Blackstone HyperTek electric motorcycle smashes all molds
By Wayfarer | | General Posts
Harley-Davidson Hits the Slopes with Street Rod Snow Bikes
By Wayfarer | | General Posts
by Jason Marker from https://www.rideapart.com
Harley-Davidson and Suicide Machine Company built a pair of extremely rad Street Rod-based snow bikes for the X Games.
What do you get when you cross a Street Rod 750, a snow track kit, and the know-how of a couple of ace fabricators? Well, you get a pair of killer Street Rod-based snow bikes like these two beauties right here. Now, I hear you. I hear you asking, “But Jason, why?” The short answer is, “Why not?” The long answer is that the X-Games are coming up and Harley wants to go play in the snow with the cool kids.
A week or so ago, we told you about Harley’s new Snow Hill Climb event at the 2018 X Games out in Aspen, CO. Apparently that wasn’t the only thing The Motor Company had up its sleeve for the event, as I found out earlier this week when I got to talk with Scott Beck, Harley-Davidson’s director of marketing. Along with the customized Sportsters taking part in the hill climb, Harley hired known hooligans and all-around cool guys Aaron and Shaun Guardado from Suicide Machine Company to build the Street Rod Snow Bikes to haul athletes around between events. That’s… that’s pretty rad, Harley.
One of the first things I asked Beck was, “Why the X Games?” I’ll be honest, when I think Harleys I think more about lonesome highways and open roads rather than, say, snowboarding and energy drinks. Beck told me that the hill climb event and the snow bikes are all part of Harley’s efforts to attract more people to motorcycling via the power of awesomeness.
“For 115 years H-D riders from all walks of life have expressed their freedom from the seat of America’s favorite motorcycle, so it’s natural for us to continue to blaze trails – this time off the road and in the snow,” Beck told me. “We’ve raced the ice and climbed virtually every kind of hill, and the Harley-Davidson Snow Hill Climb is another way for us to grow the sport of motorcycling. We know our riders, and X Games fans and athletes alike share a passion for adrenaline and speed.”
That’s great and all, but what you guys really want to know about is the bikes themselves, right? Lucky for you I also talked to Aaron Guardado of Suicide Machine about the build to find out how these things were built and what makes them tick.
The bikes started off as bone stock XG750 Street Rods, which the brothers received from Harley just before Christmas. That kicked off a frantic search for track conversion kits, a search complicated by the fact that these things are so popular that they’re sold out just about everywhere and Christmas was in a few days. After a flurry of phone calls, they finally tracked down two Camso DTS-129 kits at a dealership in Salt Lake City, Utah, on December 23. The track conversion kits arrived at Suicide Machine’s Long Beach shop on Christmas Eve, delivered by the SLC dealer himself in his wife’s Jeep, but that was just the beginning.
If you don’t know – and I didn’t know until Aaron told me – track conversion kits like the Camso units are built specifically for dirt bikes, not street bikes. This meant that both the bike and the track unit itself would have to be modified to make the project work. The guys started by removing the Street Rods’ swingarm, rear tire, and shocks. They then fabricated a pair of struts with quick-release hardware to connect the track unit to the bikes themselves. This was complicated by the fact that the track unit was just a hair narrower than the bike, which threw off the chain allignment. With the help of a machinist friend, the Guardados built a handful of spacers and other adapters to get the drive chain aligned with the bike’s primary drive. Thankfully, since the track has its own integral suspension, they didn’t have to deal with finding a way to spring it as well as mount it.
Up front, they removed the front wheel and fender to mount the conversion kit’s ski. Using the stock Street Rod axle, forks, and triple trees and some custom machined spacers, they were able to mount the ski with much less drama than the track. It still wasn’t quite right though. See, the skis only come in white, which just wasn’t going to cut it. Since, as we all know, black is the coolest color, the guys had the skis ceracoated black. This improved not only their aesthetics, but added an additional layer of protection to keep the skis safe from any debris or obstacles lurking in the snow.
On the performance side, the Guardados chose to give the bikes a light tune and fancy-pants new clutches. Each one got a Screamin’ Eagle pro street tuner, Screamin’ Eagle intake, and Screamin’ Eagle exhaust. The latter needed a bit of fiddling to get it to fit since the stock mounts were removed when the track was installed. To improve power delivery and make these frankenbikes easier to manage, the brothers switched out the stock clutches for Radius X auto-clutches from Rekluse. These things consist of an auto-clutch assembly and a custom clutch pack and allow a rider to start, stop, and shift without ever touching the clutch lever. Aaron told me that the Rekluse clutches make the Street Rods respond to throttle input more like something with a CV transmission than a standard gearbox, therefore making them easier to control in the snow.
Once all the machining and fiddling and finessing was done, it was time for the Guardados to test their new creations. Sadly, there was no snow because, you know, California, so the bikes were just fired up on the bench and tested in the shop. Everything looked okay, so the bikes were loaded up and shipped out to Aspen for their shakedowns. Once the bikes were in the snow, they really showed off their potential. The Street Rods proved surprisingly well suited for the snow bike conversion, and with the engine tune and Rekluse clutch they powered through the drifts like they were built for it. At one point during all the screwing around in the snow serious testing, Olympic snowboarder Ben Ferguson showed up with fellow snowboarder Jack Mitrani. After oohing and aahing over the bikes for a bit, they snagged one and started towing each other through the snow while kicking up serious rooster tails. This was, without a doubt, the perfect way to test them.
During our conversation, Aaron told me that despite the stresses of building these bikes over the holidays with such a tight deadline, that he was really proud of how they came out. He felt that the project stretched the boundaries of not just the brothers’ skills as builders and fabricators, but the capabilities of the Street Rod as well.
I gotta say, these snow bikes are extremely rad. They’re such a departure from the usual Harley-based customs, and they really show off the versatility of the Street Rod platform. I mean, who ever would have thought making a Street Rod into a snow bike? If you’re going to be in Aspen this weekend, or are just enjoying the X Games from the comfort of your warm living room, keep an eye out for them zipping around the event grounds.
Salt Torpedo Build Chapter 23–Prep for Runs
By Bandit | | General Posts
A week before the Bonneville International Speed Trials in warm Wendover, Utah, the wind was mild and the salt wet. It wasn’t a stellar year on the salt. Speed Week was shut down for 4 days due to rain.
I needed to improve my skills at aluminum TIG welding, and I had one of those moments of clarity. I decided to strengthen the connections to the swingarm mounted to the front of the frame. At Phillips I bought a piece of 1/4-inch wall tubing for the center and machined it to fit. Andrew Ursich helped with the welding after I made the gussets.
Since the rules call for not being able to see any light through the wall, I needed to find a fire-caulking substance and found fire putty.
Also, I ordered two external marine-type vents. We had a number of discussions about venting, the engine heat and such. I gave in and bought two of the smallest clamshell vents I could find. We now have two vents on either side and a JIMS fan to blow between the heads.
When it comes to shaping, Jeremiah is the king. Give him a Makita with a flapper wheel and he can shape anything to fit. I welded and positioned the firewall puzzle and he shaped the edges to fit the body.
I prepped for a scrutinizing inspection by one of the great racers, Tom Evans. As an SCTA official and VP for 25 years he inspected thousands of race vehicles. Today, he sent me the current inspection check sheet. He may come down from his shack in Tujunga to take a look. I had my work cut out for me. Nothing like deadlines to keep you moving.
The next report should be final touches and loading the Torpedo for a run into the desert for trial runs. If all goes well, we will come back, make any necessary mods or repairs and go to paint. Hang on.
–Bandit
Jim’s Machine
Hot Rod Underground
Paughco
BDL
Strictly Hawgs
MetalSport Wheels
Custom Cycle Engineering
LowBrow
S&S
Bassini Exhausts
Twin Power
Lucky Devil Metal Works
BUB 7 Streamliner Lives – Rebuilding The Perfect Day
By Wayfarer | | General Posts
Inside the Rebuild of the BUB 7 Streamliner, as the Race for 400 mph Continues
“I’m still hungry, but I’m tired of chewing,” Denis Manning said with a laugh. The 73-year-old always seems to have the perfect one-liner to illustrate a point—in this case, his undying passion for building the world’s fastest motorcycle streamliner. “I knew when I was 15 years old that this was what I wanted to do,” Manning said. “And now, 55 years later!”
Fifty-seven years later, to be exact, the perfect moment was upon him and the Team 7 Racing crew on the salt of Lake Gairdner, Australia, at the 2018 World Speed Trials Australia meet. It was the final day of the meet, dawn was breaking and wind was at zero. It was the day the team and rider Valerie Thompson had been waiting for.
BUB 7 STREAMLINER LIVES–Rebuilding The Perfect Day
By Bandit | | General Posts
“I’m still hungry, but I’m tired of chewing,” Denis Manning said with a laugh. The 73-year-old always seems to have the perfect one-liner to illustrate a point—in this case, his undying passion for building the world’s fastest motorcycle streamliner. “I knew when I was 15 years old that this was what I wanted to do,” Manning said. “And now, 55 years later!”
Fifty-seven years later, to be exact, the perfect moment was upon him and the Team 7 Racing crew on the salt of Lake Gairdner, Australia, at the 2018 World Speed Trials Australia meet. It was the final day of the meet, dawn was breaking and wind was at zero. It was the day the team and rider Valerie Thompson had been waiting for. But what was the most hopeful moment of the week quickly turned into a disaster when the BUB 7 Streamliner went into a spectacular wreck at 363 mph with Thompson on board. Much to everyone’s relief, Thompson was uninjured in the crash, but the damage to the machine was severe.
Wreckage was strewn out over a mile on the salt, and by all indications, the dream was over. Aside from the validating the safety of Denis Manning’s streamliner design, he and the Team 7 Racing crew were left with little solace. As they surveyed the damage and tried to figure out what went wrong, they could only wonder how to pick up the pieces after such a devastating wreck. How do you keep moving forward? Or more importantly, do you keep moving forward?
The thought of going back to a ground-up rebuild of his BUB 7 streamliner left Denis Manning at a loss. “I’m not kidding myself,” Manning said as the mangled BUB 7 streamliner was being wheeled into the container at Lake Gairdner. “I’m getting advanced age and so the question is, can I do it again? And the sad answer right now is, I don’t know. I’m tired, I hurt… but I still have that spirit in me. I still want it. Give me a couple months on my ranch at home and let’s see.”
For Thompson, it was a much easier question to answer: she wanted more than anything to get back in the cockpit and deliver a win for her team. “I’ll find a way. We’ll find a way,” Thompson said a month after the crash. “We’re right there; it’s at our fingertips. We just need a perfect world and a perfect day.”
Following a thorough post-mortem from the ill-fated run, Manning, John Jans and Team 7 Racing announced months later that they were going to rebuild. The good news is they didn’t need to go back to the drawing board—just back to the shop. They came away from the wreck at Lake Gairdner knowing one thing for sure, “The design worked,” Manning said. They knew they had a winning model. Now it was time to rebuild it.
BACK TO THE STARTING LINE
The long trip back to the starting line begins with building an all-new carbon-Kevlar monocoque frame. Earlier this summer Manning invited me to visit his ranch in Grass Valley, California, where the carbon Kevlar was being laid for the first of the new bodywork. The new BUB 7 streamliner was officially underway.
“I want you to come see the shop for yourself so people don’t think we’re just some chicken-sh*t outfit,” Manning said over the phone. “Well… it is a chicken-sh*t outfit, but I’d still like you to see it.”
From there, I would head to Arizona to meet with Valerie Thompson in her Scottsdale home to spend some time with one of the fastest women in racing. Not only was there a physical need to rebuild after Australia 2018, but a mental one, as well.
BUILDING A CARBON COPY
Denis lives a humble means in rural Grass Valley; he drives a decades-old Toyota Camry, carries a flip phone that only sometimes receives text messages, and resides in a modest but comfortable home with his wife, Melissa. The outward appearance of the shop down the hill from his house is even more humble. You’d never suspect that a custom-built world-class racer and all its accessories lay inside.
Once inside the workshop, I began to notice things like one-of-a-kind machinery lying dormant under a shop rag, faded old photos of historic moments in land-speed racing, dusty trophies and memorabilia. It’s quiet and unassuming, oftentimes with no one more than goats to marvel at the innovative engineering happening inside, but make no mistake—Manning’s shop is a hub of world-class speed. His dedication to land-speed racing is palpable, and it was no surprise to hear they planned to rebuild.
John Jans and Archie Owens were already started on the day’s task when Denis and I arrived. I was just in time to see the first side panel emerge from the mold. The 21-foot BUB 7 streamliner molds sat side by side atop two long tables. The damaged bodywork from Australia was propped against the wall behind the tables—a fitting backdrop for staging the rebuild.
“You see the result of our ‘test,’” said Jans, pointing to the remains of the previous model. “What we learned that we’re not going to deviate too far from what we did last time. If this had been a fiberglass skin on a steel tube we’d still be picking up pieces in Australia.”
Jans described the formula for building the streamliner frame “it’s made from carbon and Kevlar composite core construction. That means that you have a skin of either carbon or Kevlar and a honeycomb core in the middle and another skin of carbon or Kevlar or combination of the two. The honeycomb is 98% air. It greatly increases the rigidity without adding any weight. When you bond these two skins together with a short rigid honeycomb, you’ve increased the rigidity exponentially. And it’s still very light.”
The nose is the only Kevlar section of the frame, which Jans explains. “Kevlar has a greater intrusion resistance. If the tire blows up, you have a better chance of containing it. Kevlar doesn’t shatter. That’s why they use it in bulletproof vests.”
After chatting for a bit about the construction process, I helped as the crew began to peel off the sealant and materials that were holding the carbon composite pressed into the mold.
It was sealed tighter than a snare drum by a plastic sheet with a vacuum applied to it that sucked the carbon into the mold as it set. Jans had to gently tap a wedge under the edge of side panel before it would dislodge. When it did, we lifted out the first completed side panel of the BUB 7 streamliner and placed it directly on a scale. The eight-foot section of the monocoque frame weighed in at a just 20 pounds.
The lightweight strength of the carbon composite is quite a thing to behold. Manning began to describe their learning process behind their carbon-working skills as he dug through some old samples. “Remember these, John? This was our carbon-fiber, Kevlar, fiberglass 101. We were trying to learn about the material,” Denis said as he handed me one of the carbon-composite samples. “Try to flex it.”
The sample, about the size of a paperback book, was as rigid as a bathroom tile and didn’t weigh a thing. Once they completed the original monocoque frame, Manning explained the method they came up with the measure its rigidity.
“We took the machine and we bolted it to the ground at the swingarm pivot. And at the front put in a pin on a swivel so what we could do was torsion this thing, coming off of that pin and putting lead weight 60 inches (5 feet) out. Like a big lever. By putting more and more weight on it, we could calculate the torsional rigidity.”
“That was the bare chassis,” John added. “Then we put the doors on and it increased the rigidity. And we put the tail on and it increased the rigidity. We put the canopy on and it had a small but measurable effect on the rigidity of the whole structure. So all these pieces worked together. They’re all stressed components.”
Over their previous steel-tube streamliner model, the carbon monocoque chassis was 40% stronger, while also going from 800 pounds down to a svelte 260 pounds.
So effective was the structure of the BUB 7 streamliner, it did more than protect Thompson in the crash. Aside from a bent swingarm, the engine and components were unscathed in the crash, leaving only the monocoque chassis to be rebuilt.
Just as important as the material is the shape of the BUB 7 streamliner. Like all aspects of Manning’s lifelong passion, there’s an intricate story behind that as well. Upon discovering that their previous steel-tube streamliner design was hitting an aerodynamic wall at 283 miles per hour, Manning knew he needed a new shape.
“We found out that at that speed, the nose was diving into the ground and the tail was coming off the ground,” Manning explained. “That’s when we had this come-to-Jesus with Joe [Harralson, mechanical engineer and team consultant]. He said it’s gotta be slipperier, it’s gotta be lighter, and you gotta make more horsepower. It sent me on a chase to find an aerodynamic shape that was better than our first shape.”
Manning found his inspiration in an unlikely place—underwater.
“I saw a program on 60 minutes and they were talking about salmon going up the Colombia River, and how efficient they were in the water.”
Manning consulted an ichthyologist and found out that salmon, for a short distance, could go up to 50 miles per hour underwater. “Well, that’s 400 mph in air,” said Manning, “Water to air is an 8:1 scale, so at atmospheric pressure of 14.7 psi (at sea level), going 400 mph is the equivalent of going 50 mph underwater. Imagine trying to design a motorcycle that could be stable going 50 mph underwater and you start to see the aerodynamic/hydrodynamic challenge.”
Using the Coho salmon as a model of hydrodynamic efficiency, Manning and Jans came up with a shape that was “half fish and half motorcycle,” and set out to create a mold.
“We sculpted two male halves of this shape.”
Out of what? (… I had to ask.)
Manning burst out laughing as John answered my question.
“Styrofoam, fiberglass, beer cans, there was some cow sh*t in there, just to fill in some gaps,” Jans said with a chuckle. “Then we ordered about 27 gallons of Bondo. It got to the point where we would go to the body shop and buy more Bondo and the guys would say ‘Do you guys know what you’re doing?’ We were going through so much Bondo it was crazy, because that isn’t normally how you do it, but we didn’t know that.”
Their self-deprecating tales of unorthodox techniques are entertaining, but they belie the true nature of the craftsmanship that takes place in Manning’s shop. Even as first-timers using their own peculiar method, they managed to achieve their goal of creating a mold, then going on to build with carbon, guided by little more than a few books on the topic.
“That’s kind of the nature of this whole thing,” said Jans, “doing stuff we’re not qualified to do. We just do it. So far it’s worked out real well.”
“Don Tilley was there when they announced it. He’s a NASCAR guy. And he said ‘You boys better check and see if that f***er’s still in there!’” Manning said with a laugh. “Point zero eight! It takes nothing to make it go through the air.
“Fish know more than we do.”
With the first of the new carbon and Kevlar composite bodywork now complete, the team is well on their way to rebuilding a proven machine. “This is a premier endeavor,” said Manning. “It’s crazy, you work for 20-some years, for… nine seconds? That’s how long it takes to go through the mile. If we can get there in under nine seconds, it’ll be a happy day.”
A HARD RESOLVE
The flight from Sacramento to Phoenix was a passage into a different world. After being dropped off in Denis’ Camry, I was picked up by Thompson in her Bentley sedan. Arriving at her Paradise Valley home was another stark contrast, the sprawling estate, home to her husband Ray Garcia and their three Maltese pups, Bentley, Speedy and Britt, looking more like a resort than a cozy home for two.
“I told my husband I’d retire at 200 [mph], because we were trying for 200 on that BMW in my garage. And when the 300 opportunity came up, I said, ‘Yeah, 300 I’ll retire, sweetheart.’ And now it’s 400!” Thompson said with a laugh. (The following week Thompson was revealed to be the new driver for the Target 550 streamliner, so now it’s 550 mph.)
With eight land-speed records (the first two with 5-Ball Racing Bikes built by the Bikernet team in 2006 and 2007), a 300-mph club membership and touted as the world’s fastest woman on a motorcycle, America’s “Queen of Speed” has plenty to hang her hat on. But you wouldn’t know it from the weight of the world currently on her shoulders. Her focus is not on what she has done, but fixed entirely on what she has yet to do. After coming home from Australia in March 2018, she’s had plenty of time to contemplate everything that happened at Lake Gairdner.
“You see that bike and it’s like, ‘Ugh… I did that,’” Valerie said with a sigh. When the topic of the crash comes up, there’s a somber shift in Thompson’s typically upbeat tone. More than a year later, her memory of the crash is still hazy, which makes it even more difficult to reconcile.
“All I remember was skidding,” said Thompson. “I had no idea with all the flips and turns. I didn’t even know until I got back to the hotel and saw it on video. I said, ‘I did that?’ I don’t remember any of it.
“I remember specifically thinking, ‘Oh… wow! It’s going to be a great ride! Let’s stay focused.’ And after that, the crash occurred and so that was…” Valerie fell silent.
“We were on a hell of a record. Just to go that fast was the most incredible thing.”
The trauma of the crash was compounded by an even worse trauma when she returned home. Thompson’s mother passed away a few short weeks later.
“The process that I went through from being on that high and then coming home and facing that… When she finally let go, that was just… the end. I didn’t know how to process it,” said Thompson. “I didn’t know what to say, who to talk about it with, so I just kept it all to myself. I don’t share too much with Denis or with any of the team about exactly what I went through with all that.”
“I have lots of support. But finding that right one to support you and talk through things, that person was always my mom. It really hurt. She was my rock. I could tell her anything. But I didn’t have her to talk about it with.
“But I am taking a lot of steps into healing myself, to not keep blaming myself for what if I could have done this better, what if I could have done that… you know, the what-ifs. It was a heavy burden on me.”
Thompson’s path to mental healing has also involved a lot of time in the gym.
“I’m just building my strength and it’s going to build my confidence,” she said. “That’s what I think I need to bring to the table. Step up my game, match my performance of my body and my mind to the performance of the race bike. That is my cure to get myself back in that seat.”
While some might hesitate to get back in the saddle after such an intense wreck, the thought of getting back into the cockpit of the BUB 7 streamliner is Thompson’s driving force. Her dedication to the team is the new core of her motivation.
“Now it’s for the team. Where before, it was like, I want the record,” Thompson said. “I want to be the fastest. I want to win it for the team. I think that’s the most important part of this whole thing. I want to give back. And give Denis Manning back the title of being the world’s fastest again. He is all about that world record. And if he didn’t believe I could do it, he wouldn’t put me in it. It’s not for the money, it’s not for the fame. He’s got his name on the line. This is our time. These are going to be our days ahead.”
It’s moments like these when her confidence is unmistakable. Despite hearing her talk about the challenges of the past year, her resolve shines through like it never left. “I always knew I was going to be in Denis Manning’s streamliner one day,” Thompson continued. “When I was watching Chris Carr in 2007, I wanted to be in that seat. I watched and studied Chris’ every move.”
A bonus for Thompson is a small modification that will be made to the new BUB 7 streamliner. The new seat, previously molded for Chris Carr, will be molded for her.
?“We’re going to fit the seat to me. Now instead of racing in Chris Carr’s seat, I’m racing in Valerie Thompson’s seat! That’s a feather in my cap!” she said with a laugh.
The road back to the start line will no doubt still be littered with mental hurdles and emotional confrontation along the way, such as the release of the documentary film Rockets and Titans that has chronicled the team’s efforts. I asked Valerie what it was going to be like to watch the movie and see the drama unfold on the screen.
“I don’t know. I feel emotional just thinking about that right now. I don’t want to relive it. I want to go to Australia with a clean piece of paper and a brand-new attitude of coming home with a world record!”
For Thompson, it’s all about looking ahead and being able to deliver a win for her team. “I can’t wait to be on the ground again [at Lake Gairdner] and see all the people, all the staff of the DLRA, because they treated us so wonderful. But I don’t know what that feeling will be like. I don’t know what that fear will be like until we get a little closer time for it.”
But one thing is clear in Thompson’s mind, a thought she shares with the rest of the Team 7 Racing crew. All the ingredients are there, and all they need is the perfect day again. “It’s going to be our day. We have what it takes. It was there in Australia. It’s just sitting there waiting for us to grab it.”
WHY DO WE DO THIS?
In many ways, Denis Manning and Valerie Thompson couldn’t be more opposite. At the same time, they are two sides of the same coin, and that coin remains fixed on rebuilding and accomplishing their goal.
Through my visits with the team, I asked the same question of Manning and Thompson: “Was the decision to rebuild a difficult one?” The short answer—no.
While it might have been a simple decision, it hasn’t been an easy one. And another point became clear to me: this goal of regaining the land-speed world record is a burden—one that everyone, including Jans, longs to be relieved of. But the only way to be released from the task is by accomplishing it. The only way out is through.
“For me, it was very difficult,” said Jans. “My intent was to go to Australia, go really fast, and go whoopie! I’m f***ing done! But I couldn’t leave it in the shape it was in. I want to go until we can’t go any faster. Then I’m done.”
Finding the limit of the machine is the goal, and whether or not that limit is beyond 400 mph seems almost irrelevant. (Though considering they had reached 328 mph on a “bad run” running on only three cylinders and in third gear in Australia strongly suggests it will be.) The current record sits at 376, and going beyond that to the limit of the BUB 7 streamliner is the aim.
“We don’t have to be the first motorcycle to go 400 mph,” said Thompson. “But we have to be the next motorcycle to break the record. I’ll squeeze as much out as I can. I won’t give up! I won’t back off the throttle! [laughs] But to get the record is the main focus here. Who’s going to go 400 someday? Somebody will. If that’s us, that’s great.”
Being within reach of the goal makes it even more impossible to walk away, especially since the team expected to be reveling in their victory at this point. “We really thought that we were going to be done with this,” said Thompson. “We thought that we could enjoy ourselves after all this hard work and move on. But our thoughts going forward, it’s very clear I can do it. And it’s very clear that I will do it. It’s just going to take me a little longer.
“I want to be released of my duty. But I need to conquer my duty first. Because I’m going to bring home the record for Denis Manning one way or another. I think Denis is so deserving of it. He’s gone through so much; he’s been on top of the world and he’s been on the bottom. He knows he’s got the rider, he knows he’s got the equipment, he’s got the crew and he knows it. He can taste it.”
As for Manning, it circles back to his simple adage; he can most certainly taste it after chewing for so many years. Only time will tell if and when he is finally able to savor that world-record bite.
###
NCOM Biker News Bytes November 2019
By Bill Bish | | General Posts
For the second straight year, nationwide motorcycle fatalities declined, in spite of a record number of motorcycles in usage across the United States.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently released their 2018 motor vehicle fatality report, reflecting a 4.7% reduction in motorcyclist deaths from 2017 to 2018.
Meanwhile, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), a record 12,231,000 motorcycles were in use in the U.S., up more than 2 million from 2014, the last year of their ownership survey, and that American households owning motorcycles rose from 6.94% in 2014 to a record 8.02% last year (10,124,400 homes), an increase of more than 1.5 million homes.
Overall, motor vehicle crashes went down 2.4%, though vehicle miles traveled (VMT) were up.
The annual global demand for motorcycles, including electrically-powered machines, was forecast by market researcher Freedonia Group to expand 4.4% per annum through 2022 to 121.5 million units, when industry revenues were projected to reach $120 billion ($10.8 billion in the US). The Asia/Pacific region, which predominantly utilizes small and inexpensive motorcycles, will continue to dominate demand, representing 84% of all units sold in 2016.
E-bikes will account for the overwhelming majority of new electric product demand, as they continue to capture market share from conventional motorcycles and bicycles. Both developed and industrialized nations are expected to register strong growth as the availability of reliable electric models increases. The lower upfront and operating costs and environmental credentials of these machines – compared to ICE (internal combustion engine) motorcycles – also enhances their appeal.
Governments around the world at both the national and local levels will continue to support the transition toward e-bikes through subsidies and tax breaks, ride-sharing programs, and additional investment in the public charging infrastructure.
About a dozen countries and about 20 cities around the world have proposed banning the future sale of vehicles powered by fossil fuels within the next two decades, including India, China (the largest auto market globally), Japan (the third largest auto market globally), South Korea, Taiwan, the EU auto market nations of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, and Portugal, as well as Costa Rica in Central America.
A “Ban Blinding Headlights and Save Lives” online petition has been set up by the National Motorists Association (NMA) to lobby the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, its parent organization, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Congress to “ban all blue-light technologies on vehicles and to keep tail-lights, brake-lights and turn signals to a maximum brightness no greater than that allowed for traffic signals.”
More than 9,400 people who are concerned about the safety effect caused by the glare of overly bright headlights, taillights, and other exterior vehicle indicator lights, have already signed the petition at Change.org. Organizers have set a goal of obtaining over 10,000 signatures.
MOTORCYCLE CLUB HELPS SCHOOL DRIVERLESS CARS
Self-driving cars are already being tested and developed on public roads, but one of the frequent criticisms of the technology is its lack of ability to spot motorcyclists. Motorcycles are comparatively rare on the roads, so self-driving vehicles don’t get sufficient exposure to them.
Aurora is an autonomous vehicle technology company that is developing the software and sensor tech that will underpin a lot of autonomous vehicles in the future, and they’ve adopted a unique approach to the motorcycle problem. Aurora’s perception team devoted a machine-learning day to teach their driverless machines to become more familiar around this specific vehicle type by utilizing volunteers from the San Francisco chapter of the Iron Order MC to ride around their test car on a variety of motorcycles, performing regular traffic maneuvers.
Their data team then collected specific information from a variety of scenarios that autonomous cars are likely to encounter in the real world, and that data will be used to predict and react to future scenarios on the road.
The day-long test will now be used as a baseline for motorcycle detection within the Artificial Intelligence systems in Aurora’s self-driving technology. Ultimately, the system will be able to detect and recognize different styles of motorcycles and identify the difference between a cruiser and a sport bike. That’s important when it comes to predicting and managing closing speeds, merging patterns, and braking.
Self-driving vehicles are the future of transportation, so it’s important that autonomous technology “learn” how to interact with motorcycles in order to Share the Road safely.
AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS UNDER FIRE
A motorist recently won a legal decision involving the city where he lives violating his Constitutional rights in a ruling that could have major privacy rights implications for drivers.
Coral Gables, Florida resident Raul Mas Canosa sued the city over its penchant for surveilling its citizens with automated license plate readers or ALPRs. He had not been arrested nor even suspected of a crime, but was upset about having his car tracked all over town with the city monitoring and recording his vehicle’s movements.
Coral Gables began its ALPR program in 2015 and now has 30 recorders around town including surveillance of an adjacent section of Interstate 95. In 2018, the electronic devices captured the data of 30 million individual license plates, which it retains on file for three years as prescribed under Florida law.
Mas Canosa filed suit against the city for violating his Fourth Amendment rights against search and seizure without probable cause.
Miami-Dade County Circuit Court Judge Abby Cynamon rejected the city attorney’s attempt to have the anti-camera lawsuit dismissed outright on the grounds that motorists have no expectation of privacy and that Mas Canosa, in particular, was not harmed because he was not the subject of an investigation. In finding favorably on the plaintiff’s behalf, Judge Cynamon agreed with Mas Canosa’s argument that Coral Gable’s use of ALPRs might indeed violate state privacy laws:
“This court finds that there is a bona fide, actual, present and practical need for a declaration as to whether the collection of such information violates the plaintiff’s privacy rights,” the judge ruled, adding that “There is nothing abstract, conjectural or ephemeral about the claim since the city has and continues to collect such information about the plaintiff’s vehicle.”
Having won the first round of his legal battle, Mas Canosa can now move forward with suing the city, seeking to have the data collected be immediately discarded if there’s no probable cause.
MAN SUES TOWN FOR REVOKING HIS CARRY PERMIT BASED ON MC AFFILIATION
A Rhode Island man is accusing the town of Burrillville, RI of violating his Constitutional rights by revoking his permit to carry a concealed weapon based on his alleged affiliation with “biker gang members.”
According to the Providence Journal, Pedro Alvarez Jr. has sued the town, local police and others in U.S. District Court, alleging that they violated his right to bear arms, due process rights, and First Amendment right to free association by revoking his permit based on photographs posted on his Facebook page that showed him socializing with members of the Thug Riders and Pagan motorcycle clubs.
Alvarez insists that he has “never been a member or associate of any motorcycle gang and has never been charged with a crime.”
At the time of the revocation, in June 2018, Alvarez was a U.S. Army recruit slated to attend basic training to become a military police officer — a post that he currently holds with the Rhode Island National Guard, according to his lawsuit.
Alvarez alleges that the revocation limits his employment opportunities and the security clearances he can obtain.
He is seeking unspecified damages and the reinstatement of his permit.
“RIDE FREE OR DIE” BIKER DOCUMENTARY
“The Biker community has been the target for false narrative for as long as I can remember,” notes Hessian MC member Spike of the Southern California Confederation of Clubs in a review of the new documentary film “Live Free Or Die” he wrote for the ABATE of California newsletter “The Bailing Wire.”
He continues; “Isolated incidence have been orchestrated, embellished and sensationalized by law enforcement and the media, from “Life” magazine’s infamous Hollister Biker cover, culminating with the media atrocity of the Twin Peaks’ COC meeting in Waco, Texas where nine lives were unnecessarily taken, 177 bikers were rallied up by awaiting police, arrested, detained and severely mistreated with no voice at all.”
Biker anti-profiling legislative efforts at State and Federal level are continually being hampered by the constant denial of profiling by the law enforcement lobby; “So what better than share actual profiling experiences through the story of Waco in a true documentary environment with input from all sides? Thus ‘Ride Free Or Die’ was born.”
Spike describes the nexus of the film as, “Bikers from all parts of our diverse community, from patch holders to MROs and independents from all US geographical locations rallied together, an impossible act according to the false narrative of law enforcement, then teamed up with award-winning film producer Randall Wilson of Guerrilla Docs and Centaur Productions.”
The official introduction on the documentary reads as follows: “Ride Free Or Die is an insider’s look into the political world of motorcycle clubs. The clubs are fighting for their constitutional rights against what they perceive as law enforcement profiling and harassment. The documentary features Mongols MC, Outsiders MC, Devils Diciples MC, Sin City Deciples, Ironworkers MC, ATF agents, and motorcycle clubs from all over America.”
Wilson has much experience working with and understanding the biker lifestyle and protocols, producing such previous documentaries such as “Hessians MC,” “Glory Road,” “Wheels of Soul” and a must-see, “American Biker.” Wilson adheres to the philosophy of “No boundaries. No censorship. No political correctness. And absolutely no bias. The documentary in its purest form.” The producer allows the viewer to listen to facts presented from all sides and develop their own experience and opinion. “It is the aim of the production to share with the Biker community and the general population the profiling and harassment perceived by the community with little or no recourse.,” explains Spike, concluding; “As more and more of our civil and constitutional rights are being taken and eroded away, we must take a stance and preserve our lifestyle and freedoms we love so much by sharing our plight, denying and exposing false narrative and making use of material such as ‘Ride Free or Die’ and encourage its viewing.”
The “Ride Free Or Die” documentary can be purchased and downloaded on Amazon Prime, while Randall’s other Biker titles can be found at www.guerrilladocs.com.
POW/MIA FLAG ACT SIGNED INTO LAW
On November 8, 2019, just in time for Veterans Day, President Donald Trump signed the National POW/MIA Flag Act into law; a bipartisan bill to require the POW/MIA Flag be displayed whenever the American flag is displayed on prominent federal properties to honor the more than 82,000 Americans who are listed as Prisoners of War (POW), Missing in Action (MIA), or otherwise unaccounted for from our nation’s past wars and conflicts.
“The flag is a steadfast reminder to the families of our missing and the public that our government has not forgotten those who did not come home,” said Rolling Thunder, Inc. National, which endorsed the measure, and Artie Muller, who co-founded the nonprofit POW/MIA service group in 1987 told The Washington Times, ““I want to thank Congress for passing the bipartisan National POW/MIA Flag Act, which will require the POW/MIA flag to be displayed alongside the American flag at federal buildings and memorials.”
QUOTABLE QUOTE: “Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal.”
~ Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-68) civil rights leader
ABOUT AIM / NCOM: The National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) is a nationwide motorcyclists rights organization serving over 2,000 NCOM Member Groups throughout the United States, with all services fully-funded through Aid to Injured Motorcyclist (AIM) Attorneys available in each state who donate a portion of their legal fees from motorcycle accidents back into the NCOM Network of Biker Services (www.ON-A-BIKE.com / 800-ON-A-BIKE).
Motorcycle enthusiasts gather at the Farm Show Complex for 32nd Annual Motorcycle Swap Meet & Show
By Wayfarer | | General Posts
by Valeria De Leon from https://fox43.com
HARRISBURG – Motorcyclists came out to Dauphin County for one of the largest indoor motorcycle shows on Sunday.
Jam-On Productions hosted its 32nd Annual Motorcycle Swap Meet & Show.
The event featured everything motorcycle related- like parts, apparel and vintage bikes.
Organizer, Mark Weiler, said the show brings motorcycle enthusiasts together to shop for the coming holidays.
“This is a very strong event, there’s a lot of people here. Probably getting ready for the holidays, vendors are selling so they can get some money for the holidays and people to shop to get some presents. It’s good strong meet for that time of year,” said Weiler.
Jam-On Productions holds motorcycle shows all over the country including in Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware.
ANDREW HINES AND HARLEY-DAVIDSON WIN NHRA PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
By Bandit | | General Posts
Hines Claims His Record Sixth Title and 10th Championship for Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle drag racing team
POMONA, Calif. (November 17, 2019) – Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle®/Vance & Hines rider Andrew Hines was crowned the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Pro Stock Motorcycle drag racing champion following a day of drama at the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, Calif. After fouling in the first round of eliminations on Sunday, Hines watched from the pits as the two other contenders for the championship advanced to the semi-finals before also being eliminated, leaving Hines with the points he needed to wrap up a dominating season with his sixth NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle title and the 10th championship for the Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle®/Vance & Hines team.
Hines started Sunday eliminations with a 114-point lead in the championship chase, needing only a win in the first round of eliminations to secure the title. At the starting line, Hines’s bike rolled backwards, triggering a red-light foul that put his title hopes in jeopardy.
“This is a day that will live in fear for me for I don’t know how long,” said Hines following the race. “In the first round, I pulled a maneuver that I’ve done too many times in the past when I rolled backward out of the beams. I can’t thank my team enough for supporting me all day long. My Harley-Davidson team, that’s what they do best. I was so disappointed in what I did today, but we persevered all year to get those Mello Yello points and win the championship. I love my guys, and I love everything about this.”
Hines (2004-06, 2014-15, and 2019) is the second rider to win six NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle championships, matching the record set by the late Hall of Fame racer Dave Schultz, who won the title six times between 1987 and 1996. Hines is one of only 10 competitors in NHRA history to win six championships. In 17 seasons racing for the Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle®/Vance & Hines team, Hines has won 56 finals, also a record for the class. The 2019 championship caps a 16-race season that saw Hines dominate the class aboard his Harley-Davidson® FXDR™ drag bike, taking eight victories in 10 final-round appearances and earning the number-one seed for the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
The Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines team races competition drag bikes inspired by the Harley-Davidson® FXDR™ 114, a performance cruiser based on the Softail® platform that combines the unrelenting power of the Milwaukee-Eight® 114 engine with the liberal use of alloy and composite components to maximize acceleration, braking and handling performance. The FXDR drag bikes made a dominating mid-season debut in July at the Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals near Denver, where Hines and teammate Ed Krawiec stormed through the Pro Stock Motorcycle field and staged an all-Harley final, which was won by Hines.
Hines qualified fourth for the NHRA Finals in Pomona with an elapsed time (ET) of 6.845 seconds at 196.22 mph. Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines riders Krawiec and Angelle Sampey qualified in seventh and 10th positions respectively. On Sunday, Krawiec lost to Sampey in the first round of eliminations, and Sampey was eliminated in round two.
For the season, Hines led the Pro Stock Motorcycle field with 2,599 points and eight wins in 10 final-round appearances and was the number-one qualifier two times. Krawiec, a four-time Pro Stock Motorcycle champion (2008, 2011-12, 2017) finished in fifth place with 2,474 points after making seven final-round appearances and claiming the top qualifier position three times. Sampey, a three-time Pro Stock Motorcycle champion (2000-02) completed her first season with the Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines team in seventh place with 2,381 points and was twice the top qualifier for a race.
Does Indian Motorcycle Have a Harley-Davidson Problem?
By Wayfarer | | General Posts
by Rich Duprey from https://www.fool.com/
Sales remained aloft longer than its rival, but now even its sales are falling.
As much as falling motorcycle sales at Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) have been attributed to its core customer aging out of the market while the next generation of riders seems uninterested in buying the big bikes it produces, Indian Motorcycle sidestepped most of the same pitfalls even though it produces many of the same kinds of motorcycles as Harley does.
Since being resurrected from bankruptcy by Polaris Industries (NYSE:PII) and returned to the market in 2014, Indian has been a steady performer with retail sales often rising in the double-digit percentages. That has allowed it to steal market share from Harley, whose sales often contracted at similar percentages.
Yet with Polaris’ third-quarter earnings report released last month, investors may have to accept that Indian Motorcycle now has its own Harley-Davidson problem.
A worsening sales decline
Polaris Industries is not transparent at all when it comes to telling you how its motorcycle business is performing. Where Harley breaks down sales and shipments by geographic region and type of motorcycle, Polaris provides vague percentage increases or declines, maybe calling out a model once in a while, but never giving investors any real insight into how Indian’s various motorcycles are performing.
What we do know is that despite double- and even triple-digit sales growth early on, Indian Motorcycle sales are now quickly spiraling down. Even as Polaris obscures the actual numbers, a mid-teen-percentage decline in retail sales that far eclipses the contraction of the broader motorcycle market suggests that this is becoming a big problem for the bike maker.
Worse, the downdraft is accelerating. In the second quarter, Polaris said Indian retail sales were down by almost 10%, while in the first quarter they were down by high single-digit rates. In last year’s fourth quarter they were down by low double-digit amounts, which was a big drop since they had been positive the quarter before.
That doesn’t bode well for when Polaris reports results the next time around. Even though the bar has been lowered considerably on sales, there’s no reason to think it will be able to rebound — precisely because Indian is still making the same kinds of heavy, big-bore bikes as Harley.
It just released its newest touring motorcycle, the 2020 Challenger, that houses its bigger, more muscular liquid-cooled PowerPlus engine that evokes images of Harley’s Road Glide.
Looking to reverse direction
Certainly both bike makers are hoping to change the equation. Harley has gone all-in on electric motorcycles — a field Polaris rejects, saying they’re unprofitable — along with two new styles it recently unveiled that represent a big change for the bike maker: the Bronx streetfighter and the Pan America adventure bike. They’re smaller, lighter, and meant for a different kind of riding than typified by Harley’s cruisers.
Polaris has also introduced a new bike, the FTR 1200, which was inspired by its racing team’s success on the flat-track circuit. While many enthusiasts had hoped for a street version of the FTR 750 that was tearing up the track, Polaris came out with a somewhat bigger, more powerful bike that it also hopes changes the conversation about its products.
But the introduction of the FTR 1200 was flawed in several respects. Polaris was late to market with the bike, so it missed a good part of the sales season, and then misjudged demand for the different models, believing more buyers would want the base model when in reality there was higher demand for the race replica version.
The new model helped lift international sales in the quarter, but it may be a while before we see any impact here at home. Motorcycle sales typically dry up during the winter months, and it’s still unknown what kind of demand will be there come the spring.
The outlook isn’t bright for biking
Polaris Industries, unlike Harley, is more than just a motorcycle maker. It also makes side-by-side recreational vehicles, snowmobiles, utility vehicles, and more recently boats. They help the powersports vehicle maker smooth out sales over the year. And motorcycles only account for 9% of total revenue.
Yet with motorcycle sales deepening even further into the red, Indian is mimicking the worst aspects of its rival at just the wrong time, and its problem could only get worse.
Piaggio Group unveils products for 2020
By Wayfarer | | General Posts
from https://timesofmalta.com
The Piaggio Group has presented a number of exceptional new motorcycles and scooters from its exclusive brands. The highly anticipated new Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Vespa and Piaggio models were unveiled in preparation for next year.
It’s a new era for Aprilia. Created around a totally new technical base, defined by the 660 parallel twin, comes a new generation of lightweight, high-performance bikes that are sophisticated in design. A return to the mid-sized engine, supported by the electronics and technology of the Aprilia Racing department, to rediscover the pleasure and joy of everyday riding.
The first born in this brand-new generation is RS 660 – premium technical content and advanced but unvarnished performance to rediscover the pleasure of dynamic riding on the road. A sportbike to suit all motorcyclists and that requires no particular experience level or ability. The innovative concept behind the RS 660 project can be summed up by its excellent weight/power ratio that makes for enjoyable riding, whether relaxed or more sports-orientated: 169 kg plus 100hp is the perfect formula for enjoyment on the road.
The Tuono 660 Concept best expresses the new concept of sports versatility introduced by Aprilia with the new family of motorcycles designed around the new 660 cc twin-cylinder that, with the Tuono 660 Concept, is able to deliver 95hp. Thanks to highly sophisticated semi-active suspension, the fastest, most powerful and lightweight RSV4 becomes even more efficient on track and enjoyable on the road. The control unit that governs the Öhlins Smart EC 2.0 suspension has access to all the bike’s electronic systems, meaning it is able to recognise all riding phases and therefore adapt calibration of the fork, shock absorber and steering damper hydraulics thanks to the development of an algorithm, the fruit of collaboration between Öhlins and Aprilia.
Tuono V4 1100 Factory is the most exclusive version in the Tuono range, dedicated to an extremely demanding public and equipped with components that largely derive from the Aprilia RSV4 superbike. The front mudguard, engine cover and side panels of the Factory are now in carbon fibre, a prestigious material that, as well as being lightweight and resistant, is able to boost the level of construction quality, now at a peak. The Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory offers, as standard, the most advanced and efficient electronic suspension system currently available.
Following the critical and public acclaim achieved by the V85 TT, Moto Guzzi presents the Travel version, ready to take to the road with its complete dedicated range of equipment. Featuring, as standard, a higher Touring windshield, a pair of very spacious panniers, a set of heated hand grips, a pair of additional LED lights, and the Moto Guzzi MIA multimedia platform that allows a smartphone to be connected to the vehicle, extending the instrument cluster functions. The Sabbia Namib colour is exclusively dedicated to V85 TT Travel. Making its debut is Moto Guzzi V7 III Stone S, a sportier and more sophisticated interpretation of the Mandello best-seller.
There are also various new models from Piaggio. Piaggio Medley combines the agility of an urban vehicle with the dynamic performance of a high wheel model and the comfort and loading capacity of a big GT scooter. The new design puts the emphasis on sportiness, with a totally redesigned front end, at the centre of which the new vertical element stands out, characterised by a 3D honeycomb grille. Making its debut on the Piaggio Medley is the latest evolution in the family of Piaggio i-get engines, with 125 and 150 cc engine capacity: both are liquid-cooled, with four-valve distribution and electronic injection, and deliver 11 and 12.1kW respectively.
Piaggio Beverly, a leader in the high wheel scooter segment, presents its new 2020 range, available with 300 and 350 cc engines. The latter is the innovative engine with record performance introduced for the first time in 2011 with the top-of-range SportTouring version and now extended to the entire Beverly family, composed of Beverly, Beverly S and the brand-new Beverly Tourer.
Vespa Primavera Sean Wotherspoon is a special edition that expresses all the creative energy linking Vespa and Sean Wotherspoon, one of the most creative and influential designers on the American landscape. Sean takes the steel body of Vespa Primavera and creates a new style dedicated to young urban tribes, but one that can also appeal to a wider audience.