NEW –  SuperStreet Two into One Exhaust System for late model Sportsters

We heard S&S Cycle this one under wraps for a hot minute and are finally ready to set it free. The S&S R&D team took their proven 2:1 SuperStreet exhaust internals and finally ported them over to the Sportster platform. None of the shorty system fluff that kills power, they are here for the gains and this pipe is designed to make power. How about a 11% bump in Hp? Highly engineered bends wrap around factory controls (works with mids or forwards), exiting through a stepped header and 4” muffler. The entire system is coated in their latest super durable black and topped off with an aluminum race-style cap.

How does it sound? We knew you’d ask. The high volume muffler produces a rowdy tone that unleashes the true v-twin sound the Sportster was designed for. Click below for more info and hit up your dealer to grab one. https://www.sscycle.com/superstreet-xl

David Zemla  VP – Marketing S&S® Cycle, Inc.  14025 County Highway G, Viola, WI 54664

Factory-Installed Custom Paint Available in Two Stunning Options

MILWAUKEE (March 2, 2020) – Harley-Davidson debuts new Special Edition Two-Tone Paint options featuring a patriotic flair and highlighted by the bold “Number One” logo in red and blue on the fuel tank. The new Special Edition Two-Tone Paint options are only available as installed at the Harley-Davidson factory on the Road Glide^® Special model.

Factory installation offers the customer an attainable custom paint option that eliminates the need to either re-paint the original components or install an accessory paint set that leaves take-off painted parts on the shop floor. The Special Edition Two-Tone Paint options meet demanding Harley-Davidson standards for quality and durability, and are backed by the limited Harley-Davidson warranty.

This paint scheme features a Harley-Davidson script logo over the secondary color on the lower saddlebags, a wide stripe in the secondary color down the center of the front fender and the fairing, and the classic “Number One” logo in red and blue on the fuel tank. The fuel tank design is similar to the latest CVO™ models. Saddlebag latches are color-matched.

This paint option is available in two colorways:

• Billiard Red/Stone Washed White
• Billiard Blue/Stone Washed White

Base price of the 2020 Road Glide® Special model with the Special Edition Two-Tone Paint options is $29,699*, a $1,900 premium over base price with a standard solid color, and are limited to quantities of 750 in each colorway in the United States.

* Prices listed are the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices for base models. Options are available at additional cost. Prices exclude tax, title, licensing, registration fees, destination charges, added accessories, and additional dealer charges, if any, and are subject to change. Harley-Davidson reimburses dealers for performing manufacturer-specified pre-delivery inspection and setup tasks. Dealer prices may vary.

From the world of self-driving cars and drones comes the next step toward our Terminator/Matrix human-absent future … riderless motorcycles! Thanks to BMW, the future is now! The first thought I had when I saw the video is … WHY? If it’s used strictly to transport stuff in busy high-traffic areas, I can see it. Otherwise, what is the use of this? I can see driver-less cars transporting people … but with a bike, that is just one person! Even if it’s to transport someone who can’t drive or is drunk, they probably wouldn’t have the balance to handle it. Only thing this can possibly be used for (in my opinion) is to make faster drones for the terminators to gun us down like that one scene in “Terminator Salvation.” Luckily, this isn’t meant for roads, but for safety research.

Check out the promo video from BMW below.

by Austin Huguelet / Gannett from https://www.therolladailynews.com

A local lawmaker still wants to let some Missouri motorcyclists ditch their helmets.

Sen. Eric Burlison, R-Battlefield, almost had it last year. After pitching the idea as a win for individual freedom, he got it attached to a larger transportation bill that passed both houses. But Gov. Mike Parson couldn’t stomach another part of the bill and vetoed it.

This year, Burlison thinks he’s got a decent shot to pass the idea as its own bill. Parson, a Republican, supported similar stand-alone bills as a legislator, so Burlison’s main focus is on getting it through the legislature again.

“We’ll see how much time (Senate leaders) give it on the floor,” he said Friday, “but over time, we’ve made so many compromises on this, so I hope people will take that into consideration.”

Those compromises, Burlison said, include a requirement for those going without helmets to have qualifying health insurance. The exemption from the state’s helmet rule would also only apply to riders ages 18 and up.

Those provisions will likely never be enough for opposing lawmakers who say the plan will lead to more deadly accidents. They have a point.

National Highway Transportation Safety Agency research indicates helmets saved more than 1,800 lives in 2016, and that if all motorcyclists would have worn helmets that year, 802 more people could have been saved.

On its website, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention make its position clear: “The single most effective way for states to save lives and save money is a universal helmet law.”

They also point out that riders wouldn’t have to prove insurance coverage unless they were pulled over by law enforcement and worry the cost of accidents will ultimately take a toll on Medicaid.

But Burlison sees the entire issue differently.

“At the end of the day, it’s about individual responsibility and individual freedom,” he said. “I want my neighbor to stay safe and healthy, but it’s not my business to force those decisions upon my neighbor.”

He added that many supporters of his change are retired veterans who deserve to make their own choices.

“These are big boys and big girls that have fought and risked their lives for the country,” he said. “The least we can do is let them be free while they’re here.”

In previous interviews, Burlison has also pushed back on the troubling statistics his opponents cite. He pointed out that after Michigan repealed its law in 2012, researchers found no difference between death rates in the 12 months before and after the move.

They noted a 14 percent increase in head injuries, however.

After leaders of motorcyclist groups spoke in favor of Burlison’s bill in a Senate committee hearing in January, a long list of representatives from health care organizations testified against it.

Burlison’s bill nevertheless passed out of committee Jan. 30. It now awaits debate before the full chamber.

The legislation is Senate Bill 590.

Motorcycling is amazing in so many respects, but I was surprised again the other day when I met with Ryan, the boss of Strider Bikes and Wayne, a leader in their charity effort to put kids on bikes. A few years ago Ryan tried to teach his 2-year- old how to ride a bike. He tried trikes and training wheels and then built something special without pedals. His kid could experience balance and mobility on two wheels easily.

This effort turned into an amazing program to introduce kids to mobility freedom, balance, confidence and exercise. This program is capable of answering so many questions and concerns about health and ultimately motorcycling. It’s amazing! Bottom line, I’m going to become an Ambassador to support this effort on Bikernet and in Bandit’s Cantina. If you can help, don’t hesitate. Below is some more info:

All Kids Bike is on a mission to teach every child in America how to ride a bike in kindergarten PE class.

Program overview

The Kindergarten PE Program equips schools with everything teachers need to teach children how to ride, including teacher training and certification, a structured 8-lesson curriculum, a fleet of 22 Strider® 14x Balance Bikes, 22 Pedal Conversion Kits, 22 fully-adjustable helmets, and a five-year support plan.

The Kindergarten PE Program is offered to schools for free, thanks to generous donors.

$4,000 provides a complete Kindergarten PE Program to the school of the donor’s choice and teaches every kindergartner, for the next five years, how to ride a bike.

Social links

Website: www.allkidsbike.org

Social media:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/allkidsbike

Instagram: www.instagram.com/allkidsbike

Twitter: www.twitter.com/allkidsbike

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuWdrb50EvSXOeHBfLs147g

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/allkidsbike/

Top video links:

All Kids Bike Documentary (10 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHKUSMX99fg&t=

Consumers will have better protections from unwanted robocalls after the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act was signed into law by the President at the end of last year. At no extra charge to the consumer, the legislation requires phone companies to implement a caller ID authentication system to help stop “spoofed” calls—where scammers mask their identity by changing the number displayed on caller ID. The authentication system will use digital fingerprints to help determine whether the number that shows up on caller ID is the actual number being used. TRACED also increases penalties for robocallers who intentionally flout the law. The final law omits some protections included in the House bill, such as a provision to help clarify the consumer consent requirement. “We will continue to work with Congress and the Federal Communications Commission to get consumers all the protections they need,” says Maureen Mahoney, policy analyst at CR. “Still, we are very glad Congress is taking these steps, and we look forward to helping see that these new protections are fully implemented.”

Thanks to all of you who supported CR in this effort. About 1 million CR members called, signed petitions, emailed or visited their representatives to get this federal legislation passed.

–from Consumer Reports

In August 2019, 20 truckers with nine trucks held a rally at the Missouri State Capital, protesting the safety of autonomous trucks. They were there to support a bill on the drafting table by State Representative Mike Moon.

Downshift to this year’s state legislative session; Moon sponsored and introduced a bill that would require a trained person to be present in an autonomous vehicle. HB2059 would specifically forbid vehicles from being operated in automatic mode on a highway or street unless a licensed and trained person is present inside the vehicle. “The Driver” would have the ability to monitor the vehicle’s performance and take control if necessary. Even though introduced in early January, HB2059 still awaits a committee assignment.

Recently, OOIDA gave support to Moon’s bill. Government Affairs Manager Mike Matousek states that autonomous trucks (ATs) have a lot of potential, but there are many challenges as it relates to commercial haulers and safety. He noted in a recent statement:

“There are hundreds—or even thousands—of concerns that need to be addressed before a driverless vehicle of any size should be allowed to operate on public highways. Requiring a trained person to be present in an automated motor vehicle—both passenger and commercial motor vehicles—that is operating in ‘automatic mode’ is a relatively simple solution.”

The engine that churns our economy is moving goods by truck from city to city, and even across town. Without this vital transportation service, life would be rather different for most of us. The wide variety of goods we are accustomed to would not be available without truckers. CNBC reported in November 2019 that Self-Driving Trucks [are] likely to hit the Roads before Passenger Cars.

Truckers, of course, are not happy with this future scenario. Over 3.5 million professionals drive trucks in America. Add in those affiliated with the industry, and the number tops out at 8.7 million. In about half of the states, trucking and related jobs are among the most significant of professions. The disruption of the industry would wreak havoc for workers and their families.

Lowering driver overhead will likely make trucking companies more profitable. Consumers might even like the idea too because it could mean that the price of goods will go down. The question, though, on everyone’s mind, will ATs be safer?

A scenario that some advocates are putting forward seems quite simple. One driver would lead several other driverless trucks in a platooning operation on the open road. Truck platooning links two or more trucks in a convoy. These vehicles would use both connected and automated driving technology to stay in touch continually, maintain correct spacing and road speed.

Not only does this save on driver pay, but platooned trucks would also save on fuel due to less aerodynamic drag. Here is a 2018 YouTube video that shows how platooning works.

Open road platooning is one thing, but trucks still must reach their final destination, which is usually in urban areas with stop-and-go traffic. Some have suggested that in-town trucks would be “driven” by operators, much like a soldier drives a military drone. Perhaps not all truckers will be out of a job if they undertake retraining as a “driver-operator.”

Lately, many experts have been dialing back the arrival date for a Level 6 (free of any human interaction) autonomous vehicle. Lowering expectations is probably a good thing. With all the issues we currently have with infrastructure, auto and truck recalls, and cybersecurity concerns with connected vehicles, we’re not ready yet.

In the meantime, before full autonomy, AVs will have to deal with human drivers.

Car and Driver recently showcased a story about a man who was arrested for brake checking an autonomous van (and its human safety driver) in Arizona. The man was a disgruntled former employee and had exhibited road rage several times against Waymo AVs.

An extreme case maybe, but not everyone in Arizona has been enamored with autonomous vehicle testing. No longer just the purview of motorist-to-motorist encounters, road rage has now entered the autonomous zone. Guns pointed from driveways and rocks thrown at AVs are just a few of the intimidation factors the state’s safety drivers have encountered.

At the end of its road rage story, Car and Driver issued a short poll that asked one question: Do you feel hostile toward self-driving cars? You could select one of two answers:

1. Not at all, I welcome technological advancement in all its forms.
2. Yes, hate ‘em, but I wouldn’t try to cause a crash over it.

Which answer would you choose?

When we took the test, the results to that point were 64 percent for Answer 1 and 36 percent for Answer 2.

We might not feel hostile now, but when human drivers are driving amongst autonomous cars and platooning trucks, how will we feel then when they follow every rule of the road with no give and take? Or to put it another way, with no discretion?
–from the NMA: https://www.motorists.org/

She Was Coming for the Cantina

A lucky junk captain could make as much money painting the hull of a ship as he could pulling alongside a departing vessel while the crew tossed their un-used coins to his children below holding their grass-weaved, pointed hats upside down.

Bandit crossed new railroad tracks. The port told the city new tracks would lower truck traffic, but it would take years and tons of government intervention and regulations to get the job done. In the meantime, they allowed trucks to fill the streets 24/7, as the numbers of container shipments increased daily.

READ THE LATEST EPISODE OF THE CANTINA – CLICK HERE

by Rio Lacanlale from https://www.reviewjournal.com

Vagos Motorcycle Club leader Robert Wiggins lay on the casino floor staring down the barrel of a gun as two rival Hells Angels members stomped on his body. Wiggins thought he was going to die.

So did Ernesto “Romeo” Gonzalez.

Moments later, Gonzalez opened fire, killing Jeffrey Pettigrew, the man aiming a gun at Wiggins.

“Romeo saved my life that night. There hasn’t been a day that goes by I haven’t thought about him,” Wiggins, now 66, recalled in a phone interview Tuesday, one day after Gonzalez and seven other Vagos members were acquitted of all charges in a federal racketeering trial centered around that shooting.

That September 2011 night changed everything, Wiggins told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and eventually, he left the club.

The rival motorcycle clubs crossed paths that night inside the Nugget hotel-casino in Sparks during Street Vibrations, an annual motorcycle festival. Around 11:30 p.m., a brawl broke out on the casino floor after Pettigrew picked a fight with Vagos members.

Video captured by casino security cameras shown during the lengthy Las Vegas trial showed Pettigrew drawing his weapon first and shooting alongside Cesar Villagrana, another Hells Angels member. Two people already had been shot by the time Pettigrew and Villagrana zeroed in on Wiggins, who had lost his balance and fallen during the chaos of the fight.

“If Romeo was a police officer, there would have been a parade for him,” Wiggins said.

Instead, seven years later, Gonzalez would be among nearly two dozen reputed Vagos members indicted in connection with a laundry list of violent crimes characterized as a broad criminal conspiracy dating to 2005 and spanning more than a decade.

At the time of his death, Pettigrew was president of the Hells Angels chapter in San Jose, California.

“Pettigrew really needed to be stopped that night,” Wiggins said this week. “He shot two people, and he was on the prowl, looking to kill somebody else.”

Wiggins last saw the man he credits with saving his life in December, when he testified on his behalf during the trial.

“It was something I had to do for him,” he said.

Wiggins, who lives in Southern California, said he’s lost touch with Gonzalez over the years but hopes the two will reconnect in the future. Gonzalez declined to comment following his acquittal, and efforts to reach him for this story were unsuccessful.

“My heart really goes out to Romeo,” Wiggins said. “I’m just happy these guys are able to go home, put it past them, and get back to life. That’s what really important here.”