by Sabrina Giacomini from https://www.rideapart.com Honda is one of the few companies still active today that started its life as a motorcycle manufacturer. In 1949, newly-founded company rolled out the Dream D-Type, the firm’s first proper motorcycle. Fast-forward seven decades and Honda remains to this day one of the most recognized brand names in the industry. The company reached several important milestones in 2019, including the production of its 400 Millionth motorcycle. It looks like 2019 has been a good year for Honda. Not only did the company introduce several new bikes that received a lot of attention (Fireblade, CT125, Africa Twin, etc.), 2019 is also the year we celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the birth of the Japanese superbike, a milestone set by the introduction of the Honda CB750 Four in 1969. To wrap things up on a high note, the company has now announced the production of its 400 Millionth motorcycle. Considering the manufacturer produces the best-selling motorcycle in the world, the Super Cub, it kind of makes sense. In 2017, Honda celebrated the production of 100 Million Super Cubs which means the model alone accounts for over a quarter of the motorcycles produced by Honda since its inception. For reference, it took almost 20 years for the company to reach its first 10M units produced. Motorcycles are now being produced at a rate of roughly 20M a year. How the times and the industry have changed! The previous turning point was reached in 2014 when the counter reached 300 Million. It took only five years to add another 100M to its records. India and Indonesia account for over 50 percent of that production (no big surprise there). What about the U.S.? It doesn’t even have its own share of the chart. It’s included in the “Other” slice of the pie, along with Europe, which accounts for 620 000 units between April 2018 and March 2019. Happy anniversary, Honda, and here’s to another 400 Million bikes!

Merry Merry,

Incredible, I had some whacky dreams last night about moving to Deadwood, South Dakoka (I found out my offer was approved this morning). Remember always, no negative waves. I had to wake up and remind myself.

My mind today is spinning with thoughts of ancient philosophies and today’s kids. I watched a Scandinavian movie about Santa Clause growing up. It was a fascinating movie about an abandoned child who was adopted by a different village family in the cold north every year. He learns to carve wood and make presents for all his past families each year, which he delivers in secret.

Then I had a discussion with a brother about the Sturgis Hall of Fame this week and he made a statement confirming my long-standing belief. He said that no other industry is quite like the custom motorcycle industry. Unlike the auto industry, boating and so many others over-restricted by regulations and controlled by corporations, we are relative free and fun.

The Chopper industry is magic. It has nothing to do with efficiency and function. It’s all about sex, style and adventure. Unwrapping a new paint job or opening the latest Cycle Source magazine is all about glitter and Christmas every time. I wish someone would get this and make movies to reflect the atmosphere, the fantasy and the culture. It’s a blast.

Merry Xmas, as Chopper riders we experience the joy of Xmas every time we open the garage door.

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 the Smoke Out and Quick Throttle Magazine came on board.

MAJOR NEWS STORY–CO2 Coalition Corrects the Record on How to Report on Climate Science

Memo Highlights 13 Misleading Phrases About Industrial Warming Gasses and Policies to Slow Their Increase

Arlington, VA – The CO2 Coalition today issued a memo to the media correcting the record on how they cover stories related to climate science in an increasingly polarized news cycle.

The memo is written by Dr. Caleb Rossiter, a climate statistician and the Executive Director of the CO2 Coalition, a group of climate scientists and energy economists that includes two former Trump administration officials, White House science adviser Will Happer and former EPA deputy Mandy Gunasekara.

The memo is written by Dr. Caleb Rossiter, a climate statistician and the Executive Director of the CO2 Coalition, a group of climate scientists and energy economists, and addresses how the press has been inaccurately reporting on the “climate crisis” and provides an accurate framing that adheres to the research that has been conducted on climate science.

“For too long, the American public has been misled on the science behind about our climate,” said Dr. Caleb Rossiter, climate statistician and Executive Director of the CO2 Coalition, a group of climate scientists and energy economists. “We hope this memo to the press can better inform the way these stories are covered to provide a more accurate description of the global climate.”

Memo to the Media: Don’t Use Bad Words!

13 misleading phrases about industrial warming gases and policies to slow their increase.

By: Dr. Caleb Rossiter, Executive Director of the CO2 Coalition

1. Climate change (as in “climate change is real”): Climate change is indeed real, and humans have little to do with it.

What is the specific change you have in mind? Is it a typical fluctuation or a statistically significant trend? Is it caused by an increase in average temperature, locally or globally? Is the increase driven by CO2 levels, or natural causes? The scientific answer to each of these questions is usually complex, uncertain, and not alarming at all.

2. Climate “crisis” (or “emergency”): There is no climate crisis or emergency.

UN IPCC data show no statistically significant trends in “crisis” variables like storms, floods, hurricanes, droughts and rate of sea-level rise in the last 100 years. That is before CO2 emissions could have had a measurable impact on temperature.

3. “A consensus (of 97% of scientists) agrees”: Agrees about precisely what?

This has nothing to do with claims of a “crisis,” or with the potential of “renewable” energy. The “consensus” was declared by non-scientists, who judged the content of articles in science journals – often incorrectly. They tried to determine whether the articles agreed with the IPCC opinion that at least 0.25 of the 1°C rise in global average temperature since 1900 was likely caused by industrial CO2 emissions.

4. “It’s already happening”: This confuses climate with weather.

Climate – a statistical average – is what we expect; weather – random and often extreme fluctuations – is what we get.Hurricanes Harvey, Andrew, Sandy, and Katrina, California wildfires, regional droughts and floods, and sea-level rise are all almost entirely natural. Similar events occur in historical records going back millennia.

5. “(X out of the Y) warmest months, years, decades on record have occurred recently”: This has been true throughout the past 250 years, for natural reasons.

Temperature has been rising slowly and steadily since the Little Ice Age, well before CO2 levels increased. Slightly higher records are to be expected.

6. CO2 emissions are causing “ocean acidification”: The ocean will never become acidic (i.e. below “neutral” 7 on the pH scale).

Sea water is alkaline, not acidic, with a pH of around 8. A one-unit change to 7 on this logarithmic scale would require a 10-fold increase in pH. Even a tripling of current CO2 levels, over 600 years, would drive pH down only to 7.8. Rainwater is naturally acidic, at 5.6. Ocean health is improved by the plant and phytoplankton food: CO2.

7. “Carbon pollution”: CO2 is not a “pollutant” but an essential plant food.

A pollutant damages human health. CO2 is an inert, natural, non-toxic, mild warming gas. The rise of CO2 levels from 0.03% of the atmosphere to 0.04% has increased plant growth by a third. Human breath has 100 times this level. EPA does not list CO2 as a “criteria pollutant,” like carbon monoxide (CO) from cars and sulfur dioxide from power plants. Ironically, catalytic converters remove these real pollutants by oxidizing them to CO2.

8. Social Cost of Carbon (SCC): There is a far greater cost to using “renewables.”

The current SCC of $40 in damages per metric ton of CO2 is based on 300-year projections of the economy and CO2-driven extreme weather. Both are wildly uncertain. At present the true cost of wind and solar is four times that of fossil fuels, per mile of travel and per kilowatt-hour of electricity. The SCC ignores these costs.

9. Renewable Energy: Converting it to power is NOT renewable.

Wind and solar are free and renewable but using them is not. The costly turbines, solar panels, batteries, and transmission lines must be mined, produced, transported, and disposed of after their short lifetimes. What powers those industries? Reliable, cheap fossil fuels.

10. “Highest CO2 levels in (thousands, millions) of years”: Correlation is not causation.

Al Gore tried to convince movie-goers that CO2 and temperature “go together.” Indeed, they do, but on these time scales, it is temperature that drives CO2. As the Earth has warmed and cooled over the past million years of recurrent ice ages, changes in CO2 come long after changes in temperature. That’s because CO2 is released from warming oceans and land and is absorbed again when they cool.

11. “Climate models predict…”: No, IPCC computer estimations “project scenarios”

The IPCC’s models run about three times too “hot.” Why? Because they “tune” the models to make past CO2 levels drive temperature changes. Nature hasn’t cooperated with their theory of strong warming when the models are run into the future. The models require thousands of guesses about physics and economics, and their error bands are bigger than their projected temperature results.

12. “Exxon Knew”: That alarmist science was uncertain.

The #ExxonKnew lawsuits are based on a fraud: the plaintiffs and their advocates cynically edit Exxon’s scientific memos before quoting them, removing key words and phrases. This reverses the scientists’ conclusions, because they were summarizing alarmist predictions and explaining their uncertainties.

13. “The debate is over”: See 1-12, above.

–from the CO2 Coalition:
The CO2 Coalition was established in 2015 as a 501(c)(3) for the purpose of educating thought leaders, policy makers, and the public about the important contribution made by carbon dioxide to our lives and the economy.

EASYRIDERS EVENTS DIDN’T DIE—EASYRIDERS RODEOS are alive for 2020 and
EASYRIDERS BIKE SHOWS will be back in 2021. And the Magazine and all it once represented should never die!

Revamping in 2020
Relaunching in 2021

ER71 USA Inc.
28210 Dorothy Drive, Ste 200
Agoura Hills, CA 91301
General Information Call 800 962 9857

Comment from former reader:
Don’t know if you have heard anything or not, but do you know if anyone has received anything in place of subscriptions? I ordered two items from them On October 16th. I have called three times and each time was told the same thing, problem with getting stock in warehouse and it will be shipped in two weeks

As of today December 16th told same thing? Just wondering?

–STEALTH
Bikernet™ Undercover Agent

NEWS FROM THE LEATHER MASTER–Hey bro, I wanted to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas.

Can you please share my business news with all your readers on Bikernet?

Adam Croft Handmade Leather M/C Seats are now at Bruce Rossmeyers Destination Daytona in Ormond Beach.

To own this new handmade leather seat by Adam Croft that fits your 2018-2020 Softtail Slim FLSL or Streetbob FXBB contact Destination Daytona.
Part number 52000381

All the best,
–Adam
Adam Croft Leather
Vintage American Cycles
309-532-5081

IRON BUTT REQUEST--This request comes to you from Dave Zien and Dan Stephans:

I have become aware that the Iron Butt Association has been nominated to the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame. I have sent my letter of support for this nomination and am asking that you, too, send a letter supporting the inclusion of the Iron Butt Association in the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

Send your letter of support to The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame, attention Sarah, 999 Main Street, Sturgis, SD 57785. Sarah’s email address is sarah@sturgismuseum.com

You do NOT need to be a member of the Museum to weigh-in on this nomination, so please do so! This year there are many nominees and competition is the name of the game. In 1984, 10 riders rode the first Iron Butt Rally. There are now over 75,000 members in the IBA.

Forward this message to any and all motorcycle riders you know

–Daniel Stephans
IBA #214

XMAS LIST AT WINDVEST— Mention BIKERNET™ and receive Free Shipping on your order from now until December 31, 2019 (within the US).

Visit our Website to find the perfect Christmas gift for the biker on your list!
The Best Looking, Best Performing Windshield on the Market!!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

DAYROLL ACTION– Amigo!! I have been kicking myself in the butt when I didn’t order one of these when you had them on your website a few years ago. I promised myself I would grab one if you ever had them again.

I can’t wait for it to arrive.

I know it will look great on my bike and is going to make the perfect Christmas gift to myself!! Hope you have a great holiday as well and all my best to the whole crew at the Cantina!!!

–Ken Burnett

NEW FROM FUELING— · FEULING REAPER camshafts are designed to produce wide smooth power bands.

· Smooth camshaft lobe ramps are easier on valve-train components eliminating excessive valve-train noise and wear.

· Better Throttle Response – Increased MPG – Easy Starting – Unique Idle Sound

· Made in U.S.A.

LATEST FILM FROM LOWBROW-– Vintage Triumph Tune & Service
We filmed English 101 back around 2011 with Wes White of Four Aces Cycle. This in-depth tune and service video for vintage Triumphs has been around a while…

However, it has never been online, full-length and free! We have now added English 101 to our YouTube channel for your viewing enjoyment. Reply to this email or comment on the video and let us know what you think. Thanks!

BIKERNET UNIVERSITY ENGLISH DEPARTMENT VOCABULARY LESSON OF THE WEEK— welter
[ wel-ter ]
noun

a confused mass; a jumble or muddle: a welter of anxious faces.

HOW IS WELTER USED?
What traitors books can be! … Others can use them, too, and there you are, lost in the middle of the moor, in a great welter of nouns and verbs and adjectives.

RAY BRADBURY, FAHRENHEIT 451, 1953
[The pilot] would be expected to know what to do within seconds if a system he didn’t know existed set off a welter of cockpit alerts and forced the plane downward.
ALEC MACGILLIS, “THE CASE AGAINST BOEING,” THE NEW YORKER, NOVEMBER 11, 2019

WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF WELTER?
The noun welter “confused mass; a jumble or muddle” develops from the verb welter “to roll, toss; writhe, tumble about.” Found in English by the 1300s, the verb welter is a form of Middle English welten, Old English weltan “to roll,” cognate with Middle Dutch welteren and Low German weltern “to roll.” The specific form welter is known as a frequentative, which is a verb that expresses repetitive action, indicated by the suffix –er, as seen in such other verbs as flicker or shudder. Welter, then, has the meaning of rolling over again and again, as waves heaving in the sea or pigs wallowing in the mud, which gave rise to its noun senses, such as “confused mass.” The noun welter is first recorded in English in the late 1500s.

–from Dictionary.com

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MAKES PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT PULL-OUT OFFICIAL NOVEMBER 25, 2019
By H. Sterling Burnett

The Trump administration formally notified the United Nations it will withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement.

The Trump administration formally notified the United Nations it will withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement (PCA).

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced in a November 4 tweet the United States had filed formal paperwork to withdraw, citing an “unfair economic burden” on U.S. workers, businesses, and taxpayers.

The exit, announced the first day the government could start the process under the terms of the agreement, will become official on November 4, 2020, the day after the next presidential election.

The administration filed the paperwork a little over two years after President Donald Trump held a June 2, 2017 Rose Garden event at which Trump, keeping a campaign commitment, announced he would take the United States out of the agreement at the earliest possible date.

Putting America Before Paris

When Trump was running for president, he repeatedly called the PCA a bad deal for the United States, saying it would cost jobs and put the nation at a competitive disadvantage with other countries not required to restrict their energy use or make emission reductions.

“It is time to put Youngstown, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, along with many, many other locations within our great country, before Paris, France,” Trump said at the 2017 event announcing his intention to withdraw from the agreement.

Reversing Obama’s Climate Policies

Former president Barack Obama signed the PCA in 2015, committing the United States to reducing emissions by 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. Lacking enough support in the Senate to ratify the PCA, the Obama administration argued it was not a treaty needing Senate approval to be binding, but rather an executive agreement.

Obama then undertook a series of executive actions intended to cut U.S. carbon dioxide emissions to meet the PCA commitments. These regulations included the Clean Power Plan (CPP) forcing states to restrict carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fueled electric power plants—essentially forcing states to close such plants and replace them primarily with wind and solar electric power facilities—and dramatically increasing the fuel economy mandate automakers must meet for their vehicles, which, if it had come into full effect, would have forced the public into smaller vehicles with less horsepower or electric cars.

In keeping with his 2017 withdrawal announcement and in the run-up to the administration filing the formal notice to withdraw, Trump has rolled back each of the Obama administration’s signature climate regulations, replacing the CPP with the Affordable Clean Energy rule and delaying and reducing the mandatory increase in fuel economy.

Emissions Declining Without Mandates

The Trump administration points out U.S. greenhouse gas emissions have declined without taxing carbon dioxide emissions and while loosening regulatory restrictions on fossil fuel development.

In his tweet announcing the United States had started the formal process of withdrawing from the PCA, Pompeo made it clear the action was in the United States’ best interests and would not stop America from helping other countries adapt to climate conditions.

“The U.S. approach incorporates the reality of the global energy mix and uses all energy sources and technologies cleanly and efficiently, including fossils fuels, nuclear energy, and renewable energy,” Pompeo said. “We will continue to work with our global partners to enhance resilience to the impacts of climate change and prepare for and respond to natural disasters.”

The Paris Climate Agreement has loopholes that ensure it would not reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and results in the United States show no treaty is needed to cut emissions, says climate scientist Patrick Michaels, Ph.D., a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI).

“The president was right to withdraw from the Paris Accord which is climatically meaningless, guaranteeing China will produce the lion’s share of carbon dioxide emissions for the foreseeable future,” Michaels said in a statement. “It should also be noted U.S. carbon dioxide emissions have dropped more than those from any other large industrialized nation since 2005.

“We didn’t have Paris in 2005, and we don’t need it now,” Michaels said.

Sovereignty, Economic Success

Withdrawing from the PCA is critical for U.S. sovereignty and continued economic success, says Myron Ebell, director of CEI’s Center for Energy and Environment.

“Secretary of State Pompeo has … started the formal process to withdraw the United States from the disastrous U.N. Paris climate treaty and reclaim its sovereign right to set its own energy policy,” said Ebell in a statement. “This is a great day for America, particularly for the future economic success and security of countless Americans.”

The PCA was unwise and would have been extremely costly, says E. Calvin Beisner, Ph.D., founder of the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation.

“President Trump’s formal announcement November 4 that the United States will exit the Paris Climate Agreement was a great victory for common sense, good science, good economics, and good statesmanship,” said Beisner. “It’s what the Cornwall Alliance has advocated ever since President Obama unwisely signed onto it.

“Full implementation of the agreement through the end of this century, costing at least $70 trillion and more likely over $140 trillion, would, theoretically, lower global average temperature by at most 0.3°F—too little to affect any ecosystem or human wellbeing,” Beisner said. “It’s no surprise the author of The Art of the Deal [Donald Trump] thinks paying $23.3 [trillion] to $46.6 trillion per tenth of a degree of temperature reduction is a bad deal.”

Deal Not Yet Sealed

Ultimately, U.S. participation in the PCA will be determined by the outcome of the 2020 election. Under the terms of the agreement, the U.S. withdrawal will not be final until the day after the election.

Should Trump be reelected president, the withdrawal will almost certainly stick.

With each of the candidates for the Democrat nomination for president having castigated Trump for withdrawing from the Paris agreement and having vowed to make the United States rejoin it should they become president, by contrast, a Democrat presidential victory almost certainly means the United States will rejoin the PCA.

H. Sterling Burnett, Ph.D. (hsburnett@heartland.org) is a senior fellow at The Heartland Institute.

H. Sterling Burnett, Ph.D. is a Heartland senior fellow on environmental policy and the managing editor of Environment & Climate News.

[page break]

NEWS FROM OLD IRON NEVER DIES— Hey guys!

My husband just got a 30-page FEATURE in Xtreme Bikes Magazine issue 72 out of Spain!!! His feature starts on page 220 if you want to view the complete magazine that can be downloaded from here for free- http://www.xtremebikes.es/

–Chris

COOL TS FROM BILTWELL— In Stock Now!
New Long Sleeves,
?Short Sleeves, Pocket Tees and more.

Our 100% pre-shrunk 6oz cotton tees are hand-screened with super-thin water-based inks, woven clip tags and the irritating collar tags have been replaced by a screen-printed label.

We consider this the perfect T-shirt blank – it’s got a buttery feel and is thick enough to be durable, but not a baggy old man shirt. It’s a true regular-fit, not a super thin slim-fit. Printed in the USA.

EVEN DURING THE HOLIDAYS, THE BANDIT’S CANTINA BAD JOKE LIBRARY IS OPEN–
How do you embarrass an archaeologist? Give him a used tampon and ask him which period it came from!

What does the receptionist at a sperm bank say as clients leave? Thanks for coming!
What do you get when you cross a dick with a potato? A dictator!

What do you call a smiling Roman soldier with a piece of hair stuck between his front teeth? A glad-he-ate-her.

How is sex like a game of bridge? If you have a great hand, you don’t need a partner.

What’s long and hard and full of semen? A submarine!

–from Rogue
Senior Librarian
Bandit’s Cantina™

BRAND NEW BIKERNET READER COMMENT--THE CONSUMMATE BIKERNET WEEKLY NEWS for December 12, 2019

https://www.bikernet.com/pages/THE_CONSUMMATE_BIKERNET_WEEKLY_NEWS_for_December_12_2019.aspx

Well hell, if I had known that you would post the pics of my basket and me on the finished bike, I would have been helmetless and trying to look like a bad ass, instead of the grinning knucklehead watching my wife run out to get a pic of the first ride. hahaha

I love the day roll, exactly what I was looking for. Also, thanks for all of the goodies that you sent with it. I bought and read the book years ago, but I really appreciate an autographed version.

Thanks for another good read.

–Robert
Orange, CA

LIFESTYLE DEAL OF THE WEEK— 2005 Harley-Davidson® FLSTF – Fat Boy for $6,995.00

See it here: https://www.lifestylecycles.com/default.asp?page=xPreOwnedInventoryDetail&id=8093943

2005 Softail Fat Boy FLSTFi fuel injected 95ci

It looks like a Harley, but you know there’s something weird the first time you fire it up. It just sits there and idles smoothly–really smoothly. The engine doesn’t jump around at low rpm the way those of the rubber-mounted Big Twins do. And the front wheel or fender or handlebar ends don’t dance in sympathetic harmony with the engine like those of Evolution-powered Softails.

Blip the throttle and none of that changes. The revs rise quickly while the vibration reaching up to the tank and handlebar is no more than, say, that from a Ducati Twin. Yep, Martha, there’s something strange in Harleyland.

ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT:

To start with is that this 88ci has a 95ci kit and is fuel injected. Vivid Black paint with gold pin-striping and raised anniversary gold tank badges is awesome! Chrome console with a leather strap. Chrome bars, mirrors, nacelle headlamp, blinkers, fork shroud, polished lower legs on beautiful chrome spoked chrome rims.

Chrome rockers / cam with gold raised flame / coil / horn covers and derby with raised gold flame. Chrome primary, oil bag with temp gauge, fender supports and chain guard. Chrome shotgun 2:2 exhaust. 2-up with floorboards, passenger pegs, forward controls, chrome backrest and hard leather bags. The toe shift linkage spells out ‘Fat Boy’. A great looking bike!!!

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

EZ FINANCING-SHIPPING AVAILABLE!!!

XMAS BONUS FROM THE DAV— This prescription savings coupon is available to you and your family to help lower prescription drug costs. It is pre-activated and ready for immediate use at over 68,000 pharmacies nationwide.

The program discounts both brand and generic prescription medications for those individuals without prescription coverage. Additionally, individuals who have prescription drug coverage may use this program but may not combine it with their other coverage on the same prescription.

There’s no application to complete, no membership restrictions, no income requirement and no age limitations. Click the button below to print, text, save or email your card today!

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$1.50 is donated to DAV for every qualifying prescription filled. The prescription program is managed by United Networks of America and DAV is not responsible for negotiating prescription rates. The agreement between DAV and UNA Rx Card runs through June 4, 2020.

MONTANA STATE TROOPER HOLIDAY GREETINGS–In most of the United States there is a policy of checking on any stalled vehicle on the highway when temperatures drop to single digits or below.

About 3 AM one very cold morning, Montana State Trooper Allan Nixon #658 responded to a call there was a car off the shoulder of the road outside Great Falls, Montana.

He located the car, stuck in deep snow and with the engine still running. Pulling in behind the car with his emergency lights on, the trooper walked to the driver’s door to find an older man passed out behind the wheel with a nearly empty vodka bottle on the seat beside him.

The driver came awake when the trooper tapped on the window. Seeing the rotating lights in his rearview mirror, and the state trooper standing next to his car, the man panicked. He jerked the gearshift into drive and hit the gas.

The car’s speedometer was showing 20-30-40 and then 50 MPH, but it was still stuck in the snow, wheels spinning. Trooper Nixon, having a sense of humor, began running in place next to the speeding (but stationary) car.

The driver was totally freaked, thinking the trooper was actually keeping up with him. This goes on for about 30 seconds, then the trooper yelled, “PULL OVER!”

The man nodded, turned his wheel and stopped the engine. Needless to say, the man from North Dakota was arrested and is probably still shaking his head over the state trooper in Montana who could run 50 miles per hour.

Who says troopers don’t have a sense of humor?

–from Sam Burns

HOLIDAY WISHES FROM AMERICAN PRIME-– HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
To all our customers, near or far…We want to wish you a happy holiday and may the coming new year be dazzling successful both monetarily and personally.

AND AS AS ADDED THOUGHT…

Buy Something from us!
(Great gift ideas)

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GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
Tariff Update: Beef is Done, But Airplane Tax is Circling

Some good news: The U.S. Trade Representative published a formal notice effectively advising that the beef tariff is over. Some bad news: The USTR also proposed adding motorcycles, parts, and accessories back into the airplane tariff dispute.

The beef tariff cancellation notice follows a deal signed by the U.S. and the European Union on August 2, which allows for more U.S. beef exports. The MIC government relations team worked closely with potentially affected motorcycle companies to achieve this successful resolution, and the USTR’s action on this issue will be official on January 1.

But a large-civil-aircraft dispute again threatens tariffs on certain motorcycles, parts, and accessories from the EU. The MIC’s government relations team has renewed its opposition and submitted comments to the USTR. The MIC also is reaching out to members of Congress to urge them to oppose these tariffs.

–MIC

NEWS FROM THE CLIMATE DEPOT--What’s Powering The Electric Car Charging Station? A Diesel Generator
It’s becoming a joke all around the world — the EVs in Australia powered by dirty diesel. But what’s the difference?

Most EVs in Australia are running on fossil fuel — the generators are just hidden behind longer extension cords. (Ones that carry 240,000V). EVs on our grid are running on 80% of fossil fuels every day.

The sign on the charger above says “Nullarbor” — the vast treeless and grid-free center of Australia — but this is actually a test site in Perth (the trees were the giveaway).

The 3,000 kilometer trip across the Nullarbor from Perth to Adelaide is such an achievement for an EV that it’s practically a news story each time one makes it.

Electric Car owners carry a chip about not being able to drive across the country as any real car owner could.

So Jon Edwards, a retired engineer from Perth, set up this test site in his backyard. He wanted to know if it could be a realistic stop-gap for our far remote roads.

To me, this looks like a chain of efficiency losses going from diesel to mechanical to electrical to battery to mechanical, but Edwards tested it with ten friend’s cars last December and estimates it works out slightly better on fuel use than just driving a diesel.

Readers can check out all his calculations and tables on his page — at a glance it’s a respectable effort. He is an engineer.

The charger is a Tritium Veefil 50kW DC (a big fast one) and took 9 hours to charge all 10 cars and used 108L of fuel. Good for fuel. Bad for time. (The 6,600km return trip across the Nullabor took 13 days in case you were wondering, though they were not in a race).

There’s a good reason EVs are only 0.2% of all new Australian car purchases — with vast distances, a fragile grid, expensive electricity and heavy towing loads.

Plus these fast chargers are like adding “20 houses” to our grid, so will cripple the system or require billions of dollars of infrastructure costs.

The dumbest thing is that as long as they run off fossil fuels, they’ll probably increase our CO2 emissions, doing the exact opposite of what they’re supposed to be doing, but yet perversely helping plants grow.

Their big environmental benefit being mainly achieved by failing to do what they are intended to do.

Good for Jon Edwards for financing his own experiment. but there was one funny moment when he mentioned tax:

…he tells The Driven that driving to Adelaide and back in an electric car, “I felt like a third-class citizen.”

“I’m a tax-paying citizen and I’m driving an EV, why haven’t we got infrastructure to service us?” he says.

…and the first commenter, Pedro, reminded him that EV owners don’t pay the fuel taxes that maintain the roads the EVs drive on.

But, hey, he’s in the comments there explaining himself. Give him points, just please don’t give him more of our taxes.

Lots of commenters there wonder why he didn’t use a solar-powered battery pack:

Jon Edwards replied:

To close the gap from Clare in SA to Perth in WA, 14 stations approx 200 km apart are needed to create a highway EVs can use. Until the highway is created the ?EVs crossing will remain at less than 10 per year.. a number that governments, businesses and investors cannot get excited about.

So, in my humble view the way to get 14 stations in place to create a highway – is to assemble 14 ChargePods and stick them out there. Ideally a smart government would offer a grant to each location to purchase the unit.

Then each location would own the asset, fuel and maintain the asset, and with time make some money from the asset. But for the growing EV community with an instant highway in place.. guess what happens next? Yep the EV traffic will increase and the business case for more green solutions can be calculated.

So, from my perspective, even though we have proven equivalent, it’s not about fuel consumption, it’s about creating a highway that currently has no business case to support it.

And before any reader says “but why wouldn’t you go solar?” Calculate the cost of say a 300 kwhr battery (allowing for losses it may charge 2 x 100 kwhr Teslas in the same day), a 60 kw inverter, 50kw EV charger, say 100kw of panels, all the controls, battery management system, electrical work, containers, installation labor, concrete, cranes, commissioning, accommodation, insect repellent, sunblock and bottled water.. at Caiguna in WA…for a 2 car per day system that needs 3 days to recharge…then compare that to dropping off a ChargePod with a Hiab as has just been done. (check out Plugshare Caltex at Jurien Bay WA.) and have a 24 car per day system everyday..

It’s about creating an instant highway, then green it up when the numbers stack up.

There’s a reason only 10 EVs cross the Nullabor a year.

— WRITTEN BY JOANNE NOVA
Latest News

Damon Wants Better Motorcycle Safety Through Situational Awareness–Everyone knows that motorcycling can be dangerous, especially in cities. Elon Musk won’t even consider building one, and not out of irrational fear.

At a motorcycling event I’ve been to, everybody knew someone who died in the past year on a bike. The stats bear this out, with accidents killing riders 27 times more often than the occupants of cars. Avoiding accidents is also challenging, as many drivers say they “didn’t see” the motorcycle before an accident.

While there have been companies selling electric motorcycles since before Tesla was selling cars, Damon Motorcycles is looking to set itself apart from the competition by offering real safety systems to help reduce collisions.

“Exhaustive studies have shown that in almost half of motorcycle accidents, riders were found to have taken no evasive action before the impact occurred. So, we know that riders need more warning time,” said Dom Kwong, Chief Technical Officer of Damon Motorcycles. Damon’s flagship motorcycle — the Hypersport Pro with CoPilot™ — expands the reach of your senses in 360º, giving you that one extra second you need to react to keep you safe on the road.

In other words, the company is taking the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) we’re getting used to in late-model cars and trucks and applying them to the motorcycle world. And really, that’s a tall order, as it’s not feasible to do things like automatic emergency braking (AEB) without seriously risking the safety of the rider. Motorcycles require the rider to move with the bike, balance it, and lean through turns, so taking control of one aspect of the bike through something like AEB or forced steering could cause wrecks instead of preventing them.

To keep riders in control, Damon has decided to have its “CoPilot” system focus on situational awareness instead. It all starts with a suite of sensors providing 360-degree coverage around the motorcycle. The data from these sensors then gets fed into a computer that can track up to 64 moving objects around the motorcycle, calculating the speed and direction of each one relative to the path the motorcycle is on. It then can predict collisions faster than a human would in some cases, or detects possible collisions that a human rider simply wouldn’t see coming in others (like from the rear).

Motorcycle riders need to keep their attention forward, so Damon had to find ways to feed all of this into the rider’s brain without distracting them. To do this, the system gives vibrational feedback through the grips and by lighting up the edge of the windscreen in the direction of the threat. This then gives the rider those extra valuable moments of warning to take evasive action and avoid the collision.

On top of that, the system is designed to learn from its use on the road, in a similar fashion to Tesla’s autopilot. The motorcycles equipped with the system will have 4G connections that allow data sharing so that all bikes learn from each other’s experiences to further improve the system.

Another way the company plans to improve comfort is by offering adjustable ergonomics on-the-fly. With the push of a button, the bike can move the windscreen, seat, footpegs and handlebars move in unison to adjust the rider from a high-speed supersport position, to a comfortable sport-touring position, to full upright commuter position for dense city traffic. The company says it’s akin to having two bikes in one.

While we haven’t had a chance to see this system in action yet, Damon has some demo videos on its website and plans to reveal much more information about the system at CES in January. We’re in touch with the company and hope to update our readers in the near future about how the system works to keep us safer on the road.

Damon Motorcycles
Image credit: Damon Motorcycles

About the Author

Jennifer Sensiba Jennifer Sensiba is a long time efficient vehicle enthusiast, writer, and photographer. She grew up around a transmission shop, and has been experimenting with vehicle efficiency since she was 16 and drove a Pontiac Fiero. She likes to explore the Southwest US with her partner, kids, and animals.

BANDIT’S CANTINA BOOK OF THE WEEK CLUB—Glen’s 650 Triumph Workshop Book.

We love seeing photos of your projects, motorcycles and adventures. We also love hearing about what we are doing right and what we could be doing better… it helps us improve! Take a moment and check out all the reviews on our website or leave us a Google Review. We genuinely appreciate it!

Available from Lowbrow.

Lowbrow Customs, LLC
2873 Interstate Pkwy
Brunswick, OH 44212

[page break]

MERRY XMAS FROM VINTAGE RIDES--Remember: in March 2017, seven adventurers embarked on an extreme adventure on the frozen lake of Khösvgöl. Between -20 and -40 degrees, they were going to cover 1000 km in 10 days from Mörön, on 4 sidecars harnessed to Royal Enfields. A unique and unforgettable adventure organized by Vintage Rides, which resulted in a film:

The Frozen Ride.

Since then, every year in March, we take about ten hand-picked riders on the same itinerary to discover extraordinary landscapes. Their motto: surpassing oneself and showing solidarity in the face of weather conditions which are sometimes difficult to grasp.

A unique motorcycle adventure to be enjoyed or offered to a loved one.

They just joined a tour

Nancy
(Lorraine, FR)
3rd tour
Goes to Indonesia on 12th July 2020
7 riders registered

See this tour
Mike
(Cape Town, ZA)
1st tour
Goes to Nepal on the 1st of April 2020
5 riders registered

See this tour
Nicholas
(Lincolnshire, UK)
1st tour
Goes to South India on 2nd of February 2020
8 riders registered

See this tour

Last seats on upcoming departures

Vintage Rides
(By appointment only)
128 rue de la Boétie
75008 Paris
contact@vintagerides.com +442032898785

Feds Hire Vets is your single site for Federal employment information for Veterans, transitioning military service members, their families and Federal hiring officials.

In the Federal Government’s strategy to recruit and employ Veterans, the FedsHireVets.gov website was created to give resources and directions to Veterans seeking employment information. FedsHireVets recognize that Veterans have the experience, skills, and leadership abilities that make them ideal candidates for many federal jobs. Federal jobs can be a natural transition for many Veterans. They can offer more stability than employment in the private sector.

FedsHireVets offers information and resources regarding the federal employment process. On the website you can find over a thousand job opportunities and useful reference materials for Veterans programs with Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense and the Department of Labor.

Frequently Asked Questions
What is 5-point preference and who is eligible?
A 5-point preference eligible is a veteran whose discharge or release from active duty in the armed forces was under honorable conditions and service meets the following criteria:

During a war; or
During the period April 28, 1952 through July 1, 1955; or
For more than 180 consecutive days, other than for training, any part of which occurred after Jan. 31, 1955, and before Oct. 15, 1976; or

During the Gulf War from Aug. 2, 1990, through Jan. 2, 1992; or
For more than 180 consecutive days, other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning Sept. 11, 2001, and ending on Aug. 31, 2010, the last day of Operation Iraqi Freedom; or
In a campaign or expedition for which a campaign medal has been authorized. Any Armed Forces Expeditionary medal or campaign badge, including Afghanistan (Operations Enduring Freedom (OEF), Iraqi Freedom (OIF)), Bosnia (Operations Joint Endeavor, Joint Guard, and Joint Forge), Global War on Terrorism, Persian Gulf, and others may qualify for preference.
The Veteran must have been discharged under an honorable or general discharge.

How do I determine if I am eligible for Veterans’ preference?

In general, Veterans’ preference eligibility is based on dates of active duty service, receipt of a campaign badge, Purple Heart, or a service-connected disability. Only Veterans discharged or released from active duty in the armed forces under honorable conditions (honorable or general discharge) are eligible for Veterans’ preference.

If you are not sure of your preference eligibility, visit https://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.

How many types of preference eligibles are there?

There are basically three types of preference eligibles, disabled (10 point preference eligible), non-disabled (5 point preference eligible) and sole survivorship preference (0 point preference eligible).
For more FAQ, information and resources, visit FedsHireVets.gov

Written by Heather Martin and edited by Michaela Yesis, student interns working with VA’s Digital Media Engagement team.

QUICK, New Bikernet Reader Comment!–
Life and Times, the ’70s

https://www.bikernet.com/pages/Life_and_Times_the_70s.aspx

Great story….

— Mike Barnes
Email: mkb_1@msn.com
Big Sandy, TX

PRINT NEWS–Pike Place Market newsstand to close after 40 years–After selling newspapers and magazines from around the world on a corner of Pike Place Market for 40 years, First and Pike News is making some news of its own.

Owner Lee Lauckhart has decided to close the landmark newsstand on Dec. 31. The stand was built of words, but the numbers just don’t add up, he says. Declining newspaper and magazine readership means declining sales. It’s that simple.

“It looks like an unbelievable success story,” Lauckhart, 78, said Friday morning. “But the majority of our customers look like me. They’re old. And people under 30 don’t read printed material. They read it on screens. It’s been a digital onslaught.”

Lauckhart used to carry 180 different newspapers, but has let that number drop to 55. He once carried 2,000 magazines, but has cut that by about 300.

“It finally came to a point where I would have to start funding it,” Lauckhart said in his office above the stand, while the chorus of the Pike Place Fish Market mongers echoed up the stairs. “This has been coming on for a long time. The business has been saved by gum.”

The stand sells a lot of Hubba Bubba bubble gum for $2 a pack, which inevitably ends up squished on the Gum Wall, down the ramp and around the corner. It takes about that long to chew it.

The stand also sells postcards — four for $1 — and gives a lot of directions. Not a lot of money to be made in either.

Still, there is much to draw customers in. The glossy American titles are stacked in front, with Cate Blanchett and Adam Driver looking hither and yon. On the other side of the wall, well, nearly every interest is covered: Marie Claire. Der Spiegel. Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. Skin Art. American Bee Journal. Witches and Pagans. There are titles in French and Italian, Spanish and Russian.

For the past 13 years, Lauckhart has not collected a salary. He has been living on his Social Security while still paying his employees $15 an hour long before it became law. He also provides health benefits, even if the employee only worked one shift a week.

“It just seemed like the right thing to do,” Lauckhart said. “If you paid them what they’re worth and let them go home by 5 p.m., well, they’re happy.”

There is no cash register. Clerks keep cash in their aprons (“Old school,” Lauckhart said, wagging the front of his apron) so they can wander around. In the tiny kiosk that serves as a counter, there is a credit-card reader, rubber bands and scissors.

“Lee and his team have always been the inviting beacon that welcomes us all to the Pike Place Market,” said Mary Bacarella, executive director of the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority. “As Seattle has morphed over the years, it’s become clear how lucky we have all been, having him in the Market for these past 40 years.”

When he opened in 1979, “There wasn’t much of a plan,” Lauckhart said.

A Seattle native who studied environmental health at the University of Washington, Lauckhart spent three months in New York City with his then-wife and her family, selling newspapers from a stand owned by his father-in-law. He loved it. The people; being part of the news of the day.

After the couple divorced, Lauckhart moved back to Seattle with his young daughter, Aana. He started working in the market as a “crafty,” making jewelry out of horseshoe nails. And he befriended Seby Nahmias, who owned the newspaper-vending rights for the corner of First and Pike. (They date back to 1914, when they sold for $300. Lauckhart still has the original documents in his office).

Lauckhart suggested they partner up and open a newsstand with more than just the local newspapers. They were joined by Steve Dunnington.

“We wanted everything possible that we could get because there weren’t any phones in your pocket,” Lauckhart said.

Not long after they opened, 25 papers from across the country were being sent from numerous cities by air to San Francisco, where a distributor sorted them in the airport and sent them off to Seattle on Flying Tiger, a cargo airline.

Six months later, Mount St. Helens blew. Newspapers from around the region printed extra editions, which landed in huge piles in front of the newsstand and were snatched right up.

“It gave us a real boost,” Lauckhart said. “We had stacks all around us. I felt a little bad about it, so we gave a bit of the profits to the Red Cross.”

Back then, Pike Place Market was closed on Sunday — the biggest day for newspapers, Lauckhart realized. So, in the spring of 1980, First and Pike News became the first Market business to open on Sunday. Other businesses followed.

Nahmias died in 1987, and Lauckhart still keeps his name on his locker in the office.

His daughter Aana, now 46, grew up with the newsstand. She lived with her father in a studio apartment above the Market, where they converted the closet into a room for her. “I slept on a shelf in the closet and he slept in the living room,” she said.

Every morning, she sat on a stool at the stand, waiting for the school bus that would take her up the hill to T.T. Minor Elementary.

After school, she’d be right back there, learning what she called “the newsboy shuffle” to hawk newspapers: “Get your Times and your P.I.,” she recited. “If you can’t read, you can look at the pictures.”

Aana believes her father has been keeping the newsstand alive — and taking the financial hit — as a matter of principle.

“It’s because of his deep belief in the free press,” she said, “and how democratizing a newsstand can be.”

He also kept it going for his employees, many of whom have stayed with him for more than 20 years. He’s had just 33 employees over the decades; now he’s down to three.

“Artists, musicians and potters,” Aana said. “The heartbeat of Seattle.”

–Seattle Times

–from Ujjwal Dey
Bikernet Investigative Investigator
wayfarer@bikernet.com

KEEP THE BANDIT’S CANTINA BAD JOKE LIBRARY OPEN OVER THE HOLIDAYS-– Why does it take 100 million sperm to fertilize one egg? Because they won’t stop to ask directions.

What did one butt cheek say to the other? Together, we can stop this crap.

A man and a woman started to have sex in the middle of a dark forest. After about 15 minutes, the man finally gets up and says, “Damn, I wish I had a flashlight!” The woman says, “Me too, you’ve been eating grass for the past ten minutes!”

–from Rogue
Senior Bikernet

HOLIDAY WISHES–
It’s possible this leaf was carried in by a wayward Thanksgiving traveler

–RFR

MORE FROM THE ELECTRIC FRONT--Nawa’s ultracapacitor-hybrid e-moto radically boosts power and range

This sweet-looking electric motorcycle has a relatively small, lightweight 9-kWh battery, and yet it boasts a 300-km (186-mi) urban range and superbike-level acceleration thanks to an ultracapacitor hybrid energy system unlike anything we’ve seen before.

Ultracapacitors can charge and discharge almost immediately, and last millions of cycles, making them perfect energy storage units for extreme power outputs and rapid charging. On the other hand, their poor energy density makes them nowhere near as compact as lithium batteries, and they leak energy over time, so they’re not great as the sole energy storage unit on a vehicle.

Where they really shine, according to French ultracapacitor manufacturer Nawa Technologies, is in a hybrid setup paired with a lithium battery, creating a power unit that augments the density and storage capacity of a lithium unit with the rapid charge and discharge rates of a capacitor.

If you’ve ever wondered why regenerative braking puts such a small amount of energy back into the battery, the answer is simple: the battery is the bottleneck. Lithium battery charge rates are so slow that the battery simply can’t recoup much of your deceleration energy. An ultracapacitor, on the other hand, has no such limitations.

“It’s recouping 80-90 percent of the energy of your braking,” Nawa CEO Ulrik Grape tells us, “and letting you use that right away when the light goes green.”

In a stop-start urban environment, that makes for a hugely efficient electric powertrain that can squeeze a ton more range out of a given battery.

Nawa is building this bike – the Nawa Racer – as a technology demonstrator for CES 2020. It’s a super-sweet looking futuristic cafe racer with an attention-grabbing hubless rear wheel drive rated for 99 horsepower (74 kW). It’ll do 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in a time “comfortably under three seconds.”

The Racer’s energy storage is split into upper and lower halves, the bottom half being the heavy 9-kWh lithium battery pack, and the top housing Nawa’s capacitor pack. It’s neatly split for visual purposes – a terrific job by UK-based design firm Envisage Group.

A 9-kWh battery pack would normally be good for an urban range around 180 km (110 mi) if we use the range figures for the 7.2-kWh Zero S as a guide. But the Nawa bike adds a relatively tiny 0.1-kWh ultracapacitor on top and massively increases that range to a claimed 300 km (180 mi), purely by harvesting and reusing so much braking energy.

If you wanted to get that range out of lithium batteries, you’d have to add a whole lot of weight and expense. The bike might end up close to 200 kg (440 lb). The ultracapacitor, on the other hand, only adds about 10 kg, resulting in a total bike weight of just 150 kg (330 lb) for the Racer.

And Grape tells us that in an application like this, it’s a relatively inexpensive thing to build into the bike.

“I don’t think in this kind of configuration it’ll add more than a few hundred dollars,” he says. “We’ve said before, if you reduce the size of the battery and add an ultracapacitor, it would not be an overall cost adder. It would likely make the overall package a lower cost solution.”

–By Loz Blain
New Atlas

–from Paul Aiken
Owner
Aeromach USA, LLC
www.aeromach.net
www.highwayhawk.us
www.linkedin.com/in/paulaiken

Highway Hawk is a product of Motolux

THERE YOU HAVE IT THEN—I should be reflecting on where we are headed next year. I’m damn excited, but not sure how to put it into words.

Let me try. I’ve lived in this old building for 14 years, longer than I’ve ever lived in one place. The Doctor said I’ve got PTSD. It shows up in the number of marriages and different places I’ve lived. They’re probably right, but I lasted here 14 years, but I am getting sorta fidgety. Maybe I’m itchy for something new, so I bought a house in Deadwood.

I’ve been an outlaw all my life and it’s time to move to the Badlands to be closer to the brothers and the land of the bad. Bikernet and Bandit’s Cantina will feel the scent of pine needles, gun smoke and motorcycle exhaust. As I turn 72 I will escape Los Angeles congestion for part of the year at least, while I ponder my next move, whether to sell the shop and commit to an all-out move to the Chopper Kingdom.

Everything I do will be covered right here and in stories on Bikernet and in the Cantina. Maybe in the next couple of years we will have a shop fulla motorcycles and leathers in Sturgis or Deadwood.

You just never know what might happen next, but something’s going to change, goddammit. Let me know if you have any notions for Bikernet or the Cantina. This coming year is going to be good, not just any good, but damn good!

Ride Fast and Free, Forever!

–Bandit

Mama Tried 2020 Tickets now available! The Mama Tried crew in Milwaukee continue to throw one of the best shows in the USA. Entry tickets for the Mama Tried Motorcycle Show are available, get yours now and avoid the hassle of waiting in line to buy one the day of the show! This year you could win a 1951 Harley-Davidson WR, which is a factory production race bike. This super cool bike has the added benefits of a rebuilt engine and full restoration. Buy a Mama Tried sticker for $20 and get your ticket for a chance to win! You do not need to be present at the drawing to win. Buy your sticker and get your entry here.

by Janaki Jitchotvisut from https://www.rideapart.com/

Racing wouldn’t be the same without him.

Racer and motorsports safety pioneer Bill Simpson has died. The founder of Simpson Racing Products, which makes Simpson Motorcycle Helmets, was 79 years old. He was a racer, an innovator, and a tireless advocate for safety in motorsports.

Like most of the people you want to know (or at least know about) in motorsports, Simpson was reportedly a true character. “Bill was a hippie when I met him and a cranky old guy most of his life, but he went from a nobody to the top of the heap. He worked hard and had a good mind—it didn’t go where the normal mind went,” three-time Indianapolis 500-winning racer Bobby Unser told Racer.

“Now, he was a hard-head and I’d get mad at him, but then he would do something really good, which was often, and we’d like him again. He’d piss people off one day and save a bunch of lives the next. That was Bill Simpson,” Unser neatly summarized. It seems like it would be tough to top that as an accurate eulogy, by all accounts.

Innovations that Simpson pioneered include the use of parachutes in drag racing, and especially Nomex fire suits designed for race car drivers, back in the bad old days when auto racing was far more deadly than it is today. The man even once infamously lit himself on fire to demonstrate how effective his new fire suit was—a stunt he later gleefully reprised for the 2014 Mazda commercial below.

How did he come up with some of his ideas? Undoubtedly, because he started out as a racer himself, and he came at it from a racer’s point of view. It’s unclear exactly how many lives at every level of motorsport interest he’s saved with his life’s work, but the number is obviously quite high.

Simpson wasn’t a motorcyclist, himself, but his company’s motorcycle helmets have undoubtedly saved countless lives, as well. RideApart’s deepest condolences go out to Simpson’s friends and family in this difficult time. The mark he left on the motorsports safety world is truly indelible.

from https://www.dcourier.com

ZANESVILLE, Ohio — A 20-year-old Prescott man was sentenced to four years in prison after leading officers on a high-speed chase through two counties in Ohio last week.

Andrew Johansen was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty to three felony counts.

According to prosecutors, some time before Dec. 11 Johansen answered an ad for a motorcycle for sale in Canton, Ohio. He asked to test drive the motorcycle and drove away with the bike.

On Dec. 11, an officer tried to stop a silver Honda motorcycle on I-70 in Cambridge, Ohio. The driver, later identified as Johansen, refused to comply and sped away, reaching speeds of up to 130 miles per hour.

After leading officers and state troopers on a high-speed chase that continued on and off the interstate and through heavy traffic, Johansen eventually lost control of the motorcycle and was taken into custody, police said.

In a statement to media, Ohio State Patrol said they suspected the cold weather affected Johansen’s ability to control the bike. According to the statement, Johansen’s first words to law enforcement were, “I’m cold.” Officers on the scene noted that Johansen was shivering and displayed symptoms of hypothermia at the time of his arrest.

According to Arizona court records, Johansen has a criminal history in Arizona. Since 2017, he has been charged with unlawful flight from pursuing law enforcement, fraudulent schemes and artifices, shoplifting, trafficking in stolen property, failure to appear in court and possession or use of drug paraphernalia. The past charges were filed in Prescott Valley and Yavapai County.

Due to a recent conviction and probation status in Arizona, Johansen agreed to waive his investigation and move to sentencing. He was sentenced to four years for failure to comply, receiving stolen property and obstructing official business.

According to a report by the Zanesville Times Recorder, Johansen apologized to the court and his family at his sentencing hearing.

“I’ve hit rock bottom and I have a long road ahead of me in incarceration,” Johansen said. “I hope to use it to my benefit.”

Lesquin, France, December 18, 2019 – The world’s most famous motorcycle race roars back. Bigben and KT Racing are delighted to share all the technical improvements added to TT Isle of Man – Ride on the Edge 2.

Watch the video here:
https://youtu.be/_nFm4i-ooes

Take to the road in one of the world’s most famous races for motorcycle fans with TT Isle of Man – Ride on the Edge 2. Thanks to the meticulous work of the KT Racing teams, players can have an unprecedented motorcycle racing experience at home.

From the handlebars of your bike, shave valuable seconds off your time by using your opponent’s slipstream to pick up speed, and find the best line in bends to maximize your bike’s grip. Managing wear and tear of parts is also part of the game experience: the brakes, suspensions, engine and tyre temperature all need to be monitored for the best ride and to reach the finish line of the 60km circuit, especially if you complete all six laps of the race!

TT Isle of Man 2 will be available in Q1 2020 on consoles and PC

The bike physics have been rebuilt from the ground up to create ultra-realistic behaviour. The gyroscopic effect is now completely integrated for more precise steering, and speed wobbles have been added to alert riders that a fall could be imminent. The brakes and shock absorbers have also been redesigned. They now respond to all bumps in the road and create a riding experience that is much more faithful to what a real motorcyclist feels.

New Location: Lake Elsinore Storm Stadium!
2020 Biltwell Blowout is Coming Up Soon!

Saturday, January 4th we’ll be stacking it deep and selling it cheap. Scratch and dent products, discontinued items and 100’s of old DOT-only helmets will be on sale at this once a year only event. We’ve got a couple dozen other vendors setting up, Indian Motorcycles will have a demo fleet (yes, you can ride the new FTR!) as well as Black Cat Coffee and Ramona’s Express Mexican food. Gates open at 7:00AM and people will be lining up early. If you are interested in being a vendor, the last day for singing up is Dec. 31st and you’ll need to register here: Biltwell Blowout We look forward to seeing ya soon!

by Matthew Lavietes from https://www.autonews.com

NEW YORK — Five of the world’s largest tech companies, including electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc., have been accused of being complicit in the death of children in the Democratic Republic of Congo forced to mine cobalt, a metal used to make telephones and computers, in a landmark lawsuit.

The legal complaint on behalf of 14 families from Congo was filed on Sunday by International Rights Advocates, a U.S.-based human rights non-profit, against Tesla, Apple Inc., Google parent Alphabet Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Dell Technologies Inc..

The companies were part of a system of forced labor that the families claimed led to the death and serious injury of their children, it said.

It marked the first time the tech industry jointly has faced legal action over the source of its cobalt.

Images in the court documents, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, showed children with disfigured or missing limbs.

Six of the 14 children in the case were killed in tunnel collapses, and the others suffered life-altering injuries, including paralysis, it said.

“These companies — the richest companies in the world, these fancy gadget-making companies — have allowed children to be maimed and killed to get their cheap cobalt,” Terrence Collingsworth, an attorney representing the families, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Cobalt is essential in making rechargeable lithium batteries used in millions of products sold by the tech industry.

More than half of the world’s cobalt is produced in Congo.

Global demand for the metal is expected to increase at 7 percent to 13 percent annually over the next decade, according to a 2018 study by the European Commission.

The lawsuit said the children, some as young as 6 years old, were forced by their families’ extreme poverty to leave school and work in cobalt mining owned by the British mining company Glencore. Glencore has previously been accused of using child labor.

Some children were paid as little as $1.50 per day, working 6 days a week, it said.

In response to a request for comment, Dell said in an email that it has “never knowingly sourced operations” using child labor and has launched an investigation into the allegations.

A spokesperson for Glencore said: “Glencore notes the allegations contained in a U.S. lawsuit filed on 15th December 2019.

“Glencore’s production of cobalt in the DRC is a by-product of our industrial copper production. Glencore’s operations in the DRC do not purchase or process any artisanally mined ore.

“Glencore does not tolerate any form of child, forced, or compulsory labor.”

Tesla, Apple, Google, Microsoft did not immediately respond for comment.

The legal complaint argued that the companies all have the ability to overhaul their cobalt supply chains to ensure safer conditions.

“I’ve never encountered or documented a more severe asymmetry in the allocation of income between the top of the supply chain and the bottom,” said Siddharth Kara, a researcher on modern slavery who is an expert witness in the case.

“It’s that disconnect that makes this perhaps the worst injustice of slavery and child exploitation that I’ve seen in my two decades research,” Kara said.

More than 40 million people have been estimated to be captive in modern slavery, which includes forced labor and forced marriage, according to Walk Free and the International Labour Organization.

In the last couple of years, e-bike sales have been growing steadily in the US, but they still represent a small part of the overall segment in the country.

Electric vehicle market in the US in the next decade will be dominated by e-bikes, claims a media report. It forecasts a total of 113 million e-bikes will be sold in the country between 2020-2023.

Sales of the electric bikes in the US have grown more than eight-fold since 2014, claims the report further.

In the last couple of years, sales of e-bikes have been growing steadily in the US, but they still represent a small part of the overall bike segment in the country. As the report claims, e-bike sales jumped by an incredible 91 per cent from 2016 to 2017. Also, it grew 72 per cent from 2017 to 2018 to reach $143.4 million, as revealed by market research firm NPD Group.

Between 2006 and 2012, e-bikes represented less than 1 per cent of total annual bike sales. In 2013, US customers bought 1.85 lakh e-bikes, while across all of Europe, 1.8 million units were retailed.

The media report quotes Jeff Loucks, executive director of Deloitte’s Technology, Media, and Telecommunications centre, who said that e-bike sales will not increase evenly across the US. He forecasts cities, in particular, will see the biggest adoption rates.

As he said, “We’re seeing more people move into the urban core of cities throughout the United States. And it’s just going to put a huge load on the roadways and on public transportation systems if some of that isn’t taking place by bike.”

from https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/

from https://www.rideapart.com/

Built by UpCycle Garage in Anaheim, California, these bikes have been exquisitely restored by the inimitable Johnny Nguyen.

If the bike you’re riding doesn’t have that wow factor, or even worse, you only have ONE motorcycle, you should enter to win this incredible pair of BMW R100 Café racers. Click here to enter and use promo code RIDE1 to double your entry tickets just for reading RideApart. Plus, your donation will support TRI Industries, a wonderful company we’ve worked with before that hires veterans in the Chicago area.

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This prize package consists of a 1982 BMW R100RS and 1988 BMW R100RT that have been restored and customized by Johnny Nguyen of Anaheim’s UpCycle Garage. They are engineered for form and function. While they look similar, Nguyen included some key differences so he could tell them apart, not the least of which is their complimentary green and silver paint jobs.

Both bikes are powered by BMW’s famous 980cc boxer mills which now sports matching vintage-style valve covers and velocity stacks. They also each exhale via pie-cut stainless steel exhaust systems, but the 2-into-1 exhaust exits low on the right of the silver RS while the pipes converge into an Akrapovič slip-on muffler under the seat of the green RT. Nguyen has also updated the bikes with completely modern electronics, including app-controlled lighting and keyless start with the touch of a button. Their style is vintage, but their hardware is cutting edge.

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