Back in 2001, at a time when America was struggling to regain its footing following the devastating September 11 attacks, celebrities were among those who jumped on board the compassion train and did their best and lend a helping hand. From his position of respected car and bike collector, Jay Leno decided the best way he can help at that time was to sell one of his most prized possessions. He chose a Harley-Davidson Dyna Super Glide, had it signed by a bunch of mostly Hollywood A-listers, and even advertised it on his Tonight Show. He then placed the bike for sale on eBay in October 2001, and just a few days later sold it for $360,200. All the money was donated to the Twin Towers Fund. It became without a doubt the most expensive newer-generation Harley motorcycle sold. From that moment, the bike was pretty much not heard from until this week, when it popped up on the lot of bikes scheduled to sell during the Mecum Indiana State Fairgrounds auction in Indianapolis in May. The bike is in pretty much the same condition as it was nearly two decades ago, and obviously the one selling it hopes to fetch an impressive sum for it. The fact that the Harley still has the signatures of the celebrities who endorsed Leno’s idea back then is sure to help. There are a great deal of signatures on the bike, as reported by Mecum, including: Jay Leno himself, Tom Cruise, Sylvester Stallone, Samuel L. Jackson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Matt LeBlanc, Nicole Kidman, John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, Cuba Gooding Jr., Salma Hayek, Pamela Anderson, Earvin “Magic Johnson, Mira Sorvino, Michael Richards, Terry Bradshaw, David Spade, Martina McBride, Ed Harris, Leelee Sobieski and Rodney Dangerfield. Other than the names featured on it, the bike is otherwise stock, and the 1,449 cc V-Twin engine has only 248 miles on it.

The Harley-Davidson LiveWire’s cool factor seems undeniable among Daytona Bike Week testers, but if you have to buy cool it comes at a $30,000 price.

This is one Harley-Davidson you won’t likely see around town during Bike Week. At least not yet.

And it’s one you definitely won’t hear.

Harley’s new LiveWire, just now winding its way into the market, is a mystery to many, as well as a culture shock — “A Harley without the rhythmic thumping?”

This thing sounds more like a sewing machine.

But so far, if first impressions mean anything, the LiveWire is also a hit. Test rides at Harley’s demo station — outside Daytona International Speedway — are producing one group after another of impressed bikers who, briefly, unsaddled from their traditional Hogs for a proverbial ride into the future.

“As I was riding it, I was thinking this might be my next bike,” says 71-year-old James Lamoureux, a longtime biker from St. Johns County. “Harley, they took a long time, but they did a great job. This thing is cool.”

The cool factor seems undeniable, based on the overwhelmingly positive reviews from testers. But if you have to buy cool, it comes at a price. The LiveWire sells for about $30,000, roughly $10,000 more than you’d pay for a traditional Harley Softail at Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Harley-Davidson.

“It’s very impressive. Everything about it,” says D.J. Richter, part of a group of Indiana visitors who tested the LiveWires as a group.

But at $30,000?

“Thirty?” Richter replied. “It’s not that impressive.”

But the LiveWire, five years in the making after its 2014 conceptual introduction, wasn’t designed to flood the market. At that price, it has no chance to help Harley attract the much younger demographic the manufacturer — and industry as a whole — needs in order to remain viable as the avid motorcyclist population grows grayer each year. Entry level, gas-powered Harleys, after all, are available for well under $10,000.

It’s apparently all part of the marketing strategy.

“Just like the electric car market, Harley released the best of the best,” says Shelly Rossmeyer Pepe, Daytona Harley’s general manager. “In this case, Harley said they would come out with their ‘halo’ bike, the best of the best, then bring out less expensive models, different models without certain components or luxury items.”

DeLand rider Glen Abbott, who writes travel pieces for Harley-Davidson’s H.O.G. Magazine, couldn’t wait for future options. He attended last year’s national dealer show at Harley’s headquarters in Milwaukee. He went through the demo process, which includes becoming familiar with the LiveWire’s instant throttle on a stationary LiveWire atop a dyno, followed by a street ride.

“I have two other Harleys. Had no intention of buying an electric bike, but I took it for a demo ride and just fell in love with it,” Abbott says.

The LiveWire has a range of about 150 miles, so Abbott mostly rides it around DeLand or as far as New Smyrna Beach. Plugging it in to a standard home outlet will recharge the LiveWire overnight. Fast, DC-powered charging is available at Harley dealerships and takes just an hour.

Any concerns about dealing with an electric motors’ charging needs seem to disappear once you ride the LiveWire.

“I started riding Harleys in the early-’90s,” says Abbott, a 62-year-old Rhode Island native. “This is so different than anything you’ll ever ride. It has instant power. You don’t shift. You have 100% of your power right from the get-go. It’s smooth and quiet. I like big loud Harleys too, but this is different.”

Sitting outside the New Smyrna Beach Harley dealership, where he helps with hospitality during Bike Week, Abbott says he occasionally gets some good-natured teasing from friends and fellow Harley riders. He also reads some negative online reactions to the LiveWire from older, traditional Harley riders. But in personal encounters, all is well.

“I think everybody appreciates it,” he says. “No, it’s not for everybody, but I haven’t encountered any negative sentiment.”

Back at the Speedway, Harley employee Meghan Zettelmeier ushers testing riders onto the dyno LiveWire for an explainer on the clutch-free throttle system. From there, it’s on to the test ride.

“It seems like everyone that gets off of it has a big smile on their face,” Zettelmeier says. “We have some people who come in doubting it a little bit, but the second they get off they have a huge smile.”

Sherry Butler, part of D.J. Richter’s Indiana group, was among the smiling reviewers.

“Very fun, very peppy, and so easy to control,” she says.

The one universal issue, among all those testing the LiveWire, isn’t necessarily a bad issue to riders like Butler.

“I kept feeling like I was reaching for the clutch that isn’t there,” she says. “And that’s not a bad thing.”

A few I-95 exits north of the Speedway, Daytona Harley-Davidson has sold four of the LiveWires since December. Until Harley begins mass-producing lower-cost electric motorcycles, Rossmeyer Pepe doesn’t expect to flood the local market with the debut product. But beginning in April, the dealership will begin a summerlong promotional effort to bring people in for a look and, if licensed to ride a motorcycle, a test drive.

“I’m proud to say that Harley really outdid themselves when they created this machine,” she says. “The quality of the machine is unbelievable. The performance, the cool factor, they definitely nailed it.

“Will you see people changing from what they’re currently riding? I don’t see people coming in to trade from their current motorcycles to a LiveWire, I see people adding a LiveWire.”

People like Abbott, whose DeLand garage took on a third motorcycle when he recently added his electric Harley. He sees the LiveWire, and any electric product currently in the pipeline, as a needed attempt to keep Harley-Davidson viable into future generations.

“The big challenge they’re facing is an aging demographic,” he says. “They’re trying to appeal to younger riders. Obviously, if they don’t appeal to new markets and new demographics, they’re gonna die off.

“I think it’s short-sighted for people to feel Harley can only build internal combustion engines forever.”

Besides the J1D, Royal Enfield is actively working on the next-gen ‘350’ models Royal Enfield plans to launch an all-new motorcycle by the end of this April. Codenamed J1D, minimal details of the product are known so far. The news comes at the same time when the Chennai-based motorcycle manufacturer is actively testing its next-gen ‘350’ range. Prototypes of the 2020 Royal Enfield ‘350’ models have been spotted on public roads on multiple occasions. In fact, the company is also introducing the Royal Enfield Meteor — the virtual successor to the Thunderbird 350. The Meteor is codenamed J1C0 internally.

Over the months, Royal Enfield has filed trademark applications for the names: Hunter, Sherpa, Flying Flea and Roaster. It is not rare for OEMs to trademark product names way ahead of its actual development and for the same reason, one can expect the upcoming Royal Enfield J1D to sport one of them.

Rumours suggest that the J1D would be a lighter and accessible product. Earlier this year, we had shared a few images of a prototype couple that had similar attributes. Furthermore, Royal Enfield had also shared its plans to develop a new range of lightweight motorcycles targeted for young buyers and women riders. Still, that product bears the codename, J1C. Hence, nobody really knows what the J1D would be in its final production format.

Meanwhile, Royal Enfield is busy updating its current-gen ‘350’ range to BS6 emission specifications. The company initially planned to launch the next-gen models as its first BS6-compliant products but time proved that they were far from being market-ready. In the latest development, prices of the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 BS6 were revealed.

The engine specifications of the BS6-compliant ‘350’ models have not been shared officially and we expect it to be slightly lesser than their BS4 counterparts. The BS6 models sport an FI system while the BS4 models came with a carburettor, with which the 346cc air-cooled single-cylinder UCE (Unit Construction Engine) power plant made 19.1bhp and 28Nm of torque. The gearbox is a 5-speed unit.

The much-awaited next-generation Royal Enfield ‘350’ models would be a much better package thanks to its OHC (Over Head Cam) engine architecture. The current Royal Enfield UCE models (including the discontinued ‘500’) employ an archaic platform and are technically some of the weakest of their kind in the entire Indian motorcycle scenario. Hardcore Royal Enfield enthusiasts would not agree with this. Yet, we are equally interested to see what the next-gen ‘350’ line-up offers.

One of the biggest motorcycle events in America, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is for the moment still on, despite the increasing number of events being canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. If it goes ahead, it will be the motorcycle bonanza it usually is each year since 1938.

Sturgis is an event of capital importance for the industry, at this is where exciting models are sometimes announced. This year, Sturgis is also the place where Indian decided it will introduce a new Jack Daniel’s-flavored motorcycle.

This would not be the first time we get to see an Indian go down the Jack path. Over the past two years, we’ve had the Scout in special clothing (2018, production run capped at 177 units), and last year we got the Springfield Dark Horse (also built-in 177 units). And there’ve been even more before these two.

There’s a special Jack Daniel’s interpretation coming this year too, at the said Sturgis Rally. Indian says as much on its official website, but it is very tight-lipped when it comes to providing additional details.

What we do know is that the new special bike is, as always, a celebration of the partnership between Indian and Klock Werks Kustom Cycles, who for the past five years have been working on these special projects. It too will be built in limited numbers, and this time it will draw inspiration from “Gentleman Jack, which is a nod to the original gentleman distiller and founder.”

Also, in the images featured on Indian’s website we see the project is based on a Thunder Stroke 116-powered motorcycle, which can mean anything from the Chieftain to the Roadmaster in Dark Horse clothing. The Springfield is also on the list, but given the fact it already had a run in 2019, it’s safe to rule it out.

More details on the new Jack Indian will probably surface before the actual unveiling in Sturgis, so stay tuned.

The 32nd Annual Dennis Kirk Donnie Smith Bike Show & Car Show Parts Extravaganza is awarding over $7500.00 in cash and prizes. To see some of the biggest guns in the biker world like Donnie Smith, Dave Perewitz, Tim Remus, John Kosmoski and Neil Ryan, then you will need to grab a ticket from Ticketmaster for only $15 now.

The show has grown tremendously over past 32 years. It comprises over 225,000 square ft. that showcases all the best:

• Baggers
• Choppers
• Retro bobbers
• Custom cruisers

In addition to the bike show, there is a monster swap meet and new this year a Car Show of all makes and styles.

Biking enthusiasts from all over the country will be flocking to the 2019 Donnie Smith Bike & Car Show:

DATES – March 23-24: 2019

• Saturday – 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Sunday – 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

This show can help you to get you and your bike ready for the road this spring. Riding season is just around the corner. Remember – Grab Your Tickets While They Are Only $15 Now

We are trying to confirm if the rumor is correct, the show has been cancelled.  Here’s the official word below.–Bandit

Donnie Smith Bike Show Postponed to April 11 & 12

Health officials recommend social distancing

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Coronavirus-related cancellations continue into the weekend, as Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry declared a state of emergency for the city and called off Bike Week.

Henry’s order allows the city more flexibility to access resources and to assist in the event of an emergency, according to a news release.

As of 8 a.m. Saturday, “the city is revoking all city-issued permits for outdoor events occurring while the declaration is in effect including 2020 Bike Week activities and the St. Patrick’s Block Party on Beach Street on Tuesday, March 17,” a news release said.

[SCHOOL IMPACTS: Central Florida students, school employees told to self-isolate after cruises, foreign travel | All Florida schools to take additional week off after spring break amid coronavirus concerns]

No new permit applications will be approved during the emergency declaration.

The city is also canceling or postponing all public and private events at city-owned facilities with more than 100 people.

Under the emergency declaration, the city utility services will not be discontinued or disconnected due to nonpayment, according to the mayor’s office.

–ClickOrlandoNews.com

–from Rogue

Senior Bikernet Editor on the streets in Daytona

A British multi-city authority introduces plan to ban private ownership of automobiles by 2041.

A local government group in the West Midlands, England, earlier this year released its “net zero” plan to deal with global warming over the next two decades. Listed among the plan’s final steps is the elimination of private ownership of automobiles — even those that are fully electric-powered. The plans were revealed as part of a public consultation that ended Thursday.

“Car journeys are on the wrong trajectory in this region,” the document explains. “It is not practical to transfer this use over to electric vehicles… If this carries through, by the time we reach 2041, a majority of people will not own cars… All other journeys are completed by walking, cycling, scoots, and use of buses, Metro and trains.”

The plan was produced by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), which represents all twelve local government entities in the county of nearly three million residents. None of the authority’s members is directly elected, though the body has power over transportation and economic development issues.

Opponents of the plan highlighted the way local governments have been pursuing an incremental strategy of introducing lowered speed limits, traffic calming, higher taxes and similar anti-motorist policies to build gradually toward the ultimate goal of banning private ownership. Groups like Friends of the Earth have admitted their goal in lowering speed limits is to promote a “modal shift” by taking the glamor out of driving. The WMCA document is more explicit about the final objective.

“At last the truth is out,” Alliance of British Drivers spokesman Nigel Humphries said. “This has been the plan behind closed doors since the 1990s, but it’s never been clearly and publicly stated before. This is for the simple reason that when it is, up to 97 percent of people reject it.”

Under the plan, a complete ban on gasoline-powered cars would kick in by the year 2036. Before that happens, local governments would impose a “clean air zone” creating car exclusion zones in areas surrounding schools. A “scrappage scheme” would then encourage residents to destroy automobiles in return for a travel pass with £3000 (US $3850) in mobility credits for use of transit or bicycles.

From The Newspaper.com

Sound familiar? Watch out and register to vote, quick!–Bandit

Accident Scene Management founder, Vicki “Spitfire” Sanfelipo, will be inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame August 12, 2020.

There is a strict vetting process that takes place each year, and the board of directors at the Sturgis Museum considers candidates carefully before selecting each year’s inductees.  Vicki received six separate nominations for consideration this year.

Given the nickname “Spitfire” from her long-time friend, Diva Amy Skaling, Vicki certainly lives up to that moniker. Ever since starting to ride motorcycles in the late 1980s, she’s been a bundle of energy. Playing guitar and singing at bars on weekends to earn the money needed to put herself through nursing school, the single parent raising three young daughters became a Registered Nurse and worked at a variety of jobs at the hospital in Wausau, Wisconsin, finally settling in the surgery department. In 1987 she bought her first motorcycle and then in 1995, she joined the Governor’s Motorcycle tours, established by then Wisconsin governor Tommy G.Thompson, as the only female Road Captain and ride nurse. Shortly after, she attended a workshop presented by “Slider Gilmore” entitled Two Wheel Trauma. Gilmore, an EMT in Iowa, who lectured on how to treat injured motorcyclists before professional help arrived.

Energized by Gilmore’s presentation, and with his blessing, Vicki authored a program she named Accident Scene Management (ASM), and along with three fellow nurses from Wausau Hospital, began teaching a “hands-on” class to riders in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation learned of her efforts and supported her in presenting more classes for anyone interested. It was the beginning of an adventure that led to her being honored in Sturgis this year.

Her devotion to education and saving lives led Vicki to leave her nursing career at the hospital and devote her time as a volunteer director, educator and instructor trainer for ASM. Today, with instructors in states across the U.S. and in other countries, thousands of students have been trained in roadside assistance at motorcycle crashes.  Testimonials have come in from around the world explaining how the ASM training has saved lives and improved the outcomes of injured riders.  She has continued this dedication to saving lives for 25 years, and today, besides teaching ASM, she also teaches CPR classes for the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association.

To further support the motorcycle community, Vicki founded Road Guardians, a continuing education and safety organization dedicated to life-long learning. Road Guardians is a membership organization that helps support and promote ASM as well as provides an education tool for riders of all types.

As a patriotic biker, Vicki has always admired and appreciated our military and first responder services. To that end, she founded another organization, Diamond Posse, and along with several other dedicated female riders, traveled across the country on benefit rides. These rides visited Veteran’s Administration hospitals in various states, to bring encouragement to veterans and show appreciation for their sacrifices. Diamond Posse raised thousands of dollars for the Center for the Intrepid and to purchase a companion dog for a deserving veteran.  She also brought ASM training to military installations in North Dakota and Florida. She was a keynote speaker at a safety forum at Eglin Air Force Base in Valparaiso, Florida, and was presented the “Spirit of the Bayonet” from the 65^th Engineer Battalion, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, in appreciation for her teaching Army personnel.

ASM professional series classes have been presented to first responders across the country, including firefighters, EMT’s and police academy cadets. She also taught a special class for South Dakota law enforcement prior to a Sturgis Rally, sponsored by the South Dakota DOT.

Her achievements and dedication have not gone unnoticed, and this year Vicki will join the class of 2020 at the Deadwood Lodge in Deadwood, South Dakota as she is honored for her life-long passion for teaching and promoting motorcycling as a way of life.  Her recognition also brings honor to ASM and all the instructors and students who believe in what ASM is all about.

If you are able to travel to Sturgis, South Dakota this year in August, please consider attending the Hall of Fame Breakfast at Deadwood Lodge on Wednesday morning, August 12. Help celebrate Vicki’s induction into this prestigious body of individuals who have done so much for others in the motorcycle community. If you cannot attend, consider sending her well-wishes and congratulations on her work and vision for a safer world.

 

-Written by Tony “Pan” Sanfelipo

The Antique Motorcycle Club of America chapter in Australia is planning a Cannonball Rally for down-under. The Indian-Pacific Cannonball Classic will take old-bike riders from the Indian Ocean on the west side of the Australian continent to the Pacific Ocean on the east. The route from Busselton, Western Australia, to Eden, New South Wales, will cover more than 3,000 miles in two weeks, ad it’s open to rider on motorcycles made before 1949.

Maybe Doc Robinson will ride my old 1948 Pan.

Hang On!

–Bandit