that it is not in bold and italicized type.

The MRF has long advocated consumer education to combat the increased prevalence of E15 nationwide. The letter to EPA points out that a recent survey shows, “Three in five consumers mistakenly assume E15 is safe for all their products.” Additionally, consumers should be aware that many manufacturer warranties are voided if improper fuel is used.

The MRF thanks the diverse set of partners that have worked together on this issue. Other signatories of the letter include the American Motorcyclist Association, American Sportfishing Association, Boat Owners Association of the United States, Briggs & Stratton, Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, Motorcycle Industry Council, National Marine Manufacturers Association, Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association, Special Vehicle Institute of America and the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association.

What’s the deal with Ethanol? Why are we forced to use it. I’ve recently experienced the damage is can cause to carburetors. It’s dangerous if you leave a bike unattended for any length of time.–Bandit

BRAND New Bikernet Reader Comment!–
OFFICIAL PRODUCT REVIEW: Motorcycle Cooling Vests

https://www.bikernet.com/pages/OFFICIAL_PRODUCT_REVIEW_Motorcycle_Cooling_Vests.aspx

The H-D cooling vest team will tell you the vest does work well in “less humid” climates. Adding a wet vest on top of your clothes in Houston during a 90+squared day (temp/ humidity) is really pointless. You just end up wet, steamy, and with a bad case of swamp crotch.

I used my vest for less than a week for regular work commutes but have found it to be rather effective in states where the humidity is 75% or less.

–Johnny White
Humble, TX

BARTELS’ HARLEY-DAVIDSON & GLENDALE HARLEY ANNOUNCE THAT THE 3rd ANNUAL RIDE FOR THE CHILDREN MOTORCYCLE EVENT, HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3rd, 2021 WITH GRAND MARSHALS, LORENZO LAMAS, PERRY KING, DAVE EKINS, SEAN MCNABB & JAIME ELVIDGE!

A host of celebrities, Law Enforcement and the general public will now join Grand Marshals, Lorenzo Lamas, Perry King, Dave Ekins, Sean McNabb & Jaime Elvidge for a beautiful motorcycle ride from Bartels’ Harley-Davidson, Marina Del Rey to Sycamore Cove State Beach, Malibu with a BBQ lunch, live concert and Beach Party on Sunday, October 3, 2021.

BARTELS’ HARLEY-DAVIDSON & GLENDALE HARLEY are excited to Scott Patterson will join other celebrity Grand Marshals for the 3rd Annual Ride for the Children Charity on Sunday, October 3, 2021.

Scott Patterson is an American actor, musician, and entrepreneur. He is known for his role as Luke Danes in Gilmore Girls and as Special Agent Peter Strahm in the Saw films. Scott is President/CEO of Scotty P’s Big Mug Coffee. He is an avid motorcycle rider and participates in a number of charitable events.

The Ride for the Children will begin at Bartels’ Harley-Davidson, 4141 Lincoln Blvd., Marina Del Rey, CA with a beautiful, escorted ride from along the Pacific Coast Highway to the serene Sycamore Cove State Beach, 9000 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA.

Join Lorenzo Lamas, Perry King, AMA Hall of Famer, Dave Ekin, Actor/Musician Sean McNabb, Jaime Elvidge, professional motorcycle journalist and Scott Patterson for what will be a wonderful day ending with a concert by Aces & Eights, a BBQ lunch by J Wolf Catering and a Beach Party at Sycamore Cove State Beach, Malibu, CA.

Olive Crest has been transforming the lives of abused and neglected children through the healing power of family since 1973. Olive Crest is the leader in prevention and treatment of child abuse, neglect, and homelessness, serving over 4,000 children and families each day throughout Los Angeles County. The 3rd Annual Ride for the Children will fund programs that help us break the cycle of child abuse and enable at-risk youth and families to become healthy and productive citizens.

Registration begins at 8:00 AM – Ride begins at: 10:00 AM at Bartels’ Harley-Davidson, 4141 Lincoln Blvd., Marina Del Rey, and concludes with a concert by Aces & Eights, a BBQ lunch by J Wolf Catering and a Beach Party at Sycamore Cove State Beach, Malibu, CA. The Event concludes at 3:00 PM.

For more information on Olive Crest, go to www.olivecrest.org.

To register online: www.olivecrestride.org.

WHEN: 8:00 A.M. Registration, Kickstands up at 10:00 AM, Sunday, October 3, 2021.

WHERE: Ride begins at Bartels’ Harley-Davidson, 4141 Lincoln Blvd., Marina Del Rey, concludes at Sycamore Cove State Beach, Malibu, CA

WHY: To raise funds and public awareness for Olive Crest and their families.

OPEN NOW, BANDIT’S CANTINA BAD JOKE LIBRARY— They say every piece of chocolate eaten
shortens your life by two minutes.

I’ve done the math.
Seems I died in 1537.

–Sam Burns

LIFESTYLE CYCLES DEAL OF THE WEEK–2014 Harley-Davidson® FLSTNSE – CVO™ Softail® Deluxefor $15,995.00

see it here: https://www.lifestylecycles.com/default.asp?page=xPreOwnedInventoryDetail&id=10039196

This bike is a low mileage CVO Softail what a great looking bike.

ONLY 11408.00 Miles !!!!!

2014 Candy Cobalt Blue/White Gold pearl Harley-Davidson SOFTAIL DELUXE CVO FLSTNSE

Some of the features/Add-on’s on this bike

* 110c.i. factory Screaming Eagle motor
* 6-Speed trans
* Chrome wagon wheels
* Detachable windshield
* Complete chrome package
* Detachable backrest

This bike has passed Lifestyle Cycles rigorous 101 point safety and mechanical inspection. Whether your looking to commute to work, ride the coast or take that dream vacation, this bike is ready to go!!!

EZ FINANCING-SHIPPING AVAILABLE!!!

Fill out an online application and ride today!!!

**Open 7 days a week**

Just $15,995.00 at Lifestyle Cycles (714) 490-0155

THE HARLEY-DAVIDSON FUTURE SUCCESS SUGGESTION BOX IS NOW OPEN AT BIKERNET–The first note crashed in the system.

Here goes my thought process: H-D needs to work on supply and demand of the consumer. In the late ‘70s the dealerships were smaller. The company had to pay on lesser sq. building footage and inventory storage.

The inventory was several baseline models. Let’s go back to the basics. The consumer wants what they want so give them options. The floor model will be used for display and test drives for the customer. The customer can either buy the floor model or order one out of the factory line ups.

The customer then has options on the order. They can pick paint scheme, chrome or no chrome, engine displacement and factory or custom parts options. Supply and demand is the partial answer.

They have to get away from the overwhelming inventory of H-Ds . The dealerships look like huge Harley museums for that H-D experience, which most riders aren’t impressed with. The work force will be affected, so try a couple of things. When times are thin due to consumers demands, the techs are sourced to the dealers as tech support or mechanic support.

The UAW locals should be involved to help in the process. The corporate conglomerate should be forced to reduced options for company perks on monies also. Just a thought.

–Gearhead

NUCLEAR PLANT CLOSURES And Renewables
Increase Electricity Prices & Unreliability–
The following is the official written testimony submitted to the United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for a hearing to examine the reliability, resiliency, and affordability of electric service in the United States amid the changing energy mix and extreme weather events by Environmental Progress Founder and President, Michael D. Shellenberger. Click here to download a PDF of the testimony.

Good morning Chairman Manchin, Ranking Member Barrasso, and members of the Committee. I am grateful to the Committee for inviting my testimony, and for your willingness to hear from someone who is neither a grid operator nor an electric industry participant, but someone whose perspective has been shaped by two decades of research, writing, and action motivated by a concern for necessary improvements in the reliability, affordability and environmental sustainability of electric service.

Congress took questions relating to the security of America’s electricity supply seriously before more than a dozen states experienced energy shortages last month, but those events make this hearing all the more urgent. In 2012, 2017, and 2021 the National Academies of Science and Engineering published three separate reports on threats to the grid, resilience, and the future of electricity. [1] In its 2017 report, the Academies warned that U.S. electrical grids were increasingly “complex and vulnerable.”[2]

Over the last 25 years, increasingly decentralized electricity generation in restructured electricity markets, along with growth in the number of regulatory institutions, has resulted in “divergent interests of federal, state, regional and local authorities,” wrote the Academies in the 2021 report.

Electricity experts are not able to clearly answer the question, “who is in charge of planning, developing and ensuring the integrity of the future power system?”[3] The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and-the North American Electric Reliability Corporation are tasked to ensure electrical grid reliability and resilience. However, the Academies noted, “they too face short-term pressures and fiscal constraints.”[4]

Meanwhile, many experts see in recent trends an inevitable transition away from coal and nuclear power plants, designed to function as baseload capacity, toward variable renewable energy sources with just-in-time natural gas back-up. The price of solar panels and wind turbines has declined 75 percent and 25 percent, respectively, since 2011.[5] The U.S. Energy Information Administration (“EIA”) estimates renewables will be a larger source of electricity than natural gas in the United States by 2050. In that same time, EIA projects renewable electricity will rise from 28 percent to 50 percent of global generation.[6]

But events in mid-February throughout the center of the country, including Texas, and last summer in California, suggest that attempting to replace nuclear plants with variable renewable energy sources could make electricity grids less resilient. While energy sources across all categories failed in mid-February, they didn’t all fail equally. The capacity factors for nuclear, natural gas, coal, and wind in Texas during the four days of load shedding during the cold snap were 79 percent, 55 percent, 58 percent, and 14 percent, respectively.[7]

Nuclear plants are among the most reliable components of America’s power grids. Nuclear plants operate as a national fleet at 94 percent annual capacity factor, thanks to tightly choreographed refueling operations that barely interrupt eighteen-month continuous uptime at most facilities.[8] The hardening required of nuclear plants first in response to 9/11 and then in response to the loss of Fukushima Daiichi in 2011 has further ensured their contribution to reliability, resiliency, and affordability.[9]

Although Texas lost one of four of its nuclear reactors after cold water affected a sensor, automatically shutting down the reactor, it returned to service within 36 hours, and thus in time to help end the power cuts. Meanwhile, nuclear reactors in other cold snap states, Nebraska, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Michigan, operated normally.[10]

Even if all Texas wind turbines had been winterized, it is unlikely that they would have contributed significantly to electricity supply because wind speeds in cold snaps are so low. It is for that reason that grid operators do not rely on wind turbines to provide more than trace amounts of power during those periods. And, indeed, while wind turbines north of Texas functioned more or less as intended, during the cold snap, they produced very little power for their grids.[11]

Part of the reason for inadequate in-state electricity supply in California last August was that state regulators had closed in-state baseload power plants. “People wonder how we made it through the heat wave of 2006,” said the CEO of California’s grid operator, CAISO, at the time. “The answer is that there was a lot more generating capacity in 2006 than in 2020…. We had San Onofre [nuclear plant] of 2,200 megawatts, and a number of other plants, totaling thousands of megawatts not there today.”[12]

Electricity lost from the closure of California’s San Onofre nuclear plant undermined electricity affordability as well as reliability. It was mostly replaced by electricity from natural gas, which raised the costs of generating electricity by $350 million.[13]

Texas and California show that policymakers and regulators have struggled to manage the grid’s high and rising level of complexity, with troubling consequences. Are we so confident that reducing energy diversity while pushing more variable energy onto electrical grids is the best path forward in terms of reliability, affordability, and sustainability?

Affordability and Sustainability: Lessons from Around the World

California offers a relevant real-world picture of the impacts of significantly expanding reliance on variable renewable energy sources while reducing reliance on nuclear energy. California significantly expanded its use of renewable energy starting in 2011. That year, California generated 13.5 percent of its in-state electricity from all non-hydroelectric renewables.

In 2020, California generated 39 percent of its in-state electricity from them.[15] As a consequence of purchasing and integrating variable renewable energy onto its grid, California’s electricity prices rose 39 percent in the decade from 2011 to today, despite persistently-low-priced natural gas, which made doing so easier and more affordable.[16]

California retail electricity prices rose eight times faster than the nationwide average between 2011 and 2020. Today, California households pay 55 percent more than the national average per kilowatt-hour of electricity. In 2020, California’s electricity prices rose 7.5 percent, compared to just 0.25 percent in the other 49 states.[17]

Some of the cost of variable renewable energy sources comes in the form of the transmission lines they require. With funding from Bill Gates, the analytical group Breakthrough Energy Sciences last week estimated the U.S. could reduce carbon emissions 42 percent and generate 70 percent of its electricity from carbon-free sources by 2030. But Breakthrough Energy calculated that the cost of new transmission, distribution, and storage would be $1.5 trillion.[25]

And that amount does not include the costs associated with local and state political opposition. In their 2021 report, the Academies noted that while variable renewable energy sources like solar and wind appear to be popular in public opinion surveys, “political uncertainties concern the durability of policy support for renewables when deployed at large scales, especially where it is highly visible and potentially conflicts with other land uses.”[26]

Many energy experts are enthusiastic about solar panels, but new information has called the social and ethical value of the technology into question. The average annual pay of a power plant operator is $79,400 per year versus $46,900 for a solar installer, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data analyzed by NBC News. [32] That appears to be in part because so much of the economic value of solar panels is at the place of manufacture, not installation.[33]

As troubling is evidence that cost declines of solar panels, most of which are made in China, appear to stem from the involuntary labor of a persecuted Muslim minority, the Uighurs. In January the U.S. State Department deemed China’s treatment of the Uighurs to be genocide.[34]

Ninety-five percent of the global solar panel market contains Xinjiang silicon. While there has been talk of bringing solar manufacturing to the U.S. and Europe, doing so would significantly increase prices.[35] There is proposed Senate legislation to ban imports from Xinjiang unless they are certified, and similar legislation in introduced into the House. But given the fungible nature of silicon, some fear the Chinese government could evade such controls.[36]

And more decentralized electrical generation makes the grid more vulnerable. “We’re adding a lot of stuff at the grid edge,” said the lead author of the Academies’ 2012, 2017, and 2021 reports, “and if I start building microgrids does that increase my potential vulnerability? The answer is, ‘Yes, of course. The more complicated I make it, the more attack surfaces and, hence, the more possibilities of failure.’”[37]

Germany has only been able to manage the seasonal fluctuations from intermittent renewables by maintaining a large and diverse fleet of coal, natural gas, and nuclear power plants. Germany added 150 percent of its total capacity in coal, natural gas, and nuclear in the form of new wind and solar capacity, which was part of why Germany’s electricity prices have risen to the highest levels in Europe.[40]

From this information we can gain a clearer picture of electric reliability, resiliency, and affordability. What tends to make electric grids more reliable, resilient, and affordable is the generation of electricity by a few large, efficient plants with the minimal amount necessary of wires and storage. What tends to makes grids less reliant, resilient, and affordable is significantly increasing the number of power plants, wires, storage mechanisms, people, and organizations required for operating them.

The U.S. reduced its greenhouse gas emissions between 2000 and 2020 more than any other nation in history in absolute terms, according to preliminary analysis by the Rhodium Energy Group. U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 were 21 percent below 2005 levels, which is nearly a one-quarter larger reduction than that promised by the United States under the Copenhagen Accord target of a 17 percent reduction. Even without the pandemic, emissions would have declined 3 percent in 2021, Rhodium estimates.[48]

The premature closure of nuclear plants threatens reliability, resiliency, affordability, as well as America’s reductions in greenhouse gases. Without state or federal action, the US will close twelve nuclear reactors by 2025, which constitute 10.5 gigawatts of highly-reliable, low-cost, and low-carbon power.[49] Despite ratcheting regulations, the cost of operating America’s nuclear plants fell from $44.57 per megawatt-hour on average in 2012 to $30.42 in 2019.[50]

The U.S. might achieve higher levels of electricity resiliency, reliability, affordability, and sustainability by reconsidering whether nuclear power plants are really so unattractive, and wholesale markets really so efficient.

While a significant amount of electricity policy is determined by the states, the Senate can play a constructive role in maintaining the reliability, resiliency, affordability, as well as the diversity and sustainability, of our grid by taking policy action now to keep operating the nuclear plants that have been critical to preventing power outages in recent years.

Michael Shellenberger, Founder and President, Environmental Progress
2569 Telegraph Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704

5-BALL WINS AT THE FLYING PISTON BREAKFAST IN DAYTONA—
Your vest was a hit with the crowd. We were running an online auction during the charity breakfast and we had people bidding on it from across the US.

I spoke with Edge and he said it was the best one to date. And since it was our 1st breakfast in Daytona, I would say it was a winner. We were able to fund 2 kindergartner classes with bikes. We raised $12,000 in 2 hours, good for the little engine that could.

Thanks again for the support,

–Jeff Najar
VP Marketing
Mobile: 919-450-5060
jeff.najar@greenerfrontiers.com

WHY THE NEED FOR THE PULLEY LOCKING PLATE—We ran across several pulleys getting loose and started to investigate. Recently Frank Ball Jr. famous tattoo artist in covid hiding had a problem and found this locking plate.

We don’t see this happening on stock bikes, so is it aftermarket aluminum or is it hot rod traits by young high performance guy jamming off the line or dropping the clutch at high speeds to slow down? Let me know what you think.

–Bandit

NEW FROM NASH MOTORCYCLES–The Knuckle Chopper

The Knuckle Chopper is offered for a limited time. Your pre-sale purchase insures you’re on the list, when these start to ship BEGINNING WEEK OF MAY, 2021.

The Knuckle Chopper is the latest addition of collaborative pieces between Nash Motorcycle Co. and Jason Momoa’s, On The Roam. Inspired by our mutual love for Harley’s first OHV motor, the iconic Knucklehead.

First developed in 1936 this motor transcended the 2nd World War and developed a cult following from Harley enthusiasts and custom bike builders around the globe.

The Knuckle Chopper is also inspired by Jason’s passion for throwing hatchets, axes, and tomahawks. Cast in H11 tool grade Stainless Steel with an antique finish and polished Knuckle nuts.

Handmade and fitted with a hickory wood handle from the good ol’ U.S.A. This one-of-a-kind axe is built to handle anything that comes its way. Hand stamped with Jason’s “On The Roam” logo as well as the Nash Motor Co. logo.

BRAND New Bikernet Reader Comment!–Sam’s Picks for the Week of March 16th, 2021

https://www.bikernet.com/pages/Sams_Picks_for_the_Week_of_March_16th_2021.aspx

Great article, Great pics. To ride a chopper you have to have that attitude! That Pat Kennedy chopper is one of my favorites!

–Stealth
charlotte, NC

TECHNOLOGICAL DEBATE–Windows vs Ford

For all of us who feel only the deepest love and affection for the way computers have enhanced our lives, read on. At a recent computer expo
(COMDEX) : Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated,

“If Ford had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon.”

In response to Bill’s comments,

Ford issued a press release:

If Ford had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics (and I just love this
part):

1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash………twice a day.

2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car.

3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You would have to pull to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you could
continue. For some reason you would simply accept this.

4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine.

5. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast and twice as easy to drive – but would run on only five percent of the roads.

6. The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a single “This Car Has Performed An Illegal
Operation” warning light.

7. The airbag system would ask, “Are you sure?” before deploying.

8. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.

9. Every time a new car was introduced car buyers would have to learn how to drive all over again because none of the controls would
operate in the same manner as the old car.

10. You’d have to press the “Start” button to turn the engine off.

PS – I’d like to add that when all else fails, you could call “customer service” in some foreign country and be instructed in some
foreign language how to fix your car yourself!

–El Waggs

[page break]

NEWS FROM S&S–AFT Names S&S Presenting Sponsor of SuperTwins

Progressive American Flat Track has announced that S&S Cycle has further increased its involvement for 2021 and will serve as both the presenting sponsor for the world’s most prestigious two-wheeled dirt track class and as the Official Exhaust of Progressive AFT.

Reintroduced to much fanfare in 2020, the premier class of Progressive American Flat Track will be officially known as Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle in 2021.

The announcement solidifies S&S’s central role in the sport, having also recently played a vital part in the revolutionary rise of Indian Motorcycle and Royal Enfield inside the paddock.

“Progressive American Flat Track welcomes S&S’s renewed commitment to the sport,” said Michael Lock, CEO of Progressive AFT. “They have become a key partner during recent years and both their commercial investment and their impact as a competitor and support resource in the race paddock has become an integral part of the show.”

In 2016, S&S added flat track to its race pedigree with the development of the FTR750 and has since put it on the podium at every event. Its efforts on the racetrack are channeled directly into its R&D program and ultimately to the street. S&S Cycle offers engine components, exhaust and fuel systems, engine upgrade kits, and complete engines for a variety of V-twin makes and models as well as performance parts for the latest Royal Enfield machines.

Race fans will be able to purchase select S&S apparel at Progressive AFT Merchandise stands this season.

“S&S is excited to expand our support for Progressive AFT,” said David Zemla, Marketing VP at S&S. “We enter the 2021 season as presenting sponsor of Mission SuperTwins and are backing it up with a $76,500 contingency program for the class. We will also continue to campaign the Indian Wrecking Crew in AFT’s premier class and are looking forward to getting back on the track and in front of the fans.”

www.sscycle.com

–Posted by Dealerworld

THOUGHTS FROM THE SUPREME BIKERNET TEMPLE—At the base of the gray mountain.

Every moment is a dawn,
Every challenge an opportunity,
Every adverse circumstance a test,
Every good deed a creation.

–Venerable Master Hsing Yun

TAXED PER MILE, HANG ON–Two states tax
some drivers by the mile. Many more
want to give it a try.

The approach is more complex than
taxing gasoline usage and faces
opposition from environmentalists who
say it favors gas-guzzling SUVs and trucks

Bruce Starr spotted the problem right away: The hydrogen-powered cars General Motors was showing off on the Oregon Capitol grounds wouldn’t need gas. And if they didn’t need gas, drivers wouldn’t be paying gas taxes that fund the state’s roads.

It was 2001, and the problem seemed urgent. GM predicted the cars would be on the market in a few years. Starr, then a Republican state representative, created a task force to figure out the future of transportation funding.

“There’s no asphalt fairy out there that sprinkles asphalt in the night on our roadways,” he said recently.

Widespread production of hydrogen-powered cars has not come to pass, but GM is eyeing an all-electric fleet by 2035 with the backing of the Biden administration. That has lawmakers in state capitals across the country and in Washington increasingly confronting the question that troubled Starr two decades ago.

Many have settled on an answer: charging drivers a penny or two for each mile behind the wheel. But while such a system would bring in tax dollars for roads, it also would present a new set of obstacles.

How much would you pay under a VMT tax?
Last year, the House passed a bill that would have created a federal pilot program to test a vehicle miles-traveled (VMT) tax. Under the legislation, the Treasury Department would impose a fee equal to the total amount collected in gas taxes, divided by the miles driven by passenger vehicles. The figure works out to about nine-tenths of a cent per mile, using data from 2019, the most recent available.

States are leading the way, with Oregon and Utah launching the first programs and several others running pilots to test technology and build public support. The approach has bipartisan support in Washington, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has signaled his openness.

But existing programs operate on a small scale, and a national system would mean tracking millions of vehicles. Supporters are pushing for the quick adoption of proposals to maintain funding of the nation’s crumbling infrastructure, while opponents, including environmental advocates, argue the shift is premature at a time when electric vehicles are a fraction of cars on the road. New fees also would slow their adoption, they say.

[Auto industry peers into an electric future and sees bumps ahead]

The Oregon task force put the state at the forefront of the new approach, known as a road-user charge or a vehicle miles-traveled (VMT) tax. The state launched a voluntary program in 2015. Legislators in Salem are considering a bill that would make the program mandatory for new vehicles with a fuel economy rating of 30 miles per gallon or higher starting in 2026.

State Rep. John Lively (D), the bill’s sponsor, said the state has demonstrated that a program can work and that it is time to take the next step.

“If we don’t get the date set certain, we’re never going to get there,” he said.

Utah’s program was launched last year and has enrolled more drivers than Oregon’s. A dozen states are considering legislation this year to update, launch or study programs, including California — where the governor wants to end sales of gas-powered cars by 2035 — and Wyoming.

“We’re in the beginning, the very beginnings of the tangible transitions to this now,” said Douglas Shinkle, transportation project director at the National Conference of State Legislatures. “There’s a lot of palpable excitement.”

At the federal level, the idea of taxing mileage has gained traction in both parties as leaders promise an infusion of spending on transportation infrastructure, even as lawmakers disagree on how to pay the bill.

By Ian Duncan
Graphic by Joe Fox
–Read the whole story at the Washington Post

QUICK, New Bikernet Reader Comment!–OFFICIAL PRODUCT REVIEW: Motorcycle Cooling Vests

https://www.bikernet.com/pages/OFFICIAL_PRODUCT_REVIEW_Motorcycle_Cooling_Vests.aspx

RE: The H-D vest.
After the mentioned 100 hydration cycles do you have to purchase more of the crystals or a new vest? Almost sounds like if you soaked a T shirt every gas break it might accomplish the same thing. Good article.

–Rhys
S. Daytona, FL

ACTION AT THE STEEL PONY CAMPGROUND—
Premium Hilltop Cabin
Regular price$1,699.00
CABIN NUMBER

CABIN G – 2 FULL BEDS
OPTIONS

Second Half (Aug 10 – 16, 2021)
QUANTITY
1
A premium 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom cabin. In-cabin plumbing includes toilet, sink, and shower. Additional amenities include air conditioning, microwave, mini fridge, clothes rack, electrical outlets, and parking for your bikes near the cabin.

Campground Wristbands Required Separately
For the 2021 rally, wristbands are not included in cabin pricing. A wristband is required for every person entering the camping area. Purchase can be made online or at campground check-in.

Beds
Bed arrangement is shown on cabin selection. Linens and pillows are provided.

1 queen bed
2 full size beds
2 full size bunk beds
1 queen & 1 full size bunk bed

Length of Stay
Three length of stay options:

Full Rally ($3,200)
?Arrive on or after August 4, 2021 at 3pm.?
Depart August 16, 2021 before noon.

First Half ($1,899)?
Arrive August 4, 2021 after 3pm.?
Depart August 10, 2021 before noon.

Second Half ($1,699)
Arrive on or after August 10, 2021 at 3pm.
?Depart August 16, 2021 before noon.

Deposits and Equal Payments
$500 deposit option requires balance paid in full by July 1, 2021. When you select the deposit + payments option, we will contact you to discuss your length of stay choice, set payment arrangements, and send monthly invoices to pay online. Deposits and monthly payments made are non-refundable. Failure to pay in full by July 1, 2021 will forfeit your reservation.

Refunds
Purchase of this item is non-refundable.

HARLEY SUGGESTIONS CONTINUED— One thing that I wish they’d do is follow the lead of high-end European car companies and create and promote a program where buyers can pick up their new bike directly at the factory.

Porsche and Ferrari have programs where you fly in, get a tour of the factory and take delivery of your car. Then you can tour it around Europe for a while… afterwards they service it and ship it home for you – all part of a package deal. Harley could do the same thing… I think it would be a popular program.. especially in the summer near Sturgis bike week.

Another thing is tweak the Road King design so it looks good without the bags. The old FLH looked great with or without bags… Road King looks like dirt without the bags. I’d love it if I could ride my Road King bagless and it wouldn’t take much to get it done..

Cool… here’s an article about how European delivery works for cars. Interesting read if you’re interested. I could imagine tons of European and Asian buyers flying to Milwaukee to pick up their new bike and touring the US before shipping it off home.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a15338837/buy-a-car-get-a-trip-how-european-delivery-works/

–John Dyke

BIKERNET STAFFER BUSTED–This David UHL painting reminds me of a photo you ran of Rogue emerging from a shack where he had rested during a trip to Sturgis. I tried to find the photo but was unsuccessful.

–Sam Burns

Let’s see if Rogue has it.—Bandit

ANOTHER New Bikernet Reader Comment!–The Short Happy Life of Easyriders Magazine

https://www.bikernet.com/pages/The_Short_Happy_Life_of_Easyriders_Magazine.aspx

50 years ago, I was in high school and sneaking copies of Easyriders into school for study hall reading very quickly became a thing to do. I’ll say it was 50/50 “looking at the bikes” versus looking at the biker chicks back then, but I could be lying.

Today I can recall those bikes a lot more than I can recall those girls. Easyriders exposed me to much more than the stock bikes I was around at the time and those magazine photo choppers have stuck with me over the decades.

I was saddened to see the magazine disappear from the newsstands and then hearing the idea that the EASYRIDERS title ends up on a coffee table magazine displayed in oh so upscale homes, oh so artfully along with Architectural Digest is more than sickening. All the grand old Easyriders artwork and photography wasted in such a project.

I must be getting old. The bike world went from homebuilt choppers and bobbers to expensive boutique As Seen on TV “choppers” and now is going towards expensive boutique shop baggers as the IN bike to have.

I miss those good old days and the Easyriders magazines that brought the chopper scene to us guys far away from the middle of the action.

–Vern Moore
Kingsley, PA

NEW FROM RMJ–
RMJ specializes in designing and producing tomahawks for a wide variety of uses and situations and the Shrike embodies that ethos as much or more than any other model.

The Shrike is a high-performance, spiked tomahawk that fits in wherever it is needed. The Shrike is a great outdoor adventure tomahawk for hikes and camping, and a robust first responder breach and extraction tool. If necessary, the Shrike is able to cut electrical wires, breach an electric vehicle or work around live wires.

It harkens to the RMJ mantra of one tool, many tasks. The tomahawk features a 3” forward facing edge that is razor sharp, combined with a 3″ distal tapered spike that can be used for digging, shattering tempered glass, breaching windshields, penetrating sheet metal, hacking through concrete and wood or even breaking chains and hardened padlocks.

RMJ makes an effort to create tools that always keep you prepared for anything when you are in the field, whether the situation is a serious emergency or exploring the next vista to watch a killer sunset.
What sets the Shrike apart from other tools is the insulated rubber over-molded handle.

The advantage of such a design is not only a great grip but vibration reduction and that fact that the handle is insulated. The Shrike has been tested to provide insulation up to 2,000 volts. If the tool is being used to chop through a wall and happens to connect with a live electrical wire, a good degree of protection exists from getting electrocuted.

The butt end of the grip features a cap that screws off to gain access to a small storage compartment. The ax features a Tungsten Cerakote finish for corrosion and wear resistance and a low visibility look. Included is a molded, bottom-eject kydex sheath and low-ride M.O.C. straps.
.
Great for: Breach | Camp | Utility | Backpack | Preparedness Kit | Emergency / Safety
Specifications
Overall Length: 7 in
Overall Height: 15.875 in
Forward Cutting Edge Length: 2.75 in
Blade Thickness: .375 in
Weight: 1 pound 8.7 ounces (without sheath)
Blade Material: 80CRV2 (HRC 57-58)
Sheath: Molded kydex sheath and Low-Ride M.O.C. Straps

QUICK, OPEN THE BANDIT’S CANTINA BAD JOKE LIBRARY— It’s a five-minute walk from my house to the pub.

It’s a 35-minute walk from the pub to my house
The difference is staggering

–Sam Burns

TWISTED ROAD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT–
We love to share stories on our blog from riders and owners who embody the Twisted Road community. Please tell us as much of your story as you can for each question. A Twisted Road team member may reach out to you for photos to go along with your story.

Thanks for being part of Twisted Road!

Twin Power ‘Shocker’ Gel Batteries – “Innovative Design and Affordable Prices”

Twin Power (Tucker Powersports) has introduced new nanogel technology batteries for V-twin and cruiser markets. These new ‘Shocker’ gel batteries join Twin Power’s existing lines of traditional batteries in its 2021 product range.

Twin Power and Biker’s Choice Brand Manager James Simonelli says: “Innovative design and an affordable price are what the motorcycle replacement battery market is all about, and these new ‘Shocker’ nanogel batteries deliver on both.”

Also known as VRLA batteries (Valve Regulated Lead Acid), Simonelli explained that “there are numerous advantages to ‘Shocker’ gel cell batteries – as a design concept they could have been invented especially for motorcycles. The extra thick plates and sealed packaging for the battery cells allow the units to be leak-free, maintenance-free and vibration resistant.

“In addition, riders love the increased cycle life, resistance to sulfation (chemical changes to the battery when it does not receive a full charge), wide operating temperature range and superior cold weather performance. Because of their design, gel cell batteries can be mounted at any angle, which is great for custom bike designers and builders.”
On the inside, the Shocker gel battery’s nanogel technology significantly improves performance – increasing the available power from a battery and decreasing the time required to recharge it.

The surface of the electrode is coated nanoparticles. This increases the surface area of the electrode, thereby allowing more current to flow between the electrode and the chemicals inside the battery. This technique increases the efficiency of the battery while reducing the weight.

The shelf life of a battery is increased by using nanomaterials to separate liquids in the battery from the solid electrodes when there is no draw on the battery. This separation prevents the low-level discharge that occurs in a conventional battery.
“On the outside, Twin Power included unique flush-mount battery terminals which provide consistent amperage transfer and eliminate the arcing and corrosion that can affect a traditional-style battery terminal. Shocker batteries feature a robust ABS case with a matte black finish. A unique blue top identifies the gel series batteries.”

Twin Power used an independent lab to test the Shocker gel battery line-up for high-rate discharge, ten-hour discharge, vibration, short circuit and cold cranking amps.

“We’ve tested the hell out of these batteries in the lab and on the road, and we love their performance,” said Simonelli. “This is a true innovation in battery performance for motorcycles and we are really excited to be bringing it to the market. With nanogel technology and an affordable price, the Shocker Gel won’t let you down.”
Fitments are available in all popular 14, 20 and 32 amp configurations.

TUCKER V-TWIN
www.tucker.com/v-twin
www.twinpower-usa.com

–Posted by Dealerworld

HUGE BOOST FOR RECREATIONAL TRAILS—
Introduced in Congress

Congressmen Peter Welch of Vermont and John Curtis of Utah formally introduced the Recreational Trails Program Full Funding Act that would increase funding from $84 million to at least $250 million per year, dramatically helping construction and maintenance on public lands, much of the work being long overdue.

“H.R. 1864 has a group of one dozen bipartisan co-sponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives, from states coast to coast,” said Scott Schloegel, senior vice president at the MIC’s Government Relations Office. “Congressmen Welch and Curtis are true champions of recreational trails. This is another great step that the industry and enthusiasts should applaud, and we greatly appreciate the efforts of House legislators, their staff members, and the support of the OHV community. If passed, the RTP Full Funding Act would be the biggest increase in RTP funding since the program was established in the early 1990s.”

Work and improvements on the nation’s trails would certainly be welcome as off-highway powersports has grown, along with other types of outdoor recreation, during the pandemic. Even before the onset of COVID-19, the Bureau of Economic Analysis recorded solid growth for the economic impact of all various outside activities between 2018 and 2019.

The previous combined figure was $778 billion and it expanded to $788 billion, representing 2.1 percent of U.S. gross domestic product. Motorcycle, ATV, and side-by-side activity accounted for more than $9 billion in total business.

–MIC

THE DEADWOOD CHRONICALS— Deadwood, Dakota Territory, had this celebration, captured by wild west photographer, John Grabill, when the town completed the Deadwood Central Railroad and the streetcar railroad.

–Sam Burns
Chief Historian
Bikernet.com
Deadwood office

BIKE DEALS FROM THE BOARS NEST CHOPPERS— BIKES FOR SALE

2011 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHP POLICE ROAD KING. 20,000 ORIGINAL MILES. 107″ BIG BORE KIT. PORTED HEADS. WOODS 777 CAMS. JACKPOT 2-1 EXHAUST. MOTOR WORK & TUNE DONE BY FUEL MOTO.

ALL PARTS AND SHEET METAL ARE PLASTIDIP ONLY AND CAN EASILY BE REMOVED. ORIGINAL POLICE PAINT AND DECALS UNDERNEATH. CUSTOMS WHEELS, SUMAX WIDE BAGS, LED’S ALL AROUND, DAKOTA DIGITAL SPEEDO, DETACHABLE BACKREST. TOO MUCH TO LIST. READY TO RIDE. CONTACT: 760.757.4294 TUES-SAT 9AMTO6PM.
$7,499

VERY CLEAN 2005 BMC HOOLIGAN. 1,700 ORIGINAL MILES. 100″ REVTECH MOTOR, 6 SPEED TRANSMISSION, MIKUNI CARB. JUST SERVICED AND READY TO RIDE! CONTACT: 760.757.4294 TUE-SAT 9AM-6PM.
$8,000

CALLNOW

NEW MAGAZINE IS NOW ONLINE

MARCH (BIKE WEEK)
FULL THROTTLE 2021

tonyc@floridafullthrottle.com

Tony Cianci
Full Throttle Magazine
850 Dunbar Ave.
Oldsmar, Florida 34677

Patrick Moore recently wrote a book called, Fake Invisible Catastrophes and Threats of Doom. I bought two immediately.

He sent me this video link of a lecture: https://www.thegwpf.com/video-of-patrick-moores-gwpf-lecture-should-we-celebrate-co2/

–Bandit

KEEPING THE BANDIT’S CANTINA BAD JOKE LIBRARY WIDE OPEN—MASK FREE

Today I saw a dwarf climbing down a prison wall.
I thought to myself:
That’s a little condescending.

–Sam Burns

THE HARLEY SUGGESTION BOX–Design top end kit to allow Sportsters to be converted to chain or belt driven Overhead Cam, 4 valves per cylinder, high rev. Beasts!

–Adrian Alexander

THE BANDIT’S CANTINA BAD JOKE LIBRARY IS MOVING TO THE BADLANDS– People who wonder
whether the glass is half empty or half full
are missing the point.

The glass is refillable.

–Sam Burns
Certified Librarian
Bandit’s Cantina Bad Joke Library

WHAT’S NEXT—You should have seen me load a 1928 frame, frontend and lowerend into a wardrobe box to save on the cost of another bulky wooden crate. Bastard was heavy. Then I pushed it upright and stuffed tall shit all around it.

It’s like that everyday. We rock from project to project. I’m using old t-shirts to protect pictures and paintings and stuffing jackets, vests and sweatshirts in boxes to fill space.

We are working on several content pieces. I’ll post Rogue’s Tropical Tattoo show report tomorrow. With the help of tech Paul Davis, I’m working on a piece about Buell. Some controversy seems to be brewing.

The former boss at Easyriders, Joe Teresi is looking for one of these headlights off a 2020 Fat Bob for his project bike.

The guy who piled the streets of Wilmington, California with homelessness tents and RVs wants to run for major. He has also done his best to punish people who drive to work, which is most of the population. Plus, he has done nothing about our infrastructure. And you wonder why I’m moving to South Dakota.

Hang on. Lots of reports are head your way, including episode 93 in the Cantina series.

Just remember riding is Nirvana and we can’t get along without our freedoms to ride.

–Bandit

Beginning Thursday, May 6, new days and hours of operation come to the Harley-Davidson Museum

MILWAUKEE, USA (May 4, 2021) – As a part of the Harley-Davidson Museum’s phased reopening, the H-D Museum will soon expand its hours of operation. Beginning Thursday, May 6, the H-D Museum and The Shop  will be open Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. MOTOR® Bar & Restaurant will also  have expanded operations on Thursdays, with its hours of operation  11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Thursday through Sunday.

And with a new installation arriving May 14, it’s the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the expanded hours. “The Harley Fox” bike will be on view in the Custom Culture gallery. This display showcases the explosive growth of women’s riding in the 1980s and draws a direct line from those efforts to the riders of today.

But don’t fret. Even if a trip to the H-D Museum isn’t in your plans just yet, our Virtual Gallery Talks, taking place Thursday evenings, aren’t going anywhere. This month, topics will include Harley-Davidson’s humble beginnings, the role H-D has played in U.S. military efforts and more.

Scouts can also take advantage of virtual offerings with a new merit badge experience that launched this month. Read on to see how you can earn the coolest engineering merit badge in the land.

And if you’re still shopping for Mom, why not get her the H-D Museum’s all-new Annual Pass? Whether she’s looking for a well-deserved solo trip or a family outing, Mom will love this memorable gift again and again. Purchase one in 2021 and enjoy perks – like discounts throughout campus and free admission – through 2022.

Finally, don’t forget: While May is Military Appreciation Month, all active-duty military members, reserves, retirees and veterans of the United States Armed Forces can enjoy discounts throughout campus all year-round.

Learn more about the H-D Museum’s protocols to support healthy and safe environments.

EXHIBITS / INSTALLATIONS

Harley Fox (on display beginning May 14)
Gail Anderson’s 1986 Softail® Custom, “Harley Fox,” built by her partner Bob Burrows, took top prize at the first Ladies of Harley® (LOH) ride-in show during Daytona Beach Bike Week in 1987. With her custom bike and themed riding gear, Anderson presented a striking image that fit the growing visibility and exciting new options for women riders in the 1980s.

Alfonso Sotomayor’s 1957 Model FL (on display now)

Google Arts & Culture, “Touring Around the World” (available now)
Join Harley-Davidson on this trip around the world, and through history, with then-and-now comparisons of international locations found on the covers of “The Enthusiast™” magazine. Click Here to View.

“Off-Road Harley-Davidson” (open now) click here
In the decades before America paved its highways, early riders had to be prepared for all sorts of terrain: sand, clay or dirt – and wandering those makeshift byways were Harley-Davidson® motorcycles. Today, it’s called off-road or adventure touring; back then it was just called riding. Since 1903, Harley-Davidson motorcycles proved their toughness by riding over wooded hills, through stone-choked creek beds and up mountain sides. “Off-Road Harley-Davidson” tells the history of motorcycles designed for rough roads, the people who rode them and the adventures they shared.

“Building a Milwaukee Icon: Harley-Davidson’s Juneau Avenue Factory” (open now) click here
A recently recovered cache of architectural drawings includes plans for the original Juneau Avenue facility. The pencil drawings, along with archival photographs, demonstrate the whirlwind pace of the company’s early growth. While building an international business—going from producing just over 1,000 motorcycles in 1909 to manufacturing 27,000 motorcycles in 1920—the company’s Milwaukee factory experienced near-constant expansion. Construction through this relatively brief period created the buildings that today, a century later, are still the proud home of Harley-Davidson.

PROGRAMMING / EVENTS

Saturday Demos, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., May 15 through Sept. 25
Demo Rides available at the world’s only Harley-Davidson Museum! Visit the H-D Museum campus Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and throw a leg over a 2021 motorcycle to experience the fun and freedom of a Harley-Davidson® motorcycle.

Visitors with their motorcycle endorsement (and who bring their own helmet and riding gear) will be able to choose from a dozen of the latest and greatest #FreedomMachines from Harley-Davidson, including Touring, Softail® and Sportster® models. Plus, the all-new Pan America™ motorcycle will be available on a limited basis. A pre-determined scenic route through the Menomonee Valley will give riders the chance to explore the Museum’s surrounding neighborhoods.

Annual Pass
Looking for interesting things to do and ways to fully enjoy our programs and exhibits? The Harley-Davidson Museum’s new Annual Pass offers individual, family and VIP levels to fit your lifestyle. Just some of the perks of the new Annual Pass include: admission discounts, Virtual Gallery Talks, free admission for children under age 18, merchandise discounts at The Shop, dining discounts at MOTOR® Bar & Restaurant and more.

Plus, if you purchase an Annual Pass in 2021, those passholder perks can be enjoyed all of 2021 and 2022. Visit H-D Museum.com to see complete ticket details for exclusions and other terms and conditions.

Virtual Gallery Talks
Thursdays (May 6, 13, 20 and 27 at 7 p.m.)
The Harley-Davidson Museum is pleased to introduce a new offering to its menu of unique experiences: Virtual Gallery Talks are ideal for those who are hoping to take a deep dive into Harley-Davidson history from the comfort of home.

Featured Gallery: The Beginnings – The Shed & Serial No. 1 (Thursday, May 6 @ 7 p.m.)
Take a trip back in time to 1903 when H-D’s “first factory” appeared on the scene in Milwaukee. Get an up-close look at some of the Motor Company’s first patents and engineering drawings. Then hear the story behind Serial No. 1, the oldest-known Harley-Davidson® motorcycle in existence.

Featured Gallery: Military – Riding with Uncle Sam (Thursday, May 13 @ 7 p.m.)
Harley-Davidson’s history with the U.S. military dates back more than a century. Learn about how Harley-Davidson found itself on the front lines in the fight for freedom, including a lesson on the famed WLA, the “bike that won the war.”

Featured Gallery: Clubs & Competition – Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday (Thursday, May 20 @ 7 p.m.)
Although Harley-Davidson was a late entry into racing in the early 20th century, its famed “Wrecking Crew” racing team didn’t take long to dominate the track. Get a look at the equipment, gear and tracks that built board track racing’s popularity.

Featured Gallery: Custom Culture – Harley-Davidson & Pop Culture (Thursday, May 27 @ 7 p.m.)
It’s time for Harley-Davidson’s closeup. See how H-D® motorcycles were featured on big screens and small, taking a star turn in Marvel movies, iconic TV shows and more.

Engines 101 (Saturdays and Sundays, 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.)
Study the heart of Harley-Davidson motorcycles: the engine! Join us for a classroom experience covering the gritty details of how Harley-Davidson engines roar to life. No mechanical skills necessary! Leave with an exclusive Engines 101 pin, a $5 coupon for The Shop and a newfound knowledge of how Harley-Davidson® engines are created.

Scout Virtual Engineering Merit Badge (Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. and Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m.)

MOTOR® BAR & RESTAURANT click here
The patio is open! Just in time for warmer temps, MOTOR® restaurant’s waterfront patio has opened for the season. Bring your furry four-legged friend and enjoy new seasonal menu items. Carry-out, delivery and contact-less payment options are all on the table. Kick off your weekend with the AYCE Fish Fry, a delicious all-you-can-eat beer-battered and golden fried cod meal – served alongside crispy french fries, jicama slaw, corn bread muffin and tartar sauce, all for just $15.95.

THE SHOP
Visit the Shop to check out the limited-edition collaboration between Harley-Davidson and Boston rockers Aerosmith. A T-shirt you can rock anywhere. The H-D x Aerosmith Burnout Tee touts a retro design inspired by the band’s eponymous album and is constructed from a tri-blend material that makes it feel like a tee from their very first show.

1903 EVENTS click here
Looking for an iconic venue to host your special event? Dates and spaces are available for 2021 and 2022. Contact 1903 Events today.

 Make your plans to visit the Harley-Davidson Museum at H-DMuseum.com.

By NIKKI WENTLING | STARS AND STRIPES

WASHINGTON — After weeks of uncertainty, the veterans group organizing the popular Memorial Day weekend motorcycle ride through the nation’s capital has secured a new starting point.

Tens of thousands of motorcyclists will gather at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in northeast Washington on May 30 before and after the traditional ride around the National Mall. Muriel Bowser, the mayor of Washington, D.C., granted the stadium permission to host the riders.

AMVETS, a national veterans organization, is organizing the ride, which has typically started at the Pentagon parking lots. However, the Defense Department barred the motorcyclists from gathering at the Pentagon this year, citing the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the size of the expected crowd. Organizers are preparing for up to 100,000 motorcycles and nearly twice as many people.

After the Pentagon’s rejection, organizers scrambled to find a new starting point. They announced May 10 that riders would stage on the streets around the National Mall, shutting down the area for about 15 hours.

After the announcement, the group was told that Bowser authorized the use of RFK Stadium. AMVETS spokesman Miles Migliara said Monday that the group was “locked into” using the stadium as the starting point and wasn’t expecting any more changes.

The stadium, in the city’s northeast quadrant, is much farther from the National Mall than the Pentagon. Hosting riders there will require the city to shut down a busy section of the Capitol Beltway, an interstate highway surrounding Washington, from noon to 5 p.m. Other roads will also be closed for long stretches of time, including Pennsylvania Avenue and the streets surrounding the National Mall. Full details of the route will be announced later this week, AMVETS said.

The ride, called Rolling to Remember, aims to raise awareness for prisoners of war and troops still missing in action, as well as the issue of veteran suicide. It was planned as a replacement for the annual Rolling Thunder event, which was held every Memorial Day weekend for 32 consecutive years before ending in 2019.

Last year’s event was canceled because of the pandemic. Organizers said that they’re working to make this year’s event safe, despite ongoing risks.

Motorcyclists will be staged six feet apart, and riders will be asked to wear masks in situations where socially distancing isn’t possible, AMVETS said. The group is also training “COVID marshals” who will encourage social distancing and mask wearing. AMVETS has about 200,000 masks to give away the day of the event.

–from Stars and Stripes

I see the Pentagon declared Fear of the Flu as the reason for not allowing motorcycle people from parking or gathering near the Pentagon on Veterans Day. God help us if Pentagon Warriors are ever threatened by an actual enemy they can actually SEE. I notice flu concerns werent on the menu when 300 billion muslims filled the streets of New York city today to demand Israel stop counter-attacking the Islamic Jihad War Machine. The Pentagon didn’t bother to involve itself with an actual Enemy filling the streets and not wearing cloth petri dishes, I notice.

–J.J. Solari

When 20,000 motorcyclists converged on Fort Smith in Arkansas for the annual Steel Horse Rally, Meridian Rapid Defense Group was there to ensure a safe and memorable event.

Large parts of the downtown needed to be closed off to cars and trucks but still left open for the bikers to enter and that’s where Meridian’s Archer 1200 barriers were the perfect fit.

https://www.thesteelhorserally.com/

The Steel Horse Rally is a motorcycle gathering held on Fort Smith’s Garrison Avenue to benefit local charities. This year again, more than $100,000 was raised and an estimated $4.2 million of revenue flowed into city business over the two day rally in May.

Meridian’s CEO Peter Whitford said, “In this situation with a huge number of motorcycles and crowds on the streets, safety was of the utmost importance. By correct placement of our barriers, we were able ensure that cars and trucks were kept out of the mix.”

Meridian’s fully certified deployment team moved in with Archer barriers and quickly secured the street. The barriers, which carry the full certification of The SAFETY Act and each are made of 700 lbs of U.S. steel, were set far enough apart that bikes could easily pass through while larger vehicles were blocked from entering the rally area. The Archer barrier can be moved by one person and can stop a vehicle hitting it head-on at speed.

Capt. Daniel Grubbs from the Fort Smith Police Department explained that security was a big factor, “We set out to ensure the safety of the motorcycle riders and the general public during this event.”

Before the event Meridian worked with the city and organizers to prepare a fully certified vehicle safety mitigation plan.

“The rally was all about people enjoying themselves safely,” said Mr. Whitford. “And, importantly, raising money for local charities. With our contribution of the Archer barriers, we at Meridian were proud that we were able to do our part for local charities in Fort Smith.”

“We are excited and grateful for the return of the Steel Horse Rally,” rally president Dennis Snow said. “This year’s sponsors were vital to keeping the rally alive. A couple of months ago, because of COVID, we weren’t even sure if we would be able to have the 2021 Steel Horse Rally.”

Meridian Archer 1200 Barriers are “SAFETY Act Certified” by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) providing the ultimate standard in keeping people, communities and places safer. For more information about Meridian Rapid Defense Group and the Archer 1200 vehicle barrier visit www.meridian-barrier.com

by Michael Taylor from https://www.forbes.com

Harley-Davidson Stock Soars As EU Decides Against 56% Tariff Surge

The Harley-Davidson stock price surged this morning after the European Union deferred a tariff plan that would have seen the classic American motorcycle maker face a 56% entry ticket into the European market.

Harley-Davidson Inc would have been one of the biggest losers if the tariff increase from the current 31% had gone through, though whiskey distillers and boat makers would also have taken a hit.

“We are encouraged by today’s announcement that tariffs affecting our products will not escalate from 31% to 56%,” Harley-Davidson Chief Executive Jochen Zeitz said.

“Harley-Davidson employees, dealers, stakeholders and motorcycles have no place in this trade war. These tariffs provide other motorcycle manufacturers with an unfair competitive advantage in the EU.

“European motorcycles only pay up to 2.4% to be imported into the US. We want free and fair trade,” he said.

The tariff hike was set to come into effect on June 1, but it has been shelved as both the US and the EU set about negotiations on steel and aluminum tariffs.

It is estimated that the tariff would have impacted US$4 billion in exports from the US.

The tariffs were initially imposed in 2018 in retaliation to a Trump administration tariff on steel (25%) and aluminum (10%), with further tariff retaliation slated to begin in June.

“We did not want to be in this position,” European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said in June 2018. “However, the unilateral and unjustified decision of the U.S. to impose steel and aluminum tariffs on the EU means that we are left with no other choice.”

The company may have dodged the tariff bullet, but it is still fighting on another front in Europe after having its Binding Origin Information (BOI) revoked, hurling its import tariff up from 6% to beyond 30%.

Its BOI credentials allowed Harley to operate at the lower tariff rate with bikes from its international plants, but their removal created a crisis.

“The company will continue to pursue its legal challenge to the Binding Origin Information (BOI) revocation, and its application for extended reliance.”

The guy in the unintentional Monty Python imitation video is Alok Sharma – the chairman of something or other called the UN COP23.

He is not actually giving you any actual information. He is just making assertions. He might as well be saying “Inanimate Lives Matter.” I will demonstrate.

– J J Solari

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