Dominant Wire-to-Wire 250 Class Moto 2 Victory is Martin’s First with JGRMX HURRICANE MILLS, TN. (August 24, 2020) – The second round of the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship kicked off with heavy rain and was once again hosted by the iconic Loretta Lynn Dude Ranch for the second consecutive Loretta Lynn’s 2 National. Following the morning rain, Pirelli riders opted to run the SCORPION™ MX32™ Mid Soft front and SCORPION™ MX Soft rear tires in both the 250 and 450 Classes to navigate the muddier than usual conditions. JGR/Yoshimura/Suzuki’s Alex Martin raced to his best finish of the season by taking the victory in the second 250 Class moto and landing himself on the overall podium. “It’s a good feeling to be standing back up here on the podium,” said Martin. “The track conditions were pretty gnarly all day, but I felt that I had a good pace going in both motos and I was finally able to put it all together in Moto 2. Getting a good start is huge in conditions like these and the Pirelli SCORPION™ MX Soft did a great job of getting a drive into the first turn.” As the gate dropped on the opening 250 Class moto, Martin was quick out of the gate and rounded the first turn in second. He would quickly take over the race lead before hitting a soft spot on the track and going down. The Suzuki rider would remount towards the tail end of the field and put on a strong charge to claw himself back to seventh at the checkered flag. At the onset of 250 Moto 2, Martin used his SCORPION™ MX Soft scoop tire to launch out of the gate and capture the Motosport.com Holeshot. Despite rainfall, Martin continued to push at the front of the 40-rider field and opened a comfortable gap over the second place rider. Martin stayed out of trouble in the difficult conditions and remained unchallenged to take a dominant Moto 2 victory with more than a full minute to spare on his nearest competitor. It marked his first moto victory since joining the Joe Gibbs Racing team and his 7-1 moto scores landed him third overall on the day. “It was great to see Pirelli riders running towards the front all weekend,” said Nick Walton, Off-Road Manager, Pirelli. “With back-to-back events here at Loretta Lynn’s, and Pirelli riders grabbing several holeshots, I think that it really shows how capable the SCORPION™ MX Soft scoop tire is at getting traction when the conditions are soft or muddy.” The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship heads to Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana next Saturday, August 29 for round three. Results Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship MotoSport.com Loretta Lynn’s 2 National Loretta Lynn’s Ranch – Hurricane Mills, Tennessee August 22, 2020 250 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish) Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda (3-2) Dylan Ferrandis, France, Yamaha (2-4) Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Suzuki (7-1) 250 Class Championship Standings Dylan Ferrandis, France, Yamaha – 90 Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda – 84 Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Suzuki – 71 For more information about the complete line of Pirelli motorcycle tires, please visit Pirelli.com

He was a naked fakir, but he was loved by all real seekers. A queen was also deeply in love with Nagarjuna. She asked him one day to come to the palace, to be a guest in the palace. Nagarjuna went. The queen asked him a favour.

Nagarjuna said, “What do you want?”

The queen said, “I want your begging bowl.”

Nagarjuna gave it — that was the only thing he had — his begging bowl. And the queen brought a golden begging bowl, studded with diamonds and gave it to Nagarjuna. She said, “Now you keep this. I will worship the begging bowl that you have carried for years — it has some of your vibe. It will become my temple. And a man like you should not carry an ordinary wooden begging bowl — keep this golden one. I have had it made specially for you.”

It was really precious. If Nagarjuna had been an ordinary mystic he would have said, “I cannot touch it. I have renounced the world.” But for him it was all the same, so he took the bowl.

When he left the palace, a thief saw him. He could not believe his eyes: “A naked man with such a precious thing! How long can he protect it?” So the thief followed….

Nagarjuna was staying outside the town in a ruined ancient temple — no doors, no windows. It was just a ruin. The thief was very happy: “Soon Nagarjuna will have to go to sleep and there will be no difficulty — I will get the bowl.”

The thief was hiding behind a wall just outside the door — Nagarjuna threw the bowl outside the door. The thief could not believe what had happened. Nagarjuna threw it because he had watched the thief coming behind him, and he knew perfectly well that he was not coming for him — he was coming for the bowl, “So why unnecessarily let him wait? Be finished with it so he can go, and I can also rest.”

“Such a precious thing! And Nagarjuna has thrown it so easily.” The thief could not go without thanking him. He knew perfectly well that it had been thrown for him. He peeked in and he said, “Sir, accept my thanks. But you are a rare being — I cannot believe my eyes. And a great desire has arisen in me. I am wasting my life by being a thief — and there are people like you too? Can I come in and touch your feet?”

Nagarjuna laughed and he said, “Yes, that’s why I threw the bowl outside — so that you could come inside.”

The thief was trapped. The thief came in, touched the feet… and at that moment the thief was very open because he had seen that this man was no ordinary man. He was very vulnerable, open, receptive, grateful, mystified, stunned. When he touched the feet, for the first time in his life he felt the presence of the divine.

He asked Nagarjuna, “How many lives will it take for me to become like you?”

Nagarjuna said, “How many lives? — it can happen today, it can happen now!”

The thief said, “You must be kidding. How can it happen now? I am a thief, a well-known thief The whole town knows me, although they have not yet been able to catch hold of me. Even the king is afraid of me, because thrice I have entered and stolen from the treasury. They know it, but they have no proof. I am a master thief — you may not know about me because you are a stranger in these parts. How can I be transformed right now?”

And Nagarjuna said, “If in an old house for centuries there has been darkness and you bring a candle, can the darkness say, ‘For centuries and centuries I have been here — I cannot go out just because you have brought a candle in. I have lived so long’? Can the darkness give resistance? Will it make any difference whether the darkness is one day old or millions of years old.

The thief could see the point: darkness cannot resist light; when light comes, darkness disappears. Nagarjuna said, You may have been in darkness for millions of lives — that doesn’t matter — but I can give you a secret, you can light a candle in your being.”

And the thief said, “What about my profession? Have I to leave it?”

Nagarjuna said, “That is for you to decide. I am not concerned with you and your profession I can only give you the secret of how to kindle a light within your being, and then it is up to you.”

The thief said, “But whenever I have gone to any saints, they always say, ‘First stop stealing — then only can you be initiated.'”

It is said that Nagarjuna laughed and said, “You must have gone to thieves, not to saints. They know nothing. You just watch your breath — the ancient method of Buddha — just watch your breath coming in, going out. Whenever you remember, watch your breath. Even when you go to steal, when you enter into somebody’s house in the night, go on watching your breath. When you have opened the treasure and the diamonds are there, go on watching your breath, and do whatsoever you want to do — but don’t forget watching the breath.”

The thief said, “This seems to be simple. No morality? No character needed? No other requirement?”

Nagarjuna said, “Absolutely none — just watch your breath.”

And after fifteen days the thief was back, but he was a totally different man. He fell at the feet of Nagarjuna and he said, “You trapped me, and you trapped me so beautifully that I was not even able to suspect. I tried for these fifteen days — it is impossible. If I watch my breath, I cannot steal. If I steal, I cannot watch my breath. Watching the breath, I become so silent, so alert, so aware, so conscious, that even diamonds look like pebbles. You have created a difficulty for me, a dilemma. Now what am I supposed to do?”

Nagarjuna said, “Get lost! — whatsoever you want to do. If you want that silence, that peace, that bliss, that arises in you when you watch your breath, then choose that. If you think all those diamonds and gold and silver is more valuable, then choose that. That is for you to choose! Who am I to interfere in your life?”

The man said, “I cannot choose to be unconscious again. I have never known such moments. Accept me as one of your disciples, initiate me.”

Nagarjuna said, “I have initiated you already.”

Religion is based not in morality but in meditation. Religion is rooted not in character but in consciousness.

Most Americans drive to work because of the freedom that this mobility choice provides. Well, that and other suitable transportation options are limited in many locales. In recent years, there has been a concerted effort to limit car ownership while commuters are urged to take transit, rideshare, walk, and ride bikes/scooters. The COVID-19 crisis, though, seems to have stopped that idea in its tracks. In many places, transit ridership may never again approach past peak activity. If so, the long-term implications for transportation funding become even more complicated, and so does everyone’s daily commute.

 

In a recent NewGeography.Com post, author Randal O’Toole illuminated the idea of transportation resiliency. He quoted a new study from accounting giant KPMG that predicts commuting to work will decrease up to 20 percent due to the after-effects of the pandemic, one of which is the greatly expanded use of telecommuting. Shopping trips by vehicle will likely decline up to 30 percent due to increased online shopping.

 

Another KPMG prediction: 43 percent of former transit riders do not plan to return to buses, subways, and trolleys, and most who don’t work from home will likely turn to cars. If this happens, driving will increase by close to five billion vehicle miles per year in America alone, which will impact those of us who already commute by car every day.

 

O’Toole writes that transit is far less resilient than driving. At the height of the COVID-19 lockdown in April, the Federal Highway Administration claims that driving fell 42 percent compared to last year. Transit ridership fell by 84 percent.

Boston-based reporter Spencer Buell always loved the fact that he and his wife could take transit everywhere. The city has some of the worst traffic congestion in the nation, an effect heightened by narrow, winding streets downtown. A third of Boston households do not own a car. Buell and his wife live in East Boston, which is separated by the rest of the city due to the harbor, so biking to work is not a viable alternative. Now because of public health concerns, Buell cannot bear the idea of riding transit. He and his wife have decided to purchase a car to take control of their transportation options.

 

According to a CarGuru Survey from June, 22 percent of respondents claim they plan to purchase or have already purchased a car even though that had not been their plan before the pandemic.

 

The San Francisco Chronicle wrote this headline recently: The Pandemic Crushed vehicle Sales in the Bay Area. Then People Flocked to ‘COVID Cars.’  Immunology researcher Jeanmarie Gonzalez used to commute from Oakland to San Francisco. She recently bought a used car for her commute and said, “I’d rather drive than be on public transit multiple hours a day.” Gonzalez added that buying a car was a tough call, “I couldn’t afford a hybrid, and I didn’t have a place to plug in an electric car, so my options were limited. I prioritize human health in general over environmental issues, even though the environment is very important to me.”

 

In New York City, the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles reported that in July, residents registered nearly 40,000 cars—the highest amount recorded for any month in recent years. Many anti-car advocates have been claiming that NYC would see a coming “Carmageddon.” Mayor Bill de Blasio urged residents in a recent news conference not to buy a car, “Cars are the past.” Streetsblog and other anti-car advocates are urging city officials to use the crisis as an opportunity to push for more open streets, road diets, bus and bike lanes.

 

But these other mobility-as-a-service options are not fail-proof. In late July, Revel Scooters pulled the plug on its service in NYC after two user deaths, including that of local TV reporter Nina Kapur. Micromobility devices can sometimes be dangerous due to the inexperience of users, inadequate protective gear, and lack of attention by other road users. In the end, microtransit also costs too much per user.

 

Ironically, even one of the most ardent anti-car advocates, Brooklyn, New York resident Doug Gordon says he and his family are thinking of purchasing a car to escape the city. He is one of the hosts of the podcast called War on Cars. (Imagine that!)

Transit and micromobility do not seem to have long-term transportation resiliency or adequate safety records. On the other hand, will everyday commuters be able to come to grips with even more traffic congestion?

–Join the NMA for more up-to-date reports, Images from Sam Burns

Personal transportation rules. We just need an improved infrastructure for a growing population. A brother in Sturgis said that infrastructure projects will be a major boom to the economy in the very near future. Hang on!–Bandit

DETAILS

When Harley Davidson began producing the Sportster in 1957 it became an instant legend, and it has been produced continuously since. The heart of the beast is the 45 degree V-Twin overhead valve engine which evolved from its predecessor, the side valve flathead. Popular in its day, to say the least, it has become one of the most collectible of the post-war Harleys. This flawless example was restored by recognized Harley Zen Master Chris Pratt. Every minute detail of the restoration has been documented with photos and receipts. Essential to a collectible bike’s value, is that every part on the bike is original, and on this gem nothing was missing when the restoration began, and nothing has been replaced. There are only break in miles on the bike since restoration, so it is as flawless today as when it left Mr. Pratt’s shop last year. The cost of sourcing a good original Sportster and restoring it to this level would conservatively be double this sale price.

Price is firm at $35,000.

deGARMO LTD.

Specializing in Exceptional Vintage Sports Cars

                         

 The day before I was scheduled to leave my radio died, a check confirmed it was the radio and not anything else, like a blown fuse or loose wire. Well, I had a new helmet from Harley I was trying and I was able to hear music from my phone with it, so no big deal. I will write a separate article on the helmet when the dust settles.

 I got an early start on Friday, August 1, because this year I planned to stop and visit my niece in North Carolina. The ride went well and as the day went on the temperature continued to rise. I did plan on that and had my Harley Cooling vest with me and did need to use it. When I am riding by myself I don’t mess around. I stop for gas and unless I have to use the men’s room I gas and go. This helps to make excellent time getting to my next stop. Something you can never plan on is traffic jams, because of construction or wrecks on the interstates, and I did hit a couple of them but still arrived in time for us to go to supper and enjoy some conversation.

 Got a reasonable start Saturday morning, because my next stop was Gettysburg, PA, where I was to meet my friend and riding partner Beat-on who was coming in from New Jersey. I no sooner got into PA and my oil pressure gauge started doing crazy stuff. I was in bumper to bumper traffic and all kinds of things were going through my mind. I was finally able to get off the highway, and through a process felt it was the gauge or sending unit and not anything more serious, so I made it to the hotel, where I was meeting Beat-on.

 Still concerned I wanted to make sure it was not something more serious, I realized my friend Dan Fitzmaurice shop Zippers Performance was not that far away.

A phone call to him had me meet him at the shop early Monday and Justin installed a hose and gauge which confirmed I did in fact have good oil pressure. Better safe than sorry.

We made it to sister Cat’s and Cowboy’s house in Wisconsin for a much-needed R&R. Times with friends and their hospitality on these trips makes a world of difference. I also got to try out a new crossbow.

While there I took the opportunity to check out the fuel gauge situation which told me I would need a new part in the tank. Not something looking to do on the road.

 First, we stopped at Klock Werks to see our good friends there. Good thing we did as we were parking, I noticed oil leaking from Beat-on’s bike. It turned out to be an oil line. Got it in the shop and Todd got on it right away. Concerned about getting it fixed Brian Klock the owner said not to worry, we will get it fixed or take the bike and Beat-on to Black Hills H-D the next day. Well, Todd did his thing and not a drop the rest of the trip.

Got my oil pressure switch and wire connector fixed at Black Hills H-D but they did not have the fuel gauge parts in stock but did confirm what I thought was wrong so would just pay attention to gas and mileage the rest of the trip.

Made it to my friend Kathy’s house in Nemo and got settled in, while Beat-on did the same at the Guest Ranch.

Okay, even with planning and trying to cover everything, sometimes things just do not work out as planned. But I think this is way more interesting than I got on my motorcycle, met Beat-on and we rode to Sturgis…

The Greatest Show on Earth
By Jack McIntyre

The inaugural Race of Gentlemen was held in 2012 on the beach in Asbury Park, NJ, just days before Hurricane Sandy made landfall. New Jersey has a storied tradition of beach racing, including an epic 1-mile beach race in Cape May during the summer of 1905.

The exhibition featured the likes of Henry Ford, Louis Chevrolet and speed record holder Walter Christie. At the time, the Cape May beach was deemed the “finest racing beach” in the world.

The Race of Gentlemen has since moved from Asbury Park to Wildwood—a stone’s throw from Cape May—for its flatter, wider beaches and legendary boardwalk. Enthusiasts now attend from all over the country to run their machines down a 1/8-mile straightaway in front of thousands of spectators.

The event continues to grow and garner international recognition, while laying the groundwork for additional exhibitions and races around the country.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THIS ON BIKERNET

by Jean Mackin from https://www.wmur.com

In 2020 style, Laconia Motorcycle Week is taking a major detour this year — scaled down with no vendor tents or big scheduled events .

The state will post signs and even do flyovers featuring the rules of the road in New Hampshire.

“We want to remind folks that might be coming from out state to review our travel provisions, our quarantine protocols, and recommendations that we have within the state,” Gov. Chris Sununu said Friday. “Remind them that we do encourage folks to wear masks whenever they cannot social distance. If they are going to be at any large scheduled gathering, there actually is a mask requirement for those over 100.”

State health officials say they’re working with businesses to try to cut down on potential spread.

“In a large event like that, especially if it’s outdoor … and there’s hundreds of people, regardless of whether you’re wearing a mask or not there’s that risk of transmission is there,” said Health and Human Services Commissioner Lori Shibinette.

If someone tests positive, contact tracing could be difficult.

“It would be hard to do full contact tracing if they attended a large events at Bike Week, so I would say that a public notification is likely unless it was a very isolated incident,” Shibinette said.

And if a someone tests positive after leaving the state, New Hampshire officials would be notified.

by Abhilasha Singh from https://www.financialexpress.com

The launch of the new Harley-Davidson Bronx was delayed to next year owing to the ongoing COVID crisis, but now it seems the streetfighter may have headed to a full stop before beginning to write its story.

Harley-Davidson has had some very radical products lined up for 2021, including its very first adventure touring motorcycle and a streetfighter. The mould-breaking models were due next year but now Harley may have had a rethink on the streetfighter. Harley-Davidson Bronx had been the company website’s future models ‘Coming in 2021’ but has now been taken down. The ADV Pan-America, a ‘High Power Custom’, and other e-bicycles and electric concepts that were listed alongside still remain, but not the Bronx.

All details about the Bronx, including that on the press site have been removed. If the launch had been delayed, Harley could change the text from ‘Coming in 2021’ to ‘Coming Soon’, however, the manufacturer seems to have other plans.

According to a Motorcycle.com report, during the previous quarterly results presentation, Harley-Davidson CEO Jochen Zeitz did not have a direct answer when asked about the Bronx. “I think that at this time, adventure-touring will be the focus going into next year,” Motorcycle quoted Zeitz. “Other product line related decisions, we will be revealing in real-time, so it’s not something we can or want to talk about at this time.”

The launch of the new Harley-Davidson streetfighter was expected to be delayed but now it isn’t clear whether it will be launched at all. The Bronx could have been put back on the drawing board or axed.

But we still do have the Pan America to look forward to, along with the 1250cc Custom model. Those who had been waiting for a Harley with sporty configuration may have to be disappointed. Although, the Revolution Max platform is modular and Harley is working on cafe racer and flat tracker variants. When introduced, they’d go up against Indian FTR 1200 and Triumph Thruxton.

by Rajesh Kumar Singh from https://www.reuters.com

CHICAGO (Reuters) – An activist investor who shook up Harley-Davidson Inc (HOG.N) earlier this year said he is impressed with the changes initiated by new Chief Executive Jochen Zeitz to turn around the 117-year-old motorcycle company.

Impala Asset Management, the $2.4 billion hedge fund, pushed for the ouster of Zeitz’s predecessor Matt Levatich in January. Months later, it tried to install two directors on Harley’s board, asking for operational fixes to recover its market share in the United States, Europe and Japan.

“For the first time in five to six years, the company is on the right track again,” Bob Bishop, founder and chief investment officer at Impala, told Reuters.

Zeitz, who took the reins in February, is rebooting Harley’s business by shifting the focus back to big bikes, traditional markets like the United States and Europe, and older and wealthier customers.

The new strategy echoes some of the changes Impala has been pushing for. Bishop said Harley should not pursue sales growth at any cost. Instead, it needs to market itself like Ferrari and become an “aspirational” brand, he added.

Bishop does not buy the argument that Harley’s sales in the United States – its biggest market – are suffering because of an aging customer base. He dubbed that an “excuse” to cover the company’s shrinking market share, citing evidence from Europe and Japan where industry sales of motorcycles have been growing despite older demographics.

“When you build up the brand, you will sell more bikes,” Bishop said. “Get rid of this idea that the demographics is killing them.”

Impala bought 1.2 million Harley shares in the quarter through June, increasing its stake to 2.52% from 1.73% in the first quarter of the year.

It also expects an agreement with Harley next month on a new independent board member, Bishop said, as part of an agreement reached in March to settle a board fight.

Under Zeitz, Harley has tightened supplies and cut production, driving up prices for pre-owned bikes, which used to be a drag on new motorcycle sales. It plans to reduce product portfolio and exit lower volume markets, though the company has not specified which ones.

Bishop says models selling below 300 units a year and markets like India and Latin America that have been a “cash drain” could face the axe.

Harley declined to comment.

Robin Farley, an analyst at UBS, reckons the new strategy could shore up Harley’s earnings by saving costs, but would not fix its demand problem. Hopes of higher profit, however, have driven up the company’s shares about 50% since late April when Zeitz first shared his strategy.

Impala expects the restructuring to lift Harley’s earnings to $4 a share next year from $3.36 last year and $5 a share in 2022 even if retail sales remain at 2019 levels.

Analysts surveyed by Refinitiv, on average, expect adjusted earnings of $2.48 per share in 2021 and $2.98 in 2022.

“This is a fundamentally strong company that just lost its way,” Bishop said.