by Brad Anderson from https://www.carscoops.com/ It’s not just electric cars that have started to pop up with increased frequency in recent years as all-electric motorcycles are also becoming more commonplace. BMW Motorrad doesn’t appear to be in a rush to bring electric bikes of its own to the market, however. While recently speaking with Cycle World, head of BMW Motorrad Dr. Markus Schramm said that electric motorcycles may make sense in urban environments, but that could be it. “As the Vision DC Roadster concept shows, we see this as a power portfolio of the future,” he said. “In the urban environment, it is possible that there will be an electric BMW motorcycle in five years. In the touring, off-road, and sport segments, I am not sure that we will see them.” The BMW Vision DC Roadster was introduced at the company’s #NEXTGen event back in June as an all-electric model featuring a battery pack with metallic cooling ribs and two fans. Sending power through the rear wheels is a cylinder-shaped electric motor. The bike has an exterior design unlike any other BMW motorcycle and is not expected to find its way into the production line. “I am convinced that the motorcycle as a product becomes more and more important—not about commuting, but as leisure product,” Schramm added during the interview. “Electric mobility will be important for motorcycles in urban areas within five years.” If electric power becomes more common on motorcycles focused on urban commuting, it seems inevitable that more enthusiast-oriented motorcycles will retain their high-revving internal combustion engines for years to come.

The 2020 National Motorcycle Profiling Survey has only 6 questions that are designed to help define the profiling trends so we can focus our resources in the areas that need it the most. Your participation will have a long lasting, positive impact on the community.This survey on average will take 4 minutes to complete.

The information collected in these surveys has been an essential part in lobbying efforts at both state and national levels, and without a doubt provide critical data points for the grassroots activist to intelligently communicate issues impacting the motorcycle community and influence change.

With over 23,000 survey participants from all walks of life, the National Motorcycle Profiling Surveys, with 99% accuracy, has proven that many motorcyclists are being targeted by law enforcement based on appearance. This information was the foundation of the argument that resulted in the Motorcycle Profiling Resolution (S. Res. 154) passing in the U.S. Senate with unanimous consent on December 11, 2018.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE SURVEY

Notes:

**NO PERSONAL DATA IS REQUIRED. YOUR PRIVACY AND ANONYMITY ARE IMPORTANT AND RESPECTED. By asking for no more than your zip code, which is also voluntary, there is no personal information to maintain or protect.

**If you or your organization are interested in cosponsoring this survey, or would like to get survey results specific to your state, please contact David “Double D” Devereaux at:
doubled@motorcycleprofilingproject.com

Hey,

I like this year already. It’s going to be whacky and wonderful. It’s just the 2nd day of January and the world is back in business. We’re all doing what we did a couple of weeks ago, going about taking the trash out, feeding the dog and heading off to work.

Hell, I have all the Deadlines for Cycle Source Magazine etched into my 2020 Pin-Up calendar. We need to break the mold for 2020. Do something crazy. I’m going to go back to Bonneville this year with something completely different.

And I’m trying to buy a little place in Deadwood, SD and change up my life some. I hope everyone finds new challenges, new hope, new adventures and new love in 2020.

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. Most recently Quick Throttle Magazine came on board.

2019 AMA MOTORCYCLIST OF THE YEAR: HAYLEY BELL
Organizer Drew Worldwide Attention to Women Riders

By Jim Witters

Although she has been riding for only five years, Hayley Bell found a way in 2019 to leave her indelible imprint on the world of motorcycling.

The 28-year-old from the United Kingdom is the founder and president of global business development for the Women Riders World Relay, a movement joined by thousands of motorcyclists from 84 countries to create a “global sisterhood of inspirational women” and to demonstrate to motorcycle manufacturers and makers of riding gear that female riders are a formidable and growing market that deserves their attention.

“For her efforts to promote the motorcycle lifestyle around the world and bring together riders from all nations and backgrounds, conveying the positive aspects of motorcycling and drawing attention to the market potential of female riders, Hayley Bell is the 2019 AMA Motorcyclist of the Year,” said Maggie McNalley-Bradshaw, chair of the AMA Board of Directors, which names the AMA Motorcyclist of the Year annually. “Women riders are an important segment of the motorcycling community and they are a critical building block for the future. Hayley’s efforts not only reaffirm that sentiment, but they help carry it forward at a time when motorcycling needs new riders in the fold.”

The AMA Motorcyclist of the Year is the individual who has had the most profound impact on the world of motorcycling during the past 12 months.

“I think Hayley was the first to say out loud what many women were thinking: ‘I am part of the fastest growing market in motorcycling. I have money and I want to buy gear that fits. Cater to me,’” said Liza Miller, founder of the Re-Cycle Garage, recipient of a 2019 Friend of the AMA Award and the vice president of public relations and media for the relay. “This is why so many women jumped on board so quickly. The time is now to change the world’s perception about women riders. And Hayley is the perfect role model.”

Bell grew up around motorcycles. Family members were riders. But Hayley wasn’t allowed to have a motorcycle.

“It wasn’t because I was a girl,” she said. “I was a bit reckless as a child.”

But the idea of being a motorcyclist “was always in the back of my mind.”

After finishing her schooling, Bell set out traveling. One of her stops was the Isle of Man TT, which “reignited the spark,” prompting her to take the test and get a motorcycle rider’s license.

“Soon after that, my ex-boyfriend took me for a ride on his bike, and I decided I wanted one of my own,” Bell said. “It was a quick turnaround.”

In the five years since she took up motorcycling, Bell has expanded her interests within the lifestyle.

That desire to communicate the stories of others is the impetus behind the Women Riders World Relay.

“The real reason the WRWR started was that I wanted to show people what it is to be a female biker, how many of us there are, the vastness of the market,” Bell said. “And I wanted those stories to inspire other women.”

It worked.

“We had so many women who said, ‘I can’t do this,’ but then they did it,” Bell said. “The other riders were there to bond, build trust and give them a kick in the ass sometimes.

“For some of these women, this is the biggest thing they have done in their lives,” she said. “It’s the longest, coldest or the wettest ride they’ve ever taken. It’s the first time they’ve ridden with a partner or in a group or alone. This relay has provided firsts for so many.”

Participants have children, grandchildren or even great grandchildren, “and they are still riding,” Bell said. Riders ranged in age from 16 to 80.

“We have unleashed a collection of inspiring stories,” she said.

The participants carried the relay baton for a leg of the journey through their countries, then passed it along to the next group of riders.

Some rode through snow, at high altitudes—where altitude sickness can take a toll—and in temperatures below zero.
Bell related the story of one woman who was in tears 150 miles into a 500-mile day. She was on her phone, calling her partner to pick her up. She was ready to pack it in.
She saw Bell approach and said, “I’m done.”

Bell did not try to talk the woman out of her decision. Instead she delivered a simple message

“You’ll regret it if you quit now,” Bell told the woman.

“She battled through the rest of that day,” Bell said. “At the end, she said, ‘Thank you very much. I’ve achieved something. That was not an easy ride.’

“Most people wouldn’t do 10 minutes in some of this weather, let alone 500 miles,” Bell said.

TECH FROM TEXAS–I was reminded this morning, the redhead sent me an issue of Vibe years ago when she was in Japan. Young lady on the cover reminded me I need to find it and the Number 4 Easyriders Tech Tips and Tricks.

Couldn’t recall the exact name of those of the 4 tech issues, used google to search. Wow 199.99 for #4 on Amazon seriously?

Committed to a fashion look yesterday and had to wait that last rain ban out. Then followed behind them to church, of course I arrived two minutes before it ended, I’ll have to stream it later.

Finally, all rear lights are Kuryakyn LED, I like the run, stop, turn function. Forgot Harley added the plug-in connections in the taillight. See, I always solder my wires, except when I’m in a hurry, then I use wire splices.

Only two 100mph burst in this morning, I’m always running late. Ordered Gator Skin balaclava and glove liners, but used the H-D glove liner the redhead got me this morning. Have to wait until tomorrow mornings ride in to test the GS glove liners. But the hoodie thing is cool blocking the helmets vents (taped over) and keeping the neck/throat warm. Temps 39-41 in Willis, what’s the windchill at 80+ mph?

–RFR

THE EASYRIDERS REPORT–
Hope everyone had a great Christmas. Just letting you know the Easyriders products finally arrived! This was in place of subscriptions when they closed shop. It took 2 1/2 months but they kept their word!

So it all seems cool, although I would rather have the Easyriders Magazine, I miss it.

–STEALTH
Undercover reporter
Bikernet.com™

THE CHANGING MEANING OF ‘BIKER’
New Models, New Riders Entering The Fold

By Robert Johnson

I’m the proud owner of two Honda VTX1800Cs. I usually commute Denver’s I-25 daily on one of them.
Something I’ve noticed during the past couple of years is a transition in my fellow riders.

More and more, I see different styles of motorcycles—everything from sport bikes to adventure bikes, and still quite a few cruisers. It’s making me wonder if my bikes and I are dinosaurs.

I believe the change in bike designs and riding styles will be good for the motorcycle industry in general. It’s high time for fresh blood in the motorcycle world.

I compare this to what has happened to passenger cars, with the automotive industry moving to SUVs. Most major manufacturers have always built a variety of motorcycles and will have little problem transitioning to a changing rider scene.
Highly specialized manufacturers, like Harley-Davidson, are having to make bigger corrections. The V-twin cruiser was about all they were focused on. Watching Milwaukee correct course is very interesting. I’m sure they feel it’s imperative for their survival. But, still, not everything they’re doing is as radical as the Livewire electric motorcycle.

If you check out Harley-Davidson’s website, you will find that they aren’t moving far away from the tried-and-true V-twin drive train, but are adapting it to adventure touring and street fighter models coming in 2020. That is most likely the smartest course they can take. They’ve made great strides in recent years with dependability and reliability. H-D does know V-twins.

The question becomes: How far and fast is the transition that’s coming?

Am I—and both of my bikes, for that matter—truly on the verge of extinction?

I’m a realist. And, while I’ve been riding for about 50 years now, I don’t expect to be able to ride another 50. I hope I have a good 10 or 15 years ahead of me, though.

In the near future, when you attend events like the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Daytona Bike Week and Laconia Motorcycle Week, the V-twin cruiser will still be the predominant bike. But I welcome the variety of designs. This transition will ensure the survival of the transportation mode far into the future, well beyond the next generation or two.

Will I see a time when sport bikes and adventure tourers outnumber me and my brontosaurus bikes? I kind of doubt I’ll be around that long. But who knows for sure?

The transition for the other major manufacturers has not been as painful or as radical. Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, BMW, Triumph and others have always built a wide variety of bikes without concentrating on a particular segment of the riding market. The real change for them is in the product mix that they roll out every year. They simply decrease the production of the cruisers, while beefing up the numbers of the other styles.

Builders like KTM, Ducati, Moto Guzzi and others are likely welcoming the transition with open arms. The bikes they build are appealing to more and more riders.
I’m not very familiar with European and other markets, but I realize the V-twin cruiser is primarily an American phenomenon. I suppose this means the transition to more “modern” bikes will be a bigger adjustment for American riders.

One area that Harley may have a leg up is a bit further in the future. The Livewire is probably the most interesting new motorcycle out there. The reviews I’ve read are surprisingly positive concerning the rideability of this machine.

Are we witnessing the end of the internal combustion engine in all vehicle forms? I hope I don’t see the day when I have to hunt for fuel for my bikes. When will the majority of “gas” stations be electric vehicle charging stations instead?
Is this what if feels like to be on the edge of extinction?

–from Rogue
Senior Editor Bikernet
Bikernet.com

I love all this doom and gloom stuff. I agree, that the future will hold new and exciting models for new markets. That’s all good, but the older stuff is what our tradition was built on and it continues to flourish and grow. It’s a blast and choppers will never die.–Bandit

LOWBROW End of Year Blowout…
Was so popular we extended it by an additional day! No discount code necessary. Ends tonight at midnight.

This is your last chance to grab a select new Biltwell Gringo or Gringo S helmet at 50% off. That saves you $79.97 to $114.97 per helmet depending on the style!

You likely signed up for the Lowbrow newsletter while making a purchase. Stay tuned for exclusive content, products and promotions!

Our mailing address is:
Lowbrow Customs, LLC
2873 Interstate Pkwy
Brunswick, OH 44212

AUSTRALIAN CLUB NEWS— Cops secretly using facial recognition cameras at Victoria’s busiest stations

Victoria Police is secretly using facial recognition technology to identify criminal suspects at 85 of the state’s busiest police stations.

A month after body-worn cameras came under the spotlight, police figures reveal that another form of camera technology known as iFace has been rolled out at key stations. Victoria Police’s iFace program uses algorithms to measure features such as face width and the distance between nose, eyes and mouth before comparing the image against the facial characteristics of known offenders.

The system uses biometric software to identify suspects by comparing still images against Victoria Police’s mugshot database of known offenders.

But secrecy surrounds the network, its use and how many times people have been mistakenly flagged as potential criminals. Facial recognition technology has proved significantly inaccurate in overseas jurisdictions.Victoria Police are also not forthcoming about any plans to expand facial recognition technology more broadly through other types of surveillance equipment.

In July, Police Minister Lisa Neville unveiled a squad of 50 new “eye in the sky” drones, fitted with 360-degree cameras, that police can use for search-and-rescue missions, crime-prevention, and counter-terrorism. At the time police did not rule out combining the aerial devices with facial recognition software, saying there was “certainly the opportunity” to do so in the future.

A government spokeswoman said Victoria Police “have a range of methods in place to search for known offenders for investigative and intelligence gathering purposes” but there were currently no plans to use facial recognition technology on the new fleet of drones.

However, the growth of such technology is inevitable, with the spokeswoman telling The Age: “There is ongoing work across law enforcement agencies and Australian jurisdictions including the Commonwealth government on the future use of emerging technologies to assist with community safety and law enforcement.”

Human rights and privacy advocates say there is not enough transparency surrounding the network, and some have called for tighter safeguards.

Overseas trials have highlighted privacy concerns, as well as large numbers of mismatches known as “false positives” and a higher tendency to mis-identify ethnic minorities and women. London’s Metropolitan Police used facial recognition at the city’s Notting Hill carnival in 2016 and 2017, and at a Remembrance Sunday event, but its system incorrectly flagged 102 people as potential suspects. And in the US, Axon, which manufactures the body-worn cameras used by Victoria Police, recently considered fitting its products with artificial intelligence and facial recognition capabilities, until its own ethics board warned against it.

Debate over artificial intelligence and facial recognition reignited last week when Australia’s Human Rights Commission called for a moratorium on the use of some technologies until there is a legal framework to safeguard human rights. Victoria Police declined to discuss the rate of false positives, other than to insist that “since the rollout of these [iFace] cameras in 2015, police have always had the ability to override any decisions made by the system at any time”.

“During offender processing at locations where an iFace camera is in use, there are a range of techniques in place to prevent someone being linked to the wrong image,” the spokeswoman said. Victoria Police’s iFace program uses algorithms to measure features such as face width and the distance between nose, eyes and mouth before comparing the image against the facial characteristics of known offenders to generate a match. It currently has no capability to run searches against CCTV footage or video, police say, because “all searches require a still image and are performed after an offence has occurred”.

Human rights and privacy advocates say there is not enough transparency surrounding the network, and some have called for tighter safeguards to ensure that vulnerable people are not unfairly targeted. “Surveillance and tracking technology is susceptible to existing biases and prejudices,” said Anthony Kelly, who heads the Police Accountability Project at the Flemington Kensington Community Legal Centre.

“It will inevitably be pointed towards and most impact those who are already targeted by police – the poor, the mentally ill and people who are politically active.” As the use of AI technology expands, some point to the risks in China – which is creating a mass government surveillance system that can match faces to a database of 1.3 billion ID photos in seconds – as a cautionary tale.

“The potential human rights impact is enormous and unprecedented,” the Australian Human Rights Commission wrote in a recent discussion paper.

“AI, for example, can have far-reaching and irreversible consequences for how we protect privacy, how we combat discrimination and how we deliver health care — to name only three areas.” In Australia, one recent plan was for the Department of Home Affairs to create and maintain a national database of facial images and other identity information that would be shared by state and federal government agencies, and in some cases, private organizations.

However, the Identity Matching Services Bill was rejected in October by the Federal Parliament’s joint intelligence and security committee, with Liberal and Labor MPs demanding the legislation be redrafted to ensure citizens’ rights are protected.

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 BIKERNET UNIVERSITY EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH CENTER-
How math has changed over the years

If this wasn’t true, it would be really funny.

Last week I purchased a burger for $1.58. The counter girl took my $2 and I was digging for my change when I pulled 8 cents from my pocket and gave it to her. She stood there, holding the nickel and 3 pennies, while looking at the screen on her register. I sensed her discomfort and tried to tell her to just give me two quarters, but she hailed the manager for help. Why do I tell you this?

Because of the evolution in teaching math since the 1950s:

1. Teaching Math In 1950s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?

2. Teaching Math In 1960s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?

3. Teaching Math In 1970s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80. Did he make a profit?

4. Teaching Math In 1980s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.

5. Teaching Math In 1990s
A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a profit of $20. What do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes? (There are no wrong answers, and if you feel like crying, it’s ok.)

6. Teaching Math In 2000s
If you have special needs or just feel you need assistance because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, childhood memories, criminal background, then don’t answer and the correct answer will be provided for you. There are no wrong answers.

7. Teaching Math In 2019

Un hachero vende una carrtada de maderapara 100 pesos. El costo de la producciones es 80 pesos. Cuanto dinero ha hecho?

–from Sam

AMENDMENT OF THE DECADE– 28th amendment

Please Read, and forward. This will only take 1 minute to read!
28th Amendment, 35 States and Counting.

OUR PRESENT SITUATION!

Children of Congress members do not have to pay back their college student loans.

Staffers of Congress family members are also exempt from having to pay back student loans.

Members of Congress can retire at full pay after only one term.

Members of Congress have exempted themselves from many of the laws they have passed, under which ordinary citizens must live.

For example, they are exempt from any fear of prosecution for sexual harassment.

And as the latest example, they have exempted themselves from Mandatory Healthcare, in all of its aspects.

We must not tolerate an elite class of such people, elected as public servants and then putting themselves above the law.

I truly don’t care if they are Democrat, Republican, Independent, or whatever. The self-serving must stop.

Governors of 35 states have filed suit against the Federal Government for imposing unlawful burdens upon their states. It only takes 38 (of the 50) States to convene a Constitutional Convention.

If each person that receives this will forward it on to 20 people, in three days most people in The United States of America will have the message.

Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution:

“Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the Citizens of the United States …”

This is an idea that should be passed around, regardless of political party.

Congressional Reform Act of 2017

1. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they’re out of office. And, no more perks go with them.

2. Congress (past, present, & future) participates in Social Security. All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.

3. Congress must purchase their own retirement plan, just as ALL Americans do.

4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people (i.e. NO MORE INSIDER TRADING!!!).

7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women. Congress made all these contracts by and for themselves.

Serving in Congress is an honor and privledge NOT a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators should serve their term(s), then go home and go back to work … not get all kinds of freebies.

This is damn interesting, but I can’t see any politician voting for it. We need to keep an eye on any efforts to pass this.–Bandit

NMA ALERT–Ticket Quotas are Alive and All Too Well

By our latest count, twenty states have explicit laws banning traffic ticket quotas. And yet, the practice continues, even within some of those states. City, county, and state budgets must be met, and a reliable target for revenue continues to be the motorist.

A brief rundown of the states with quota prohibitions follows but first, courtesy of reporting by TheNewspaper.com, here are just a few of the abuses uncovered in 2019:

Massachusetts
Forty state troopers were caught claiming bogus overtime hours, inspired by a federally funded ticketing program that required each trooper to issue at least eight speeding tickets per shift. Failure to do so led in some cases to the trooper in question being prevented from earning overtime pay. Eight of the state police were indicted for embezzlement for their roles tied to the speed trap detail.

Missouri
Ticket quotas have kept State Attorney General Eric S. Schmitt busy. In June, he secured an admission from the city of Diamond that its chief of police required or encouraged his officers to issue a minimum number of traffic violations. One of the Diamond officers blew the whistle on the scheme to Schmitt, proving a violation of the state’s law that disallows a political subdivision or law enforcement agency from having a quota policy.

Just a few months later, AG Schmitt charged the city of Marshfield for engaging in the same practice, referring to the speed trap ticket quota as “taxation by citation.”

Texas
A Dallas officer was caught falsifying nearly 40 speeding tickets to meet the funding requirements of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s high-visibility enforcement grant program. He faces up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and repayment of the overtime he took home as a result of writing 569 tickets over four months.

The federal grant program so blatantly ties grant awards to ticketing activity that the NMA sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao in 2017 urging reform. The lack of a meaningful response gave rise to the NMA’s anti-ticket-quota bill, the DETER Act, that is currently a focal point of our lobbying efforts in Washington.

Ohio
The city of Independence fired a long-term police veteran after it suspected he was responsible for notifying the media about the town’s ticket quota actions. The officer, Lieutenant Leonard Mazzola, denied the accusation and is suing the mayor, police chief, and law director. Mazzola earlier had complained internally about the quota policy – termed “a performance standard fundamental to effective policing” by the chief – that had a goal of reaching the issuance of 3,000 traffic tickets per year.

Florida
In another whistleblower case (and indicator that ticket quotas undermine police morale), the city of Hialeah has been accused of punishing an officer for failing to issue a prescribed number of tickets per day. Florida statutes prohibit a traffic enforcement agency from establishing a traffic citation quota.

Ticket quotas, whose existence is so often denied, are real. The victims are the motorists who bear the brunt of overly aggressive, and sometimes fraudulent, enforcement activities, and often the police officers whose job performance is threatened by policies forcing them to write tickets they otherwise might not issue.

State laws against ticket quotas:

Arkansas Code § 12-6-302

California Vehicle Code § 41602

Connecticut General Statutes § 29-2b

Florida Code 316.640

Illinois Compiled Statutes 2610/24

Iowa Code § 321.492A (2016)

Louisiana Revised Statutes § 40:2401.1

Michigan Compiled Laws 257.750

Minnesota Statutes 169.985

Missouri Revised Statutes § 304.125 (2016)

Montana Code Annotated 46-6-420

New Jersey Revised Statutes § 40A:14-181.1 (2013)

North Carolina General Statutes § 20-187.3

Nebraska Revised Statutes § 48-235

New York Labor Code § 215-A

Pennsylvania Statutes 71 P.S. § 2001

Rhode Island General Laws § 31-27-25

South Carolina Code of Laws § 23-1-245

Tennessee Code § 39-16-516

Wisconsin Statutes § 349.025

NEWS FROM THE Antique Motorcycle Club Of America– On January 2nd, you will be receiving an email from ClubExpress notifying you about the new website and asking you to Register on the new website. PLEASE REGISTER.

This registration process will replace all your existing login credentials. You’re welcome to use the same user names and passwords, but you must register those on the new site. When registering, make sure to choose the option, REMEMBER ME, so you don’t have to login on different pages. In the ClubExpress email you will be provided with a temporary user name and password. Once you login, you can immediately change them to your preference.

Starting on January 2nd, AMCA we will be open for business in a new location in Chicago through our new membership services company, ClubExpress. New office hours will be from 8:00am to 5:00pm Central Time, Monday through Friday. The Tech Line will be open until 9:00pm each weekday.

If have any issues with logging in to the website or navigating around the website, Technicians will be available to help.

The New AMCA Phone number will be given out in the January 2nd email.

REMEMBER: You cannot login to the AMCA website until January 2nd. The Community Forum can be accessed as it is still on the old server.

–Keith S. Kizer
Executive Director
Kizer@AntiqueMotorcycle.org

BIKERNET STAFF COMMENT–You know I like the notion that EASYRIDERS should never die. All of us looked forward to it every month and it really is not the same without the magazine.. Each of us should keep it alive in spirit and keep the code of EASYRIDERS alive!

–Stealth
Southern Feature and Tech Editor
Bikernet.com™

At one time Easyriders represented so much to so many. It represented the freedom to ride anything you wanted. It represented fighting oppressive laws. It represented building Choppers free from restrictions. It represented open roads and adventures found out there. It represented two-wheeled romance. It should never die.–Bandit

NEWS FROM THE AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK–Ninety-year-old aboriginal elder sat in his humpy eyeing two government ‘Welfare’ officials sent to interview him .

One official said to him: “You have observed the white man for 90 years. You have seen his wars and his technological advances. You have seen his progress and the damage he has done. “The elder nodded in agreement. The official continued: “Considering all these events, in your opinion, where did the whitefella go wrong?”

The elder stared at the two government officials for over a minute and then he calmly replied:

“When whitefella found the land, blackfellas were running it.

No taxes, No debt, Plenty kangaroo, Plenty fish, Women did all the work, Medicine man free, Aboriginal man spent all day hunting and fishing, All night having sex.” Then the elder leaned back and smiled:

“Only whitefella bloody stupid enough to think he could improve a system like that.”

–Ray Russell
Australian Bureau Chief
Bikernet.com™

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NEW ISSUE OF SOUTHERN BIKER NOW AVAILABLE- Please note we have corrected the Dania Beach Vintage Bike Show ad on page 12; the previous had the wrong date.

We are pleased to present the January issue of Southern Biker Magazine for your reading pleasure!

We hope this New Year brings you prosperity, peace and happiness

Inside you will find lots of information / ads / articles about upcoming motorcycle rallies and events that you won’t want to miss. If you have an event you would like to see printed in our magazine, feel free to submit that to www.SouthernBikerMagazine.com and we will add it.

Did you know you can click on any website address inside and visit the website directly to find out more information? We hope you like this feature.

As always, we are happy to bring you the best motorcycle related news, event coverage, upcoming events, bike nights and articles covering local, regional and national topics. We look forward to bringing you the best of the motorcycle world to you each month. We have awesome advertisers in this issue.

Enjoy this issue and please share it with your friends and family!
We offer on-line advertising as well as our two printed publications: Southern Biker Magazine and Sword & Shield Magazine.

Please contact us for advertising information at Kristin@SouthernBiker.us. We offer the best value for your advertising dollar and have the most loyal readers!

THIS JUST IN FROM THE CLIMATE DEPOT--Top 5 most outrageous 2020 climate & energy doomsday predictions that didn’t pan out

Will the world end in 12 years? Maybe 30?

If history is any guide, it will not. Many similar predictions have been made in the past, but they came and went without tragedy.

1. The U.S. may warm 6 degrees F from 1990 to 2020

In 1990, The Washington Post reported in a front page story: “Carbon dioxide is the gas most responsible for predictions that Earth will warm on average by about 3 degrees Fahrenheit by the year 2020.”

The outlet further warned: “The United States, because it occupies a large continent in higher latitudes, could warm by as much as 6 degrees Fahrenheit.”

2019 IN REVIEW: THE TOP 5 CRAZIEST WEATHER MOMENTS

Thirty years later, 2020 has finally arrived. The Earth has warmed approximately 1 degree Fahrenheit according to NASA. The United States also warmed roughly 1 degree.

Elliott Negin, a spokesman for the Union of Concerned Scientists, declined to comment.

The latest UN IPCC report, AR5, however, addresses the issue of whether their models were accurate. (The UN predictions differed from the 1990 Washington Post ones, which did not cite its source.)

The latest UN report shows that current temperatures are just within the UN’s old predictions made in 1990, but acknowledges that actual temperatures came in “on the lower end” of expectations.

The UN report partly credits a 1991 volcanic eruption in the Philippines for the lower-than-expected warming, and says the new models account for volcanoes.

The UN now predicts a rise of about 2 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit from today to the year 2100.

2. Oil will effectively run out by 2020

CNN ran a headline in 2003 titled “World oil and gas ‘running out’”.

The New York Times reported in 1989 that “untapped pools of domestic oil are finite and dwindling,” and that “William Stevens, the president of Exxon U.S.A., said … by the year 2020 there would not be enough domestic oil left ‘to keep me interested.’”

But doomsayers underestimated American ingenuity, and the opposite happened. Both U.S. oil output and U.S. proven oil reserves are dramatically higher now than they were in 1989, thanks to technology allowing deeper oil to be discovered and extracted.

New technology in natural gas (“fracking”) also allowed the U.S. to become an energy independent net oil exporter for the first time in 75 years in 2018.

Reached by phone, Phillip Shabecoff, the former New York Times reporter who covered the disappearing oil in 1989, said that the Exxon CEO’s 2020 prediction was off.

“I’m not Nostradamus,” he said, adding, “it’s what the Exxon CEO said. He obviously did not anticipate the new fracking and gas technology. At the time the Permean Basin was being drained dry, so he had every reason to believe we were running out of oil,” Shabecoff said.

Marian Tupy, who tracks metrics like oil production at HumanProgress.org, told Fox News that people routinely underestimate humanity.

“People only think about how can we solve things with current technology. They underestimate human ingenuity,” he said.

Shabecoff said that “unfortunately, human ingenuity is often undermined by political ideology and greed, so we have not been able to bring human ingenuity to bear on urgent questions like climate change.”

3) By 2020, no glaciers will be left on Mt. Kilimanjaro

“It’s now estimated that by the year 2020, there will be no glaciers of Mt. Kilimanjaro,” Christian Lambrechts, an officer at the U.N. Environment Program, told CNN in 2003.

The Associated Press also reported in 2007 that “in 2001, [glaciologist Lonnie] Thompson predicted the snows of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania would disappear within the next 20 years.”

But today, Kilimanjaro’s glaciers are still there, according to a 2019 paper in the Journal Ecology and Evolution that includes photos and a new timetable: “most of glaciers on Kilimanjaro … will most likely disappear within 25 years.”

Lonnie Thompson defended his prediction and said it was a bit different from how the AP summarized it. “My prediction was that there would be no glaciers, and that is true,” he told Fox News by phone.

“What we have now are ice bodies. The definition of a glacier is ice in motion. To be ice in motion, you have to have an accumulation zone. There’s been no recent accumulation. There are no glaciers on Kilimanjaro,” he said.

Asked about the study calling the current snow on the mountain “glaciers”, he said: “Sometimes people get caught up in semantics. The fact is all the glaciers in the tropics are disappearing.”

4. A billion people will starve due to missing the tech revolution

In 2000, Discover Magazine published a largely spot-on list of predictions about 2020.

But it missed big when predicting a “grisly reality” of tech-caused inequality: “For [virtual reality pioneer Jaron] Lanier, the most heartbreaking scenario is festering in the third world, where, he believes, the current generation … will be lost in the next techno-revolution … ‘You’re going to have to somehow live while you watch a billion people starve…’”

But from 2000 to 2020, global extreme poverty fell by about a billion people, according to the World Bank, as technology connected the world and allowed people in developing nations to access capital, production know-how, and aid from developed countries.

Lanier told Fox News that his prediction was really more about how poverty would be “more in your face” due to technology and said that the developing world could still collapse by, say, 2030.

“It is true that poverty has fallen… but the developing world is headed towards a reckoning. I still worry about Lagos [Nigeria] in 2030. Look at the population projections. Where will the water come from?…” he said.

“I’ll stand by what I said for now, but I still hope to be proven wrong,” he added.

5. By 2020, “millions will die” from climate change

Reuters newswire ran this headline in 1997: “‘Millions will die’ unless climate policies change.”

The report said 8 million people would die by 2020, citing a prediction in the Lancet medical journal.

The mass death prediction was clearly way off.

“None of these predictions came true, and aren’t even close to coming true,” said Roy Spencer, a climatologist at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. “It’s amazing that the public can continue to believe apocalyptic predictions despite a 95 percent decline in weather-related deaths in the last 100 years.”

Some modern studies claim to find mass deaths; the Daily Beast covered a “shock report” that “Climate Change Kills 400,000 a Year,” but Human Progress’ Marian Tupy said such estimates are grossly inflated.

“They say climate change causes everything. Some people try to pin the war on Syria on climate change, and then say when all those people die, that’s because of climate change. They have a secondary agenda,” Tupy said.

The five predictions highlighted here join a host of similar failed predictions for 2010 and 2015 that Fox News tracked.

Tupy said that an overly negative view of humanity may be one cause of the bad predictions.

“Humans are not a curse upon the planet, but are actually a benefit, because we are problem-solvers. We are creators, not destroyers, on average.”

“When people ask you when was the best time to be alive – the answer is, tomorrow,” he added.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/top-5-most-outrageous-2020-doomsday-predictions.print

By Maxim Lott

Published January 01, 2020
Fox News

Maxim Lott is executive producer of Stossel TV and creator of ElectionBettingOdds.com. He can be reached on Twitter at @MaximLott

BRAND New Bikernet Reader Comment!–
LIFE AND TIMES OF IOOBILL

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

That ‘76 Grand Prix brings back a lot of memories.. I had a ‘77!

–Mike Pullin
mikethestealth@hotmail.com
Charlotte, NC

LIFESTYLE DEAL OF THE WEEK FOR NEXT WEEK— 2016 Harley-Davidson® FXDL – Dyna® Low Rider for $12,995.00
See it here:

https://www.lifestylecycles.com/default.asp?page=xPreOwnedInventoryDetail&id=8136606

2016 FXDL Dyna Low Rider 103ci motor

A favorite of asphalt addicts, traditionalists and anyone else who gets a load of its eye-popping custom style. One look at the muscular Twin Cam 103 engine that feeds into the liquid curves of the big two-into-one exhaust is all it takes to see that the Low Rider model is built to be ridden long, hard and often. That’s as it should be.

For decades the Low Rider name has been synonymous with riders who can’t get enough. Now it’s built for more miles than ever. With mid-mount controls. And adjustable seat and handlebars. Beefy dual disc front brakes. And more. Ready to get serious?

ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT INCLUDE:

Superior Blue paint, blue pin-striping and tank graphics is like new on this well cared for machine! Black powder console, chrome bars with toolbag, chrome mirrors, black headlamp with chrome rim, chrome fork, polished lowers on 10 spoke contrast cut cast aluminum wheels.

Chrome 2:1 exhaust. Chrome engine covers including black accented 103 air cover, cam with H-D logo, primary, 103 derby, black accented ‘Low Rider’ battery case and chrome / black adjustable shocks. Vivid black swing arm, chrome fender supports, chain guard and a black drive with polished rim. 2-up with mid controls, passenger pegs and chrome back rest. Nice Dyna cruiser with low miles, come add your touch!!!

This bike has passed Lifestyle Cycles rigorous 100 point safety and mechanical inspection and comes with Lifestyles 90 day / 1000 mile limited warranty. 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!!!

WORTH A READ–
Steve Jobs was the co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Apple Corporation and died in 2011, aged 56, after losing his battle with Pancreatic Cancer. He posted the following observation just prior to his death.

Steve Jobs died a billionaire ( $10.2b ) at age 56. This is his final essay:
“I reached the pinnacle of success in the business world. In some others’ eyes, my life is the epitome of success. However, aside from work, I have little joy. In the end, my wealth is only a fact of life that I am accustomed to. At this moment, lying on my bed and recalling my life, I realize that all the recognition and wealth that I took so much pride in have paled and become meaningless in the face of my death.

You can employ someone to drive the car for you, make money for you but you cannot have someone bear your sickness for you. Material things lost can be found or replaced. But there is one thing that can never be found when it’s lost – Life.

Whichever stage in life you are in right now, with time, you will face the day when the curtain comes down.

Treasure love for your family, love for your spouse, love for your friends. Treat yourself well and cherish others. As we grow older, and hopefully wiser, we realize that a $300 or a $30 watch both tell the same time.

You will realize that your true inner happiness does not come from the material things of this world. Whether you fly first class or economy, if the plane goes down – you go down with it.

Therefore, I hope you realize, when you have mates, buddies and old friends, brothers and sisters, who you chat with, laugh with, talk with, sing songs with, talk about north-south-east-west or heaven and earth, that is true happiness!

Don’t educate your children to be rich. Educate them to be happy. So, when they grow up, they will know the value of things and not the price. Eat your food as your medicine, otherwise you have to eat medicine as your food.

There is a big difference between a human being and being human. Only a few really understand it. You are loved when you are born.. You will be loved when you die. In between, you have to manage!

The six best doctors in the world are sunlight, rest, exercise, diet, self-confidence and friends. Maintain them in all stages and enjoy a healthy life.”

–From Dr. Stephen J. Huxley
Professor of Business Analytics
School of Management
University of San Francisco

HANG ON!–Washington says goodbye to vehicle emissions testing on Jan. 1, 2020–OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington’s vehicle emissions check program is ending after 38 years.

According to the Department of Ecology, vehicle owners will no longer need to have their emissions tested before renewing their registration as of Jan. 1, 2020.

Only certain personal and fleet vehicles were required to be tested in recent years.

The department says if your vehicle is scheduled for testing in the last few days of 2019, you still need to get that test in order to renew your tabs.

But why is the program ending? The Department of Ecology explains:

Air quality in Washington is much cleaner than when the program began in 1982, and every community in our state currently meets all federal air quality standards. The combination of the testing program, advances in vehicle technology, and improved motor fuels have led to significant reductions in transportation-related air pollution.

In 2005, the Legislature passed a plan to phase out emission testing based on Ecology’s projection that we would no longer need the program by 2020 (RCW 70.120.170). Despite the end of mandatory emission testing, we believe air quality will continue to improve in the years ahead as newer, cleaner vehicles replace older, less-efficient models.

Even after the emission check program ends, Ecology and our local clean air agency partners will continue to monitor, protect, and improve air quality. We are also continuing to work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles — the largest source of carbon pollution in Washington.

–Q13 FOXNews

Wow—I’m a nut. Today’s been a scramble, mostly because it’s the first day after the holiday of Holidays, a news day, the bookkeeper wanted more money and Brenda told me to get the fuck out of her way.

My banking connection in Deadwood wanted me to make more money. Cash, our security dog wanted his treats. James the Tileman is wrapping up a room downstairs and will need to be paid.

Ride fast and free forever,

–Bandit

Christmas was good this year – lots of family laughs, some quiet time (somewhat rare in our house!) and thoughtful gifts (both given & received). How about you – did Santa bring you what you really wanted?

THANK YOU for sticking with us through 2019 (much longer for many of you) and for telling your friends about our products. HAPPY NEW YEAR! All our Best, Tim & Tracey Maybe you got a new phone, GPS, camera or other device that you now want to mount on your motorcycle? Now is a great time to buy! We still have FREE shipping (min $100) AND some Drastic Deals on US-MADE products in our Clearance Area! P.S. Not a rider yet? Know someone whose New Year’s Resolution is LEARN TO RIDE? Check out our Five Tips for doing it right (and safely)!

by Peter Valdes-Dapena from https://edition.cnn.com/

Motorcycle sales, particularly in the United States, have been struggling ever since the Great Recession. As older riders lose interest, or simply become unable to ride any longer, the younger generation hasn’t been showing the same kind of enthusiasm.

But the industry is hoping that electric motorcycles — with a quieter, simpler experience — might be the key to attracting new riders.

For one thing, electric motorcycles are easier to ride. With an electric motor, there’s no need to shift gears. To experienced riders, that’s no big deal, but most Americans today have become accustomed to automatic transmissions and don’t know how to shift gears.

“It’s just a lot easier learning curve,” said Susan Carpenter, a writer and radio host specializing in motorcycles. “You just hop on and twist the throttle. If you can balance, you can go.”

Another benefit is that electric motorcycles are much less noisy than gasoline-powered motorcycles. To many veteran riders, the roar of the engine is part of the excitement. But a lot of other people would prefer to enjoy their surroundings much more peacefully. The bikes also don’t have hot engines and exhaust pipes that can become burn hazards, especially when parked around kids.

Electric motorcycles also qualify for federal and state tax credits, similar to those for electric cars, although in smaller amounts.

There are tradeoffs, of course. Electric motorcycles have the same disadvantages as electric cars, namely cost and range. Motorcycles can only accommodate small batteries so they have a lot less range than gas-powered bikes. And that range diminishes greatly during high-speed highway riding because the bike’s electric motor has to compensate for increased wind resistance pressing against the rider’s not-so-aerodynamic body.

Hoping to get the attention of a new generation of riders, Harley-Davidson introduced the LiveWire electric motorcycle earlier this year.

But with a starting price of nearly $30,000 — more than three times the cost of an entry level motorcycle — it’s unlikely to attract many novice riders. With its extreme performance capabilities — it can go from zero to 60 miles per hour in just three seconds — the LiveWire doesn’t appear to be for first-time riders. (The bike does have selectable performance modes so it can be set up for less aggressive riding.)

“LiveWire sets the stage and sets the tone and is designed and priced to be a halo vehicle,” said Harley-Davidson spokesman Paul James, explaining that the LiveWire is aimed at establishing an image for the brand’s electric offerings rather than being a big seller. “And we’ll quickly follow that up with other form factors and other electric two-wheelers that will be in various price points and aimed at different customers.”

Harley-Davidson (HOG) wanted this bike to get people used to the idea of a motorcycle that doesn’t have the brand’s signature engine burble, said James. The LiveWire does make its own distinct sound, though. It comes from the gears that carry power from the electric motor to the belt that spins the back wheel. Harley-Davidson engineers spent time specifically tuning the naturally occurring whirring sound, much as they would the rumble of a gasoline engine.

For the real novices, Harley-Davidson offers the IronE, which targets tiny riders aged three to seven. The teeny off-road bike is powered by a small detachable battery similar to ones used for electric power tools and starts at around $650. Harley-Davidson has also shown pedaled e-bikes and scooters as concepts.

California-based Zero offers electric motorcycles like the Zero FX ZF3.6 for around $9,000. That bike has an estimated 27 miles of riding range from a small battery that can be easily changed for a fully charged one when it runs low on power. For about twice that amount, or around $20,000, bikes like the Zero SR/F can get about 123 miles in combined city and highway riding. (That compares to the 95 miles Harley-Davidson estimates for the LiveWire.) Buyers can also add battery power using a “Power Tank” accessory.

Zero’s bikes are used in a program called Discover the Ride, which introduces novice riders to motorcycle riding and takes place at Progressive International Motorcycle Shows across the United States. Riders demonstrate their basic two-wheeler skills on an electrically-assisted bicycle, then they are offered a ride on a Zero electric motorcycle.

Cake, a Swedish company, has models starting at a slightly more affordable $8,500. For that price, a buyer can get Cake’s ultra-minimalist Ösa+ model. Its design was inspired by a workbench and it looks like it. With detachable clamps, the owner can quickly customize the bike with cargo racks or an additional seat. The Ösa+ has a top speed of just 60 miles an hour. It’s intended as an urban workhorse.

Cake also makes the slightly faster and pricier Kalk& with a more traditional, but still distinctively spare, design.

With their emphasis on light weight and simplicity, Cake bikes take the idea that electric motorcycling should be different from riding a gas-powered bike to an extreme. The models are particularly popular with new riders, according to a company spokesman. After being available in the US for a little over a year, there’s a three-month waiting list for the bikes, Cake claims.

DALLAS, Dec. 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via OTC PR WIRE — Alternet Systems, Inc. (USOTC: ALYI) today highlighted Africa’s $4 billion motorcycle ride hail market featured in a recent TechCrunch article emphasizing the anticipated explosive growth in Africa over the next decade.  ALYI management sees ALYI as well positioned leader prepared to capture the wave of investment and growth coming to Africa in 2020 and beyond.

ALYI is currently developing $300 million in electric vehicle projects in Africa targeting the shared-ride market, leading with electric motorcycles for the shared-ride market.  The company has signed orders for electric motorcycles with a side car to be produced in Kenya for shared ride providers in Kenya.  ALYI has also recently announced a $100 million cryptocurrency investment strategy targeted at expanding beyond the company’s existing $300 million in electric vehicle projects in Africa.

ALYI has secured institutional commitment to support an annual African electric mobility technology conference and symposium to advance the deployment of electric powered transportation solutions specific to Africa.  The focus includes environmental sustainability but also overall transportation efficiency applicable to the African transportation infrastructure, economy, and consumer.  ALYI CEO, Dr. Randell Torno, contends that the immediate opportunity for electric powered transportation growth in Africa by far exceeds the electric powered transportation opportunity anywhere else in the world and that the electric mobility technology innovations that will be developed for Africa will ultimately form the foundation of commercial electric powered transportation everywhere.  In short, Africa is the global proving ground for electric powered transportation. Dr. Torno just concluded meetings in London last week where he secured institutional brand name commitment that will serve as the anchor event and attraction at the annual African electric mobility technology conference and symposium.  The planed conference and symposium location is Nairobi, Kenya.

For more information, please visit: http://www.alternetsystemsinc.com

So, getting in the last rides of 2019, tried the Gator Skin liners this morning, about the same temps as yesterday maybe 2 degrees cooler 36/37?

 

The GS liners would not fit in my newer L sized gloves, needed to be XL.  So, I used them with my 40+ year old Harley-Davidson gauntlet gloves.  They’ve been wet so many times they are not very effective, my hands actually hurt for 10 minutes after stopping this morning.  Can’t blame the Gator Skins since it wasn’t an apples to apples comparison.  Harley liners didn’t do much, with the newer gloves either.  Retiring the Harley-Davidson gauntlets with 2019!

 

So now do I bite the bullet and go heated $285.00, (gloves, controller and extra cord) or try some newer goatskin for $60-90.00 from H-D or aftermarket?  We don’t have a lot of winter, but I like to be able to hold on to the handlebars!

 

I do like the balaclava, especially keeping my throat warm as opposed to the leather snap wraps.  Problem is my clear glasses don’t fit under it, small pointed stems kept catching, haven’t tried my KDs with it yet.

 Think I’m voting for heated gloves

 

Also, what mount are y’all using on Frank’s tach on the FXR?  I need a tach and regretting not ordering 1 1/4” bars now, which would look a lot better with the 49mm front end.

 

–RFR

I will check with Frankie on the Tach Mount.–Bandit

 

Our Staff Includes the Wayfarer, Ujjwal Dey, in India, Laura, Rogue & Dmac in Florida, Bob T. in 13 Palms, CA, Saeed in Pakistan, Frank Ball in Austin, Texas, RFR in Texas, Mike Pullin in North Carolina, Micah McCloskey SFV, Buster Gates (also at Saddlemen Seats), Barry Green, Sam Burns, somewhere in Texas and of course the Redhead in Los Angeles. Oh, and Sin Wu is moving with me to Deadwood, SD to run a Chinese whorehouse on Jackson Street.

 

This has been a jam-packed year, writing my first screenplay, building the first streamlined trike, building the funky Panhead, and repairing my grandson’s bikes. And then I bought a second home in Deadwood, South Dakota.

 

We’ve added women’s leathers to our lineup of 5-Ball Leathers, changed some styling cues on the Jak full sleeve shirts, with the help of Deb Black at Bartels H-D. We softened the leather for the whole Jak shirt line-up. We’ve made significant changes to the 5-Ball site and were able to cut prices on most leathers.

 

We are up to 88 Chapters in the Bandit’s Cantina series. We switched up Bikernet some and reached 349,000 visitors in one month.

We have significantly boosted traffic to the Bikernet Blog and made it a major source of motorcycle news with the help of the Wayfarer, Rogue and other contributors.

 

We moved our third bike into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum. Okay, so what about 2020? A couple of years ago I talked about slowing down. That doesn’t seem to be happening and that’s cool. In January I will head to Deadwood with a van packed full of household stuff.

We will also make our first speed runs with the Salt Torpedo in January and then tear it down for paint. Then we will start planning and raising funds for our first trip to Bonneville.

 

The home in Deadwood is a partnership with Dr. Christian Reichardt or Dr. Hamster. We’ve decided on a theme for the home in the Historic President’s district, a Chinese whorehouse. How does that sound?

 

I would love to be able to write another Chance Hogan book based in Deadwood, but we’ll see about that. With the help of brothers and sisters all over the country we have published thousands of helpful and entertaining articles annually and that tradition continues.

 

I have high hopes for 2020. Hopefully our lovely government will work on the infrastructure for our growing population and stop fighting all the time. Hopefully Freedom will become a priority again. And hopefully peace will float to the surface of the oceans worldwide and shine in the brilliant sun for all to enjoy.

 

May all your roads be wide, smooth and clear for 2020.

The PM, who is banned from cycling for security reasons, was reportedly given an off-roader

Boris Johnson was given an off-road motorbike by his girlfriend, Carrie Symonds, for Christmas, it has been reported.

The prime minister received a second-hand Yamaha TT-R125 from the 31-year-old, according to the Mail on Sunday.

The bike, thought to be worth about £1,000, can reach speeds of up to 55mph.

Mr Johnson told journalists last week that he would like a new bicycle for Christmas, but said he would have to buy it himself.

He was forced to give up cycling around London when he became foreign secretary and then prime minister because of security precautions.

However, he may find the grounds of his country retreat Chequers, in Buckinghamshire, the perfect playground for a motorbike.

Mr Johnson is currently holidaying on the private island of Mustique in the Caribbean with Symonds.

Known for its white sandy beaches, the exclusive island in the archipelago nation of St Vincent and the Grenadines is a favourite of the rich and famous, with Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger owning property there.

Pictures released on Saturday appeared to show Johnson and Symonds travelling in economy-class seats on a British Airways flight to St Lucia, before travelling on to Mustique.

by Nithyanandh Karuppaswamy from https://www.rushlane.com/

It is no secret that Royal Enfield is working on a whole new range of next generation motorcycles.

Recent reports suggest that the retro-classic specialist is planning to tap into new audience bases. The Chennai-based two wheeler maker is reportedly working on variant extensions to specifically target women and youth.

The recent trademark application by Royal Enfield adds gravity to these claims. The trademark ‘Royal Enfield Hunter’ has been filed by the company and this could be used as a nameplate for one of the new products.

It is too early to speculate on the body style or displacement class of the new thumper in question but if we were to wager, we would put our money on a youthful variant off the new J modular platform which will also underpin the next generation Bullet, Classic and Thunderbird families.

The 2020 Royal Enfield Classic and Thunderbird prototypes have been testing extensively in public, giving us a fair idea on what sort of hardware to expect. The motorcycles receive all new engine, improved frame and continue to employ conventional suspension arrangement (telescopic front fork and gas-charged twin rear shock absorbers). While the bodywork retains the RE identity, every panel seems to be reprofiled subtly to impart a fresh appeal.

Needless to say, the new RE range will feature BS-6 compliant engines. The company is not likely to deviate drastically from the existing displacement classes but considering that the engines are all-new, expect some slight differences in the numbers. Fuel injection will be standard across the range and outputs are expected to increase considerably. Off course, most models will have dual-channel ABS as standard while low-cost variants could settle for single-channel units.

Royal Enfield will start its BS-6 campaign by updating the 650 Twins (Interceptor and Continental GT). The existing Classic 350 will also receive BS-6 update, signalling that the next gen models will not be launched before April 2020. Reports suggest that 500 cc models will be discontinued until their successors are ready sometime in the later part of year.

Like most other two wheeler OEMs in the country, Royal Enfield has been going through a rough patch due to general industry slow down. The new range of products will hopefully help the brand pick up pace.